KING OF GODS!

In unit 2, Are You A Game, of Game Changers we delved deeper into the processes of how games are made and worked on creating our own games. For our FEs, we had talked to many people who have a successful career in the game industry. This had helped us significantly while creating our games since we had professional advice from people who have been in the industry for years. We had gone to Chicago Toy & Game Fair to compete in the Young Inventors Challenge where we had presented our second prototypes. Our action project was to create a final prototype of our game, show its process, and make an elevator pitch. My game is called King of Gods; it is a battling race game. I really enjoyed being given such creative liberties over this project, being able to come up with a unique game of my own without any restrictions was amazing. I had so many ideas, but the one about mythologies was by far my favorite. However, I didn't enjoy feeling rushed while making it because in total we only had about two weeks to finish three prototypes. Despite this emotion I put my head down and worked hard to get everything done. Please enjoy learning about my game below.

Pitch

One day, gods from four different mythologies got into a fight about who was the most powerful god and you have been tasked to help one of them win the battle. You will travel through the Underworld, Middle Earth, and Overworld. Along the way you will encounter monsters and fight other players. Your aim is to survive through the battles to reach the Overworld throne to become the king of all gods.

Going into the project, I was fairly confident. I had not realized how truly difficult it is to make a game. Coming up with the theme and type of game I wanted was fairly easy, but making it a reality was much harder. There is a lot of trial and error involved in making a game. In order to have a successful game, you must make it virtually unbreakable (meaning everything needs to be clear cut, easy to follow and solid mechanics) ,  all the while still having it be fun, aesthetically pleasing, and marketable.

The way to achieve this is through multiple rounds of play, testing. By having people play your game, you can learn what things need to be fixed and how to make it more enjoyable for the players. For example, when I had people play my first prototype, they weren't following the path, were battling wrong, and didn't have a lot of fun. They told me my boards were confusing and the battle mechanic had many flaws; overall it was not a lot of fun to play. From there, I made the borders clearer and made changes to the battle mechanic. When I had the same people playtest my game after the changes they had a lot more fun, actually laughing and enjoying the game’s theme. They had found the board’s paths to be clearer and easier to follow.

I think my favorite part of making a game was the experience of going through the stages of game design and watching your game grow.. Seeing what it is like to make a game that is appealing to the public, but at the same time functional, is amazing. You have to put in tons of mental and physical work in order to achieve this. This class has given me a whole new appreciation for games and their designers.

Scouting for Games

In unit 1, Game Mechanics, of Game Changers I learned all about tabletop games from defining what a game is to the mechanics of a game. We also looked at different randomizers such as dice and the statistics for what you will roll. We had gone on a few FEs that helped us understand what a player's perspective and a game designer's perspective is during a game. Out of all the FEs the one I found most useful was when we talked to game designer Jason Little, who has created over 50 games. He gave us very in depth answers to all our question and tips on dos and don’ts when creating a game. For our action project we were tasked with coming up with a scenario where a person or group wanted to play a game where we then gave them two different recommendations. I found it to be challenging to describe the mechanics of the two games without going into the rules of the game. After talking to my teacher and classmates I was able to write the mechanics of the games. I really enjoyed having to have a lot of freedom in this project by being able to choose a scenario and the

games that would best fit those needs. Please enjoy my scenario and recommendations below.

Capricorn.August 2016.

In my scenario, a scout group needs a game to play during multi-day events. The group is looking into games that would be enjoyable and not a great hassle. The biggest needs I’ve identified for the scouts are:

• Transportable, meaning it needs to be relatively small and easy to carry around and play anywhere be it in the airport, car or boat.
• Inexpensive since they spend most of the treasury’s money on their events.
• Be able to accommodate large groups due to there being 12 scouts and 4 adult leaders on the trip.
• Re-playable due to them playing multiple games

I have chosen two games that fit the needs the best: Egyptian Rat Screw and Werewolf (Mafia). Below are the reference sheets that will introduce and explain each game.

The scout group would easily benefit from either of these games. Since both games can be played anywhere and with a lot of people. Another thing is that each game is slightly different from the last making it re-playable enough that the scouts won’t get bored of it. These two games are able to raise the energy in a room since people can get really into it which would help the scouts to not be as sluggish later on in the day. Werewolf has the bonus of being themed with a background story as to why the game is happening which Egyptian Rat Screw lacks.

