Morpheus

This is my action project for my STEAM class called "Rocket Science". In this class we learned about aerodynamics, and of course we learned about science behind rockets. When making this AP we used all of our knowledge to make bottle rockets. The goal was to see how high we could make the rockets go. There were different ways we could make our rockets go "higher" without  actually increasing thrust, since we based our information on how long it was in the air. For example I tried to make mine work better by making it glide in the air with bigger wings, while others used parachutes.

This Poem is Torture ( Final Edit)

DSC_0050 from M Finklea on Vimeo.

Artist's Statement

The topic of my poem was about Guantanamo Bay, and the torture that goes on inside it. It’s an important topic to think about, because it’s not talked about as much as it was closer to the events of 9/11. The reason why Guantanamo Bay is important to me is because in my opinion torture is worse than death. In my opinion, if proven to guilty then a criminal it’s at least ethical to take control of the criminals life in order to save others. But it seems unethical to abuse that control and use it to hurt others both mentally and physically.

Whilst writing my poem I decided that I wanted to include a good amount of allusion since Guantanamo Bay was the product of a very important moment in history. Another poetic device I knew I needed to use was lots of imagery because I really wanted the reader to see from the perspective of those who were taken away and thrown into prison. I also knew that I wouldn’t want too much connotation, because the story that I wanted to tell would be too open for outside thought. One of my favorite poetic devices is wordplay, since the english language is so complicated. Even though I really like wordplay I wasn’t able to fit it in.

While making this video I wanted to focus on the final chapter of my poem with hand gestures and facial expressions. I tried to make a certain effect in the audience by slowly growing in intensity. Even though I wanted to start off slowly during the performance I couldn't help but overdue some parts. I ended up rushing at the beginning. At the end I used hand gestures like putting my hands up like a criminal and lifting up my shirt to get tortured. Overall I'm pretty happy with my poem and my performance.

This Poem is Torture (Revised)

This Poem is Torture

1. A Prison

After 9/11 something had to be done

Said Bush

Declare war on terror
Build a prison to hold the enemy

Guantanamo Bay

Built to imprison enemies

But used to hurt people

And it hasn't stopped

How is it even possible for our leaders to make so many bad decisions?
They cut deep into our history like surgical incisions

The US thinks it's superior
and treats other countries like they are inferior

And when this happened

America built mixed nationality monster

And this monster was beat down

While America watched

2. The Monster

29% Afghan

17% Saudi

15% Yemeni

9% Pakistani

3% Algerian

Think about what they have in common

Imagine being trapped and attacked

In Guantanamo Bay

it happens every day

They walk through the halls in fear

Others drip with sweat and blood

They kneel at the feet of soldiers

All they see is the pitch blackness that is blankets over them by hoods & masks

Their hands are bound by cuffs

For the guards enough is not enough

Who’s next?

In this scenario it could be you

But a scenario is not always fake

The day Bush let torture take over

He proved nightmares are real

    3. The Executioners

The Monster was already down

But it needed to stay down

So they  kicked them and didn’t stop

The sounds of military boots thudding could be heard  across the world

It was so bad that the UN stated it was against human rights law

And still soldiers beat them until they're raw

Soldiers were built to torture
Programmed to do it without emotion

A prisoner strapped to a bench and held down
Guards pour water in his face
Until he thinks he's drowning
They strip him down
And repeat the process
Make it ice cold this time


Like a child in a time out
The prisoner faces the wall
For days
When that doesn't work
They are taken away
And slammed back against it repeatedly

Prisoners put their hands up
Better not bring them down
They stay like this for days
The pain is so much they can't sleep

Open hand face slaps
Placed in headlocks
struggle but still held still
Executioners get primitive
The Prisoners are slapped in the face
But with an open hand
Another Guard grabs their head and holds it still
Against their will

Prisoners are grabbed
And forced against a wall
So they can take their next punishment
Their shirts lifted up
And They brace for pain
A guard quickly slaps their stomachs
And the prisoner cries out