If I had to choose only one game for the scout group to bring with them it would have to be Egyptian Rat Screw. The main reason for this is that it is cheaper than Werewolf. All you need for the game is a deck of normal playing cards, about $0.50, versus the special cards needed for Werewolf, about $15. The other major reason is that once you out in Werewolf you are no longer engaged in the game. In Egyptian Rat Screw they have a mechanic that can get you back into the game therefore keeping you constantly engaged.

Investing Towards the Future

In unit 2, Wealth and Wages, of Economics we learned about investing and the different things you can invest in such as stocks, mutual funds, or bonds. For the math portion of the class we delved further into matrices by using them to solve systems of equations. For our action project we were given an imaginary scenario where we had been gifted money that was put into a savings account for 18 years. With this money we had to invest it into companies of our choice to reach our three SMART goals, a 1 year, 5 year, and 25 year. The companies I invested in were General Electric, Apple, and Disney, the more in depth analysis is in my post. It had been difficult deciding what companies to invest in and how much of the money I was granted should go into each of my goals. I loved doing this project, despite the hardships, because I will be ale to carry this knowledge with me for the rest of my life. It will make financial decisions easier to deal with and understand. Please enjoy my investment portfolio below.
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We were given a scenario where I was gifted with $49,128.87 from my guardian angel. With this I decided to invest in companies that are in line with my values and investment philosophy, but will also stay in line with my goals. Below are my three financial goals.

1-year goal: Have pocket money to spend in Europe ($5,000)
5-year goal: Get a custom made motorcycle ($21,000)
25-year goal: Own a bookstore with small cafe  ($450,000)

I value multiple types of companies, especially ones that focus on innovation. The innovative are always looking to improve what exists, making it more efficient and, hopefully, cheaper. This will help guarantee that those companies will be around for many years. Children are our future so I highly value companies that are family-friendly, they inspire young people to do things and enjoy life. Being passionate profit-driven brings forth the best the company has to offer. They will try their hardest to produce a product that will do well and make people happy. I believe in watching the economy to look for trends, this way I will be able to predict what will happen with my investments. By waiting out the bumps in the stock I will make more money in the long run.

I ended up choosing to invest in three different companies - Disney, whose share prices are $93.05, General Electric, whose share prices are $28.92, and Apple, whose share prices are $113.72. Each of them are leaders within their own fields and encompass the majority of my values. The two companies I liked the most are Disney and General Electric, below is more information on these two companies.

Walt Disney Corporation: Disney is in the entertainment industry and they are matchless in their reach. They have one of the largest shares in film, television, animation, merchandising, and theme parks industries and have shown continual growth since they opened. They even say in their mission statement "The Walt Disney Company's objective is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information" which only shows the dedication they have towards their work. They have a P/E ratio of 17.84, compared to the industries 28.60, and a dividend yield of 1.53%. With new Marvel, and now Star Wars, movies coming out every year from now to 2020 there is no doubt that Disney will continue to grow. Many people grew up watching Disney, be it movies or television shows, and it brings them joy. The Disney Corporation covers all the things I value and then some.

Walt Disney Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

General Electric: General Electric is involved in all sorts of innovations thus the reason why it is in the diversified industrial industry. Their products and services range from airplane engines to medical imaging. Some inventions they were involved in are alarm clocks, light bulbs, televisions, and turbines.,and those are only a few. They are also involved in power, renewable energy, healthcare - the list goes on. With so many fields in their grasp they are able to take innovations made in one field and apply it to the rest. General Electric has a P/E of  27.32 and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Compared to the industries P/E which is 23.82 meaning over the next few years GE has some big things planned. This company is constantly growing in multiple areas.

General Electric Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

The time horizon is extremely important because it will affect how much money you will make when investing. In this case time was on my side due to my most important goal being in 25 years, giving my money more time to accumulate and increase. With all this in mind this is how I invested into my 1, 5, and 25 year goals:

Portfolio I - 1 Year Goal

$4,912.89 (10% of money allotted)

30 shares of AAPL @ $113.72 ($3439.02 total) (70% of portfolio)

5 shares of GE @ $28.92 ($1473.87 total) (30% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 18.06%. After one year I should have made $5,800.16.

Portfolio II - 5 Year Goal

$9,825.77 (20% of money allotted)

43 shares of AAPL @ $113.72 ($4912.89 total) (50% of portfolio)

52 shares of DIS @ $93.05 ($4912.89 total) (50% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 233%. After five years I should make around $22,894.04.

Portfolio III - 25 Year Goal

$34,390.21 (70% of money allotted)

295 shares of DIS @ $93.05 ($27512.17 total)  (80% of portfolio)

190 shares of GE @ $28.92 ($5502.43 total) (20% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 1254.28%. After twenty-five years I will make about $465,739.74.

Total Investment Portfolio Value: $494,433.94

I expect to make this much, which is significantly over each goals amount, but even if I under perform I should sill be within my target range.

This may sound a little risky, however according to Rutgers University's Risk Tolerance Quiz I have a 27 risk tolerance. Meaning that I have an average or moderate tolerance towards risk and am unlikely to get involved in highly risky situations, financially or personally. However I'm not overly cautious when taking risks since I analyze in order to take good calculated risks.

TS. Risk Tolerance. 2016. GCE Lab School

Assumptions:

1. Assuming that ROI holds steady (or at least does not drop significantly) there will be no changes in my ending investment.
2. I have assumed that companies will last and will remain at the head of their field.
3. I assume that, even if my goals don't go as planned, I will still make enough money to be in the ball park of my goal.

References:

"Apple."csimarket.com.N.P. N.D. Web. 27 Oct, 2016.

“General Electric Return on Investment.” CSI Market. N.p.,n.d.Web. 25 Oct. 2016

“Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz.” Rutgers. N.p.,n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

New York Stock Exchange. 2016. NYSE.

"Walt Disney." csimarket.com. N.P. N.D. Web. 28 Oct, 2016.

“Walt Disney DIS”. MorningStar. N.p.,n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

Authors That Touch Your Soul

In unit 2, Sound, of Journalism we learned about how radio and voice is used to connect and share with people. We studied different podcasts and learned how to formulate one so that the words flow. By watching Ira Glass videos we saw what it is that makes a good story. For our FE, we went to the Journalism Department of Columbia College, where they do tv and radio broadcasting and write for the school newspaper. For our action project we chose a voice that represents the 20th century, and tell their story, and create a podcast about them. I chose J.K. Rowling because, despite her being an author and not hearing her voice, I fell in love with her and her series. People don’t realize who Rowling really is and I wanted to show them that in the podcast. It was really challenging shortening down some videos I found of her because I thought all of it was so amazing. Though, with some help, I was able to shorten the clips to the best parts and I am very proud of how I told J.K. Rowling’s story. Please enjoy my podcast and transcript below.

 

WHEN	WHO/HOW	WHAT
0:00 0:02 0:17 0:20 0:32 0:58 1:10 1:15 1:17 1:35 1:50 1:52 2:09 2:26 2:47 3:10 3:29 3:45 3:51 4:05 4:08 4:26 4:57 5:10	TS    Background Music Starts (“Hedwing’s Theme” by John Williams) J.K. Rowling Music Fades Out J.K. Rowling TS SV as Krystal Sim Background Music (“Dumbledore’s Army” by Nicholas Hooper) Lily Potter TS Music Fades Out SV as CathrynWaller MN TS Sai as Cassandra J J.K. Rowling TS J.K. Rowling Background Music (“Harry and Hermione” by Nicholas Hooper) SV as Charlotte Howle Music Fades Out J.K. Rowling TS J.K. Rowling THE END	From GCE Chicago High School, this is TS. I’d like to talk about J.K. Rowling, a famous and influential author. My parents, both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing personal quirk that would never pay a  mortgage or secure a pension. I would like to make it clear that I do not blame my parents for their point of view. They had been poor themselves and I have since been poor. Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on which to pride yourself. When Rowling was six months into creating the first book of Harry Potter her mother had passed away. This influenced Harry’s relationship with his mother; her becoming his refuge during times of real stress. I remember staying up to read it through the night and ending up in floods of tears as Lily Potter said to Harry: “You’ve been so brave.” Those are the kind of words you long to hear when you’ve lost a parent. These stories hit you where you live sometimes, in the most beautiful way. You’ve been so brave. Rowling started suffering from clinical depression after her mother died. She felt cold and numb during this time, like she would never be happy again, this later inspired her idea of dementors. When I was 9 my best friend died. I was depressed for the next two years, but this summer I started reading and watching the Harry Potter series. I found out Harry’s tragic story and I learned that love will get you through anything and that there will always be someone for you, In a book or in real life. J.K. Rowling’s books are what inspired me to fall in love with reading and what made me want to become a writer. Because I wanted to have people to talk to about all of the books I loved I found an online community, and I have become friends with people all over the globe that I never would’ve met otherwise. People all over the world know and love the characters from the Harry Potter series. These characters have helped to empower and bring together communities like never before. Her story as well as her series is well known, and she shows people that success can only be achieved through repeated failure. I wrote a paper on Jo for my English class, the subject being ‘people that inspire us the most’. My English teacher didn’t like it that much, which really frustrated me, because I worked very hard on it, but I kept trying, and I didn’t let it discourage me because I knew it’s what Jo would want me to do. I mean look at her, she was put down by, what was it, 9 publishers? But did that stop her? No! A mere seven years after my graduation day I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short lived marriage had imploded and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless. Rowling’s success did not come immediately. She had to work hard and persevere in order to even be published. She points out how we worry about failure, but without it we cannot continue to fight to bigger, better, things. It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not lived at all. In which case you fail by default. My therapist told me to think of a person who was non-judgmental and imagine what they would say to me when I was feeling particularly down on myself or anxious. “I thought of Luna Lovegood. She saved my life, without a doubt. I always think of her when I’m down and no matter what, she brings a smile to my face and makes me realize that it’s OK not to be perfect, as long as I’m myself. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. I was set free because my greatest fear was realized and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter who I adored, and I had an old type writer, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. Authors motivate people to continue living the life they want to live. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter gave people a chance to see that no matter where you come from you can do amazing things. We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better.