Prisoners are starved
No food for Prisoners

Well there is “food”
But food is now liquid for them
After dinner they are locked away again
In a small space

For their sake

I hope they finally know their place

Which is to run away

But sadly they can't cause they're trapped

In Guantanamo Bay

  

This poem is about the problems with Guantanamo Bay and the torture that goes on inside it. For making this poem I tried to focus on the different point of views that people see this issue from. The first chapter "A Prison" was meant to give background to why we started the camp and what was wrong with their reasoning. The second chapter "The Monster" was meant to be seen from the perspective of the prisoners inside the camp. This perspective was meant to show how horrendous it felt to live there. The final chapter "The Executioners" was meant to be from the perspective of the guards that worked there. Even though I don't Focus on a specific thought from the guards I talked about the torture methods that they used against the prisoners.

This poem is Torture

This poem is about the law that restricts the government to use torture. The problem is not that we aren't allowed, the problem is that some of us in America believe that we should so they vote on it. It's important to me because common sense is important to me. And it doesn't make sense to torture each other. In my opinion I think that we are all included in the word "We" when it comes to the world. One analogy I used in the poem was slavery. We used to believe that slavery was not only important, but necessary. When my poem is read I want the reader to think about what is really necessary because it's us who has to give someone or something it's importance.

WE say torture is bad right?
Not when WE use it I guess
And of course WE won't feel bad right?
WE keep putting a vote on it and somehow people say yes
What happened to AMERICA?
WE used to care
WE used to try our hardest to make everything fair
These days WE whine about our feelings
But WE don't pay attention to the lives that we're stealing
While WE still haven't decided if WE would let the military torture humans
Do you think WE want that looming
Over our heads
No
I didn't think so
Our problems are nothing compared to the ones WE create
How can WE spread love of WE only cause hate?
How can WE say we’re number one if WE tear others down to get our way
WE can't
Because WE would all feel regret
And WE try to wash our hands because they are covered in blood, wet
After WE realize that the blood is stained into our skin
And the retaliation
Do you think that WE won't cause any issues?
In the end we'll all be crying And we'll need tissues
And to force a person to torture another is a punishment to OUR own
WE have to remember that the world is not a plot WE own
America turns from a hero a monster
That's a shame
WE used to be a straight shot
But now WE have a twisted aim
How is it even possible for us to make so many bad decisions?
They cut deep into our history like surgical incisions
First trump
Then our schools
And now torture
WE sure are number one
Just shoot at the head and it's done
What happened to sympathy?
Isn't it's psychopathic once WE stop feeling empathy?
Isn't it a bad thing once WE stop feeling regret?
I guess it's easy for us
Because with our own problems WE forget
And how do WE numb the pain?
With our own problems
And I don't think WE'll ever solve them
WE need to stop being selfish and think about the bigger picture
WE need to build a New foundation and build a new fixture
WE need to find compassion in our hearts again
And maybe WE could be forgiven
But honestly history always repeats
And slavery is one of our many feats
Torture has always been around and it has always WEnt wrong
If WE cut the cycle now then WE won't have to say sorry later like WE always do
And with slavery
My ancestors had bravery
Because they WEre forced to be in harsh situation
And somehow that was agreed upon by an entire nation
WE say WE follow God but it sounds like WE follow Satan
That's why other countries will always be hatin'
Once WE learn to stop and restrain ourselves
Them WE won't have to worry about a nuclear war
WE won't have to worry about North Korea trying to "take over the world"

WE need to understand that “WE” doesn’t exist

There is only us and as a unified group we hurt each other

Think about yourself

Because you’re selfish

America is turning into a disease like an allergy to shellfish

That's why we travel we travel overseas

And we wonder how we somehow make so many enemies

Just kidding

We know

Yet we think we grow

Well we grow bigger but we don’t change

We don’t grow in knowledge or compassion

But we grow like a tumor

Sucking the life from the world’s brain

We think we gain wisdom

But we still act primitive today

We act like people don't change but

We are all people

Remember slavery?