Life is C Between B and D

In Unit 1, Image, of Journalism we learned what it is to be a journalist. There are many different types of journalism out there, but the main one we studied was photojournalism. This is where an image will tell a story. During class we looked at famous images and had to come up with the meaning behind each image. For our FE we went to a gallery to view an exhibit called "Killing Season Chicago" which showed the places where 172 homicides took place in Chicago over the summer of 2010. It is true what they say an image really does say 1000 words because when looking at these places to know the meaning behind it is a real eye opener. Regarding our first action project, we were tasked with interviewing someone on what they believed the meaning of life to be, and to take a photo representing that meaning. I found it very difficult to take a photo of them since I wanted an action shot and many of mine turned out blurry, but the last one I took turned out clear and looked good. I enjoyed this project because my best friend and I talk about things like this all the time, but we had never brought up the meaning of life in our random, late night chats. Please enjoy my interview and picture below.
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Life gives meaning to life, at least in the book Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, a children's novel written by Wendy Mass in 2006. Despite it being meant for children, there are thoughts that all ages can take away from this book. One such person this book influenced was my best friend, SV. He believes the meaning of life is “to live life not just live through it, but to experience it and push its limits”.

This book actually changed his view that the meaning of life was to make an impact or leave your mark on the world. This book helped him realize that not everyone can be famous or have a legacy, and it wouldn’t make sense if only a select few people had a meaning to their lives. So while reading, he thought about what the meaning of life truly is, and realized that just by experiencing what life has to offer that your life has meaning. “Kids in the 1970s and 1980s had it right, they would go ride their bikes or do hobbies that they enjoyed”. However, he feels that people now are not living. Everyone is constantly on their phones or computers and when they do go outside or do something, anything, it turns into a photo op. When you go to a concert you see most of the crowds phones or tablets out recording. Being too absorbed in social media causes us to miss the things around us. At home people are finding the best lighting to show off their looks. Now, that's not to say technology’s completely bad; it’s there for a reason. “Hell, I use my phone all the time but I rarely use it for pictures; if all you do is stare at the world through a phone's camera you will never see the world”.

“As long as I can remember I’ve been going to plays and when I moved to Chicago we started going to plays up in Wisconsin. Where this theatre company performed was an area where they tried not to destroy the surroundings; meaning that there is no cell service. I love it. Instead of looking around to find people on their phones I see that they are all sparkle eyed enjoying the plays”. Being in the moment brings more joy to future you than the picture you’re showing off. It’s nice to have memories to flip through that you can see, but we don’t often look at the photos in our phones. When we scroll through our accounts we see what other people are doing and think “oh haha I’m better than you, or oh no you’re better than me”. This causes us to feel like we need to strive to be better or that we need to be just like them, then we’re not living our lives but trying to live someone elses.

It’s impossible to have every person be one-hundred percent unique and there are many people who live very similar lives, but you still are your own person. Once you start trying to be someone you’re not, that’s when your meaning of life becomes clouded. As long as you are living your own life and experiencing it the way you want to, you will have your own meaning. However this meaning can change as you grow older and experiencing different things can influence the meaning. “The way I view the meaning of life is similar to what others think of as destiny in the sense that there is some place you are going to end up, but you can take any road you want to get there”. People have their own way of doing things and their lives can be packed with plans for the future, or taking it easy and going with the flow. A quote that he brought up perfectly explained this concept. “What is life? They say it’s from B to D. From Birth to Death, but what’s between B and D? It’s a C so what is a C? It is a choice. Our life is a matter of choices, live well and it will never go wrong” (Jean-Paul Sartre). The only time that a person is not living their own life is when either they are striving to be someone else or someone is trying to live their dreams through them.

Photographers are not included in this vast majority of photo opportunities, in fact they are some of the people whose life has so much meaning. When they look through a camera, not a phone's camera, but an actual camera they see so much more and are able to share how they see the world. Others just post pictures on social media to show off, not to show the world in a different way.

TS "DMing" (2016) Chicago

In this photo, SV is explaining the scene in our ongoing role playing game. As you can see, we’re sitting outside and he is referring to an actual book instead of a PDF on a laptop or tablet. When we get together with our friends for this weekly game, we enter a no cell phone zone. Anyone who pulls out a phone, unless it’s an emergency, has to give him their phone for the rest of the game. I like how in this photo, there’s a bit of a glare at the top and it isn’t very dark in general. I like the light because it represents how we are not trying to hide who we are to meet the status quo.

Other than making sure the photo had good lighting, I didn’t alter the picture at all. I didn’t want to add in changes due to aperture, shutter speed, or focus because I felt it would take away from the natural life of the photo. This is the same reason I decided to go with an objective photo instead of a subjective one. If I had staged the photo at all, it would’ve taken away from the idea that he is simply living life, not trying to be seen in any certain way.

I took many photos of him over the course of the week from him dancing to him playing video games, one of his passions, but either they came out too blurry, didn’t give off the right feel or he noticed the camera and his demeanor changed. When I took this one we were in the middle of our role playing game, and he was so into it he didn’t even notice me taking the picture. He just looked like he was in his element and like he was really enjoying life. During dance I couldn’t get a clear picture since he was almost constantly moving, and while playing video games he started to get upset with the game because he kept dying and it didn’t give off the feeling of someone just living life. Being relaxed and having fun with friends in an environment where everyone could be themselves really showed off his meaning of life.

The Next Steps

In Unit 1, Utility and Value, of Economics we learned about opportunity cost and how every decision you make comes at a price. When delving into economics we saw how the world runs and that it is influenced by the way people think and the incentives that draw them in. Some math concepts that we had gone over had been different ways to calculate interest, solving systems of equations, matrices, and how supply and demand graphs work. On our FE we had gone to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and got to really understand how they control the economy. For our action project we were tasked with deciding our futures beyond high school. We had to choose a career and then figure out two possible paths, and the costs that come with each, that would take us there. I ended up choosing a career as an electrical engineer due to my love for math and being raised by electricians. I really enjoyed doing this project since it gave good incite on something I may end up doing in the future. There had been times where I struggled, such as finding concrete numbers for both the salary and tuition for each college. Please enjoy my findings below.
 

Riverside District

In unit 3, Flow, of Urban Planning we focused on what makes a city function and how its design affects the people living in it. We learned about some cities and how they had evolved into what they are today. During our external investigation we had to research a city and find out what could be improved. This lead us to our final action project, choosing a block anywhere in the world to pick out its flaws and redesigning it. It was really difficult when picking a space to reconstruct. There are so many places in the world that need fixing it is hard just choosing one. In the end I had chosen a space that was once a train yard because of all the possibilities I could do to improve it. I really enjoyed this project because I felt like it tied the whole unit together very nicely and it challenged me in different ways. Please enjoy my design down below.

The area I chose is southwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. This used to be an old CSX rail yard that has laid abandoned for decades. The strengths this plot of land has is its location, it is next to the Chicago River and is in the Southwest Loop, causing it to be near many if the city's attractions. However location isn't everything and this area has lots of weaknesses. Despite its great location the old rail yard remains hidden by townhouses, railroads, overgrown shrubbery, and the elevated Roosevelt Road. Since it has been abandoned for so long it has hazardous materials all across the grounds posing danger to anyone that walks there. It also is a very unappealing site that many tourists see due to it being along a tour boat path. This space would benefit from adding a boarding dock, lots of plants, and a place where the community can get together. The area's shape is closest to that of a rectangle. The width is 1156.73 ft and the length is 2352.35 ft causing the area to be 2695893.24 ft squared.