Not many people do

What if I reminded you that it was only 150 years ago?

I'm there right now

With my fellow slaves

We’re trying to save ourselves

Someone it's only a matter of time before we run out of options

Torture is the final solution

It feels uncomfortable at the bottom

We cut our way to the top

Now we are the new masters

Common Sense?

In this second project for my "Rhetoric" class we created a an art piece that challenges the status quo.  For our project, my partner and I had to create a video that questions the use of both common sense and the Rhetoric of the new Amazon HQ. In this unit we learned about the use of rhetoric in political speeches in order to learn how to inspire others for a cause. Me and my partner came up with the questions for the interviews. My partners job was to edit the different videos while my job was to conduct the actual interview.

My partner and I chose to do the topic about common sense and Amazon's new HQ's because it was a thing . While deciding the topic of our video we thought that there was two options. We thought that we either had to choose common sense or amazon by itself. Then my partner thought about and idea of mixing the two ideas together since we could reinforce the idea of common sense. We chose video as our format because it is a medium that we are familiar with. While making this video we wanted people to think about all the different ideas of common sense there are in the world. Using Amazon as our topic works because it shows how everyone can have different ideas about decisions that they consider common sense. Since everyone is different these differences in opinions can range from being small to very large. In the process of making this video, we tried to focus this video towards the viewers logos and ethos. Logos is demonstrated when we give the interviewees the facts and let them think about the situation. Afterwards we use lead the viewer to think about ethos suggesting that not everyone has to have the same thought process. Our video is supposed to make the viewer understand that they have a unique decision making process. Amazon’s new headquarters is supposed to be able to supply up to 50,000 jobs and cost $5 billion to build. 238 cities throughout the continent have already proposed an offer to Amazon in order to be chosen as the new host of their second HQ.  The average salary of a worker at the Amazon HQ would be over $100,000.  I think that it makes sense for the artwork to be shown as an ad on Youtube so people would have to choose whether or not they want to watch it. This would mean that the viewer is curious and may possibly reflect on the message of our video. I chose to show the specific interviewees because of their differences, just to show the spectrum on how much contrast there is when it comes to thinking about common sense. Each of the interviewees had their own opinion about what amazon and chicago should do about the new headquarters being built. This perfectly proves the point that my partner and I are trying to convey by showing the differences in thought. Another thing we had to think about was whether or not they should be interviewed together. We thought this might work because it would show how common sense is created when everyone argues their side until they all agree. It was decided against because we wanted to make sure no one changed their initial opinion before stating it. This was the better decision because it helps the viewer focus on just the differences instead of confusing it with everyone changing their mind. Overall I think the video conveyed our point by dividing the similarities but more especially the differences between people’s thought process when it comes to the topic of common sense.

During this project my partner and I struggled with time and content. When we were making this action project we thought we would have more time to interview different people for  our project. Since we didn’t have as much time as we thought, we had less people to interview. In order to solve this issue we had to use less content and accept that we couldn’t get enough people in our interview. The biggest thing I took out of this action project was that it’s unrealistic to believe that common sense is actually common.  I enjoyed making this action project because there are so many different backgrounds that can change a person's view of any topic.

Works Cited

Amazon sent cities into a frenzy when it announced plans to build a second headquarters. “The city Amazon picks for its second headquarters will change forever.” CNNMoney, Cable News Network, 27 Oct. 17ADAD, 9:14

“Amazon HQ2 Will Likely Be One of These Six Cities.” Fortune, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2017, fortune.com/2017/10/18/amazon-hq2-top-cities/.

Hubba Bubble

In this second project for my design and engineering class we created a bike design for a certain profile that we were given. We had to create multiple designs that led up to a final model, and explain our choices included in our design. In this unit we learned about the function of bikes, and what makes them important. The different math concepts including gear ratios, graphing, etc were all used in this action project.