TS "Labeled Map" (2016)

5 Redesigned Attributes:

1. Repurposed Bike Path - this path takes the old railway lines and fixes them so people can enjoy a small bike ride and have a clean path for walking 

2. Tour Boat Dock & Ticket/Refreshment Booth - gives tourists and Chicagoans easy access to the South Loop and access to food if people get hungry

3. Community Center - brings the community together and activity options for both children and adults

4. Park/Playground - gives the space purpose and a place for children to play since there are not many places in the South Loop that have playgrounds

5. Added Greenery - to bring the space some life, more appealing view, and a place where people can relax

TS "Sketched Design" (2016)

I was inspired by the TED talks and the docking system in Singapore. Singapore has many ports each within 1.5 miles of the last, and tour boats give easy access to major sites in the city. In Chicago tour boats are an extremely popular way to view the city all at once, but they only have a few docks to get on and off. Many tourists will end up where they started and have to make long treks to get to certain places. Since this area is located near the Buckingham Fountain, museums, and Soldier Field it seemed like a key spot to have a dock. The TED talker, Ellen Dunham-Jones, influenced me the most out of the three TED talks we watched. She had stated how empty spaces can be restored and repurposed and that adding green spaces would benefit both the area and environment. 

My area would benefit the flow of the city in multiple ways. For transportation it gives easy access to both the river and major Chicagoland attractions, along with the bike trail where people can enjoy the scene around them as they go down the paths. It relates to housing due to the ticket/refreshment booth and community center which can always act as a homeless shelter, especially during the winter season. The whole area would count as infrastructure, particularly the bike trail and the nearby bridge on Roosevelt Road. The solar panels on the dome of the community center will save money since they are providing their own electricity, this provides the services. 

Since my area had no previous buildings I had added two. The first was the ticket/refreshment booth which is a rectangular prism with a pyramid on top with an area of 3600 ft². The second was the community center which was a rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top with an area of 108000 ft². To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a triangular prism on top: (l*w*h) + (B*h) = (60*60*9) + (300*12) = 32400 + 3600 = 36000 ft³. To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top: (l*w*h) + (2/3πr³) = (300*360*22) + (2/3π100³) =2376000 + 2094395.1 ft³ = 4470395.1 ft³.


I ran into quite a few difficulties when designing this project. The main problems I faced had been using Tinkercad to create my 3D model and coming up with the scale.  I had overcome the troubles with Tinkercad by asking a peer to help teach me how to use this program. After learning how to use this site it became fairly simple to use. However, since there were no curves, my bike trail had been difficult to create though I managed. To solve the situation with the scale I had asked my peers how they figured out theirs and then had done multiple calculations to determine the best sized scale. I have learned that you should take advantage of all the time you're given and that, even if a situation seems bleak, you just need to stay positive and work hard. If I were to change anything I would start working on it sooner rather than later and make sure I got feedback from my teacher.

Money Doesn't Make Equality

In unit 3, Judge, of Policy we learned about the judicial branch, their roles in the checks and balances, and the different levels of court. We went from the Circuit Courts, which primarily focused on state laws and minor criminal offenses, to our main focus, the Supreme Court, which handles all cases that challenge the constitution as well as federal crimes. We not only reviewed what the Supreme Court does, but also some of the most major Supreme Court cases along with the impact they had in American history. For our final action project we were asked to choose a Supreme Court case and present it. I ended up choosing Gideon v. Wainwright (1962), which dealt with a violation of the sixth amendment. I chose to focus on this case because I believe everyone deserves a fair chance in life and especially in court. This court case ensured just that. It had been difficult settling on just one case because I found so many interesting ones that are extremely relevant in today's society. I did enjoy looking in depth at a case that I am interested in and not one that was designated to me. Please enjoy my Prezi below.

 

The Joy of Giving

Over the course of my first school year at GCE I was immersed in a community that cared and helped one another. However GCE encourages us to go out into our own communities and help those within it. I had helped fix up homes in the Habitat for Humanity's Build project. This was where people from all over Chicago came together to help make homes in a two by one block radius more appealing and efficient. The build started at 8am and went on until 3pm. My specific group was tasked to fix a garden, paint the porch, and fix the stairs of the porch. During this whole experience I only had one fellow GCE student in my group and everyone else were strangers. It was a little awkward meeting my group mates and, at first, I thought we weren't going to be able to work fluidly enough to finish the big project. However it is a big suprise at how well people get along and are able to work when we come together for a good cause. By the end of the build the people around the neighborhood expressed their gratitude and it was more rewarding than any other kind of payment. Since our Thanksgiving break is a whole week versus the standard two days I was a teacher assistant for that Monday and Tuesday. I was in charge of the stations she laid out for the kids (grammar, matching, simple multiplication, etc) while she graded papers. The kids had been very sweet and loved my colorful hair, especially a little girl named Precious. I brought along a math riddle story, similar to that of The Two Pebbles, and they absolutely loved it. The children were engaged the whole time I was there always trying to show me what they knew. Whenever they kids had a specials class where the teacher and I weren't in charge I helped her grade papers and prepare for the next lesson. It definitely reminded me of my elementary school days and it was a complete blast spending time with these little fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.