Persona/Needs

When designing a product it is best to use a persona. Our persona was a girl named Vanessa. She lives 4 miles away from her school. She is 17 and has a little brother that she has to take to day care every day before  school. Her house is by the United Center and Lake Shore with the streets full of pot holes, while the "L" runs down her commute to school. After taking in all this information, we took not of the needs that Vanessa had. This included safety, security, and two seats for her and her brother.

Labels/Benefits

Our bike Is called the "Hubba Bubble" which is a bike meant for a safe and reliable experience. It has features including a cushioned seat, a protective bubble around the child seat, balloon tires, and protective measures in order to make sure that the Hubba Bubble does not get stolen. We put in a protective bubble around the child's seat because we didn't want the child passenger to get hurt if the driver gets in an accident. The bubble surrounding the car seat is sound proof so the noise of the train or other noises don't disturb the child. We also added balloon tires on the bike so when Vanessa bikes over potholes she can ride as smoothly as possible. One of the protective measures we added was a folding aspect that lets the user use the bike itself as a lock. In order to enforce that it does not get stolen we also added a touch id to the bike so the user is the only one who can ride it.

VD (2017) "Labled Sketch"

Speed, Wheel Size, and Wheel Rotations

Vanessa lives 4 miles from her school and it takes her 22 minutes to got straight there. Using this information we can find the speed she bike in both mph and m/s. If 4/22 is equal to x/60 we have to multiply 4 by 60 to get 240. Then we use that number and divide it by 22 which gets us 10.9 mph. After this we can convert it into m/s by multiple 10.9 by 1609.34 (1 mile) which gets us 17541.806. Afterwards we divide by 3600 (1 hour) and get 4.87 m/s.

The radius of our wheel is 13 inches which makes the diameter 26 inches. We can use this information to figure out the circumference by multiplying the diameter by pi (3.14) which gets us 81.68 inches. Using both the circumference and the distance we can figure out the number of rotations her wheels make on the way to school. To do this we divide 4 miles (253440 in.) by 81.68 inches which gets us 3102.84 rotations.

Below are some of the calculations that are involved in making the ellipses included in the Geogrebra Bike Design. 

MJF (2017) "Geogabra Bike"

Energy

While using this bike Vanessa demonstrates both kinetic and potential energy. Since kinetic energy comes from movement, the speed she rides demonstrates it perfectly. Right before she first presses her foot down on the pedal, she demonstrates potential energy since no other energy has been released yet.

Scale/Gears

Another thing we looked at is the gears that would be used on the bike. Vanessa isn't looking for a fast bike so we know hat there should be a larger gear in the front and a smaller gear in the back. For the smaller gear we decided that it had to have 16 teeth, while the larger gear has 44 teeth.The scale we used on our bike and model was 1:13. This means that 1 inch on our model would be 13 inches on the final product.

VD  (2017) Hubba Bubble Journey

Reason to Believe

Our product is perfect for any Chicagoan that has to travel with a child and is concerned for their safety. The Hubba Bubble protects the child from both physical harm and loud noses so they are not disturbed. Our lock system keeps anyone from stealing the bike so the user can be worry free about being able o use it. While we talked o a couple of bikers about what they like about their bikes, one of them said "It is a simple bike and very comfortable. Because it is simple, very few things can go wrong." We took note of this and made a safe bike that can be used by anyone.

During this project me and my partner struggled with multiple issues. For example when we made a model of our bike, we noticed that the 3D printer had ended up detaching  the wheels from the frame of the bike. In order to fix this we had to use a glue gun and glue the wheels on to the frame. The biggest thing I took out of this action project is actually learning the process of making a bike. I thought this was cool because there are so many different bikes, and we were able to use our knowledge from this unit and put it all together in order to solve a common problem.

Take a chance

The purpose of this action project is to find a rhetorical challenger and figure out how they stand up to the status quo. This action project was different because we had to look at multiple contexts and piece them together in order to understand what the challenger is trying to achieve. The challenger I chose was Chance the rapper because of his debate against CPS. In this project I explain a speech that he gave out when he announced his views against them.