To War or Not To War

In Unit 2, Execute, of Policy we learned all about the Executive Branch, from the people involved to the powers it holds. We also learned about the Vietnam War and the policies the United States had made that caused this war to be unjust. Leading us to our FE to the Veteran's Art Museum which showcased "The Things They Carried" exhibit which is based off of the book Tim O'Brien wrote. For our action project we needed to research a war the United States was apart of and a policy involved with it, then we had to decide if that war was just or unjust. I chose the first Persian Gulf War because it is an interesting war that one of my family members took part in as a United States Marine. I definitely enjoyed learning more about the war and how quick it was. Though it had been very difficult finding a policy that was involved with the war considering it did not last long and involved 39 nations. Please enjoy my essay on the Persian Gulf War below.
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Staff Sgt. Vance. "Marines In The Persian Gulf War." (1991)

The first Persian Gulf War was fought in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia starting in August of 1990 and ending in February of 1991. This war was between Iraq and 39 allied countries, the largest being the United States, Great Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. This was one of the first wars that used pre guided missiles (PGM’s) which were “smart-bombs” that had laser guided targeting systems to help them hit their target. This war also had the appearance of the F-117 stealth fighter-bombers that were made to be undetectable by Iraqi radar, and Tomahawk cruise missiles that were made to launch farther than conventional missiles. This war was started by Iraq invading Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Saddam Hussein aimed to take over Kuwait’s large oil reserves and cancel Iraq’s debt to Kuwait. Not only did Iraq want to get their hands on the oil in Kuwait, but Kuwait had also refused to cancel Iraq’s war debts to them. This war was just because nations involved tried to solve the conflict peacefully and it could have had large economic effects.

On August 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered operation Desert Shield to start. This also signifies the beginning of the United State’s involvement in the first Persian Gulf war. The U.S. got involved because we believed that there was an immediate threat to Saudi Arabia which was, not only the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, but also an ally to the U.S. Operation Desert Shield placed 500,000 Americans in Saudi Arabia to ensure that Iraq did not end up controlling one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Democrats first brought the sanctions resolution to congress, suggesting that the U.S. to rely on economic sanctions instead of using force. This resolution was rejected in both the senate with a vote of 53 to 46 and in the house with a vote of 250 to 183. When the idea of the U.S. going to war was brought to congress, the senate adopted it 52 to 47 and the house agreed voting 250 to 183. This was congress's most explicit authorization of war since the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964. This decision also stood out because it was the narrowest margin in the Senate’s votes since the War of 1812. Congress encouraged the President to start with a massive airstrike against Iraq and use everything short of nuclear weapons.

During this war, Resolutions 660-678 were put into place. The main ones were 660, 661, and 678. Resolution 660 demanded that Iraq immediately withdraw from Kuwait. Resolution 661 imposed economic sanctions. Resolution 678 established the United Nations Special Commision (UNSCOM) to inspect Iraq’s suspected chemical and biological weapons capabilities. The U.S. mainly used these resolutions to remove Iraq from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia without necessarily starting a war. Resolution 661 made it so that America could prevent imports from, the sale of weapons and military weapons to, and the availability of funds and financial resources to either Iraq or Kuwait.

The governments of the world interpreted these resolutions exactly as they were meant to be interpreted. They were a way to remove Iraq from Kuwait. To the U.S. however, they were somewhat of an excuse to retrieve the chemical weapons that they gave to Iraq during the Cold War. The way it was applied to the situation was justified. The multiple resolutions were warnings being sent to Iraq to let them know that if they didn’t remove themselves from Kuwait, we’d have no choice but to do it forcefully. Iraq, however, ignored the resolutions for the most part, so a war did break out in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The resolutions did manage to remove some of the chemical weapons and advanced war machines from Iraq, as well as cut off military funding from other countries.

The United State’s involvement in this war was justified. America did what needed to be done to prevent Iraq from gaining control over one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iraq’s intentions once in possession of the oil was unknown, so the economical effects were also unknown and possibly very problematic. Iraq received many warnings in the form of the resolutions and even attended the vote for Resolution 661 but chose to ignore them anyway. One unjust part of this war was the number of Iraqi civilians that were killed during the war, but civilian deaths are an unavoidable part of any war. All in all, the methods used were effective. The real fighting only lasted a month before Iraq agreed to a cease-fire after losing large numbers of their troops.

References:

Citino, Robert. "Technology in the Persian Gulf War of 1991." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.

Fritz, Sara, and Wiiliam J. Eaton. "Congress Authorizes Gulf War : Historic Act: The Vote in Both Houses, Supporting Bush and Freeing Troops to Attack Iraq, Is Decisive and Bipartisan. It Is the Strongest Move since Tonkin Gulf." Congress Authorizes Gulf War. Los Angeles Times, 1991. Web. 14 May 2016.
United States. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Print.

"The Gulf War, 1991." Milestones: 1989–1992. United States Department of State, n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.

United Nations. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Prin

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. "Persian Gulf Wars." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Persian Gulf War." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

"Operation Desert Storm." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

Rewire the World

In Unit 2, Power, of Urban Planning we learned all about electricity, ohm's law, and circuits. Starting with War of the Currents where Tesla and Edison fought for which was better, AC or DC, we then went on to learn about voltage, amperes, and ohms. We then learned about green energy appliances and Denmark's new innovative way of collecting and distributing energy. For our FE we went to the Museum of Science and Industry to take a look at Tesla's Coil, the Wooded Island, and the Brick by Brick exhibit. For our action project we were put into teams of two or three and were tasked to create a parallel circuit including one master switch, one parallel switch, and five resistors. It was difficult to get access to a circuit since all my group could do was wait for one to become available. I am very proud that my group was able to overcome the many obstacles and create a functioning circuit. Please enjoy my slideshow of my circuit below.

The Three Percent

In the first unit of Policy we learned about the Legislative Branch and the role they play in making the nations policies. For our FE we went to a city council meeting where the mayor and fifty alderman discuss the problems facing the neighborhoods in Chicago. In order to show our understanding of laws and affect people have in making them we needed to create a letter to send to a government official(s) regarding an issue we found important. The topic I chose was water, more specifically about the problems facing our nation in the matters of clean water, and decided to send it to President Obama since this is a problem throughout our whole country. It had been difficult writing the letter due to my troubles of formal writing, but I enjoyed the opportunity to have my voice heard. Enjoy my letter below.

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May 1, 2016
President Barack Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Barack Obama,

We only have three percent, no more but there most definitely will be less. Our nation is careless about taking care of our water supplies just because we have always had a seemingly infinite amount of it. We will run out, one of our states already has, California is going into its fourth year of serious drought. Flint, Michigan has been having a major water crisis for two years now where the citizens are being poisoned and having serious side effects from their water. These two places are not the only ones. So many states, cities, and towns are having problems getting access to water. The most atrocious example is in Pennsylvania, where 8.5 percent of the children tested were found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Not only is lead a dangerous element to have in your bloodstream, but children are still developing and are more vulnerable to the problems associated with lead poisoning. Also adding to this point is an analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data in the Washington Post, which said the data revealed that “about 350 schools and day-care centers failed lead tests a total of about 470 times from 2012 through 2015.” This shows that hundreds of kids are seriously at risk due to the problems with our water. I myself am lucky being a person who lives in Chicago which is located next to Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that make up twenty-one percent of the world's fresh water. However I have family and friends across the nation who do not have as easy access to water as I do. Even people who are in my own state have trouble getting clean water. Without clean water people get sick, they die, and their children can develop physical or mental illnesses.

To prevent further damage to our society I propose a policy in which there is a stricter use of water and the complete stopping of dumping waste into rivers, lakes, et cetera. The use of water should be monitored in order to prevent overuse. We should set a limit for how much water houses and businesses can use a week. This may seem impractical now, but it will make a big difference in the future. Dumping toxic waste or garbage into our supplies leads to disease and disease leads to death or major illness.

I understand that money is a huge factor, but there has to be discretionary spending we can cut back on, such as the money spent for our military. We are currently spending around 597.5 billion dollars, that’s 451.7 billion more than China, the next country below us for military spending.

In the United States there are states suffering from drought, heavily contaminated water, and lead poisoning. These are all preventable problems, but like everything else, the solutions require a bit of work and money. If these problems are not approached and dealt with, our water situation will get worse, as will our chances of survival. The Earth will rid us from it’s surface the way a body would to a virus.

Sincerely, 

TS