Golden Music

For the course Radio-rithmetic, we studied frequency, sound waves, notation, scales, intervals, effects and many styles of music. We went to the radio station The Drive (classic rock) for an FE, there we saw how a radio station works, the different departments, how to be on radio, how/who makes the clips for programs and the marketing that goes into it. Another FE that we went to was to Chicago Recording Company (where they’ve recorded Lady Gaga & Chance the rapper), where we learned about the shape of the room, how a room can affect your recording, how things that are in a room can play a role in your recording, how a soundboard works, different types of speakers and post production. I liked both of the FE's because I gained different perspectives on how the music industry works, what goes in it, the different jobs you can have, and it was really cool to see the sound board and to see what goes on behind the scenes. For our action project, we made a song with original clips, existing clips and effects. I chose a Pentatonix theme and I mixed sounds together. During this project I had difficulty coming up with a vision for my song because I wasn't clear on what I wanted for my end product and I was missing my original components. I learned how to add different effects, what they sound like and what they do. Check out my song and explanation of my song below. Hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.




To make this song or mash up, I spent lots of time looking for songs that have similar beats or similar themes. My first song was really simple and didn’t have much originality, in my second one I was stuck and my songs didn’t have good transitions and I was still struggling with adding original beats. In my third try I took a totally different direction, I chose to go with acapella and more upbeat music compared to the past songs that were just slow and piano. All of the songs I chose and changed are by Pentatonix (PTX), an acapella group. I tried to have consonance in my song, but there are some parts that are dissonant and I liked it so I left it like that. For example, both tapping can be off by a bit when looping it. It sounds good when there is consonance because it goes together and with dissonance it’s a little off, but then goes back to consonance.

Once I had the tracks together and had the melody I felt like it needed more of a beat so I created two different taps, one fast and made with my finger and the other slow and made with a toothbrush.

KIS. Beat. 2016. 

I played a chromatic scale after the harp for a transition and to add a twist to the song. I used a digital piano on Garageband to make it.

KIS. Chromatic Scale. 2016. 

The form of the song is mostly intro of the different song and some chorus. These are mixed with the base song and some original clips are included in the chorus. The form is Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus.

For the intro and the cover Water I use phaser which is an effect that creates loops of the same clip. The toothbrush tapping and the Ref clip has reverb which recreates the sound of various rooms’ echo and it is the decay of the sound. The piano has a chorus and flanger effect which makes the clip sound like there are instruments in the background and sounds underwater. The cover of Where Are You Now has an auto filter which filters out certain frequencies. The clip of fast tapping has an auto wah which makes the tapping sound move. The cover of Gold has a speech enhancer which is basically the name.

KIS. Mixing. 2016. 

After this project I learned how to let my creativity loose and how to include different songs that I like to make one. I had fun giving it a twist and creating layers with original or existing clips. I struggled a little bit in the beginning, but I really liked my end product because it sounds very interesting and it mostly sounds good. I also had fun playing around with the sound effects for each clip.

Citations:

• Pentatonix. “Cover of Gold (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 14, 2016. Web. December 15, 2016. 
• Pentatonix. “Cover of Where Are U Now (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. September 25, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016. 
• Pentatonix. “Ref (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 15, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016.  
• Pentatonix. “Water (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 15, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016. 

 

Analyzing "The Other Side" Of A Song

For the course Radio Rithmetic, we studied meters, phrase, form, notation, tempo, conversions of songs into seconds, golden ratio, outlining the song, and how to graph the pitch, volume, speed and rhythm of a song. We went to Guitar Center for an FE, where we visited the percussion section. We got to try the instruments, make rhythms with them and we each did research on an instrument that we found interesting. Another FE that we did was walking around our neighborhood listing for music, going into stores hearing what type of music they have and asking the employees about it. We also did research on music that has unique instruments in it. I researched Samba from Brazil and I found that it has African roots. For our action project, we chose a song that we like to analyze it. I chose the song The Other Side by Bruno Mars because I like the beat. Once I analyzed it, using everything that we learned I made a video. During this project I had difficulty reaching the length of my song and I learned how to have an equal balance when I speak and the background music. To learn more about my project check out my video below.

Planning My Future

For the second unit of the course Economics, we studied investing, bonds, mutual funds and stocks. We also learned how to find a 2 by 2 matrices determinant, inverse, solving a system of equation and a 3 by 3 determinant by hand, using a matrix calculator we can find the answer for the rest. An FE that we went to was Northwestern Mutual Funds, there we met Sara Samuels a financial planner. We learned about her job and how she ended up doing that job. We also skipped with Eric Davis on what is the time to start saving and investing. For our action project, we made a financial portfolio. We were given $49,128.87 and we had to make three SMART goals of 1 year, 5 years and 25 years. With the money we had we invested it onto companies, I chose Walt Disney and Apple. Further details of my reasoning is below. During this project I had difficulties with the math part and deciding what percent of my money I want to spend on each company and in the given years according to the goals. Overall this project was an eye opener for what I have to do to have a stable financial future and I am proud of all the research I have done for this project. 

                _______________________________________________________

I will have $49,128.87 to invest. My investment philosophy is to make as much money as I can be a little risky, but just enough to make sure I don’t put too much money on the line.
I have an average/moderate tolerance for risk. See the results below.

My time horizon is 1 year, 5 years and 25 years. My goals are...

1-year goal: Safe $20,000 for college years.

5-year goal: Get an moderate apartment or house for $30,000.

25-year goal: I will be 42 years old in 25 years. I will want to be close to my retiring age and I would like a safety net for when I have my retirement. Also the safety net will be good if something happens to me and I can’t work anymore. I would like $45,000 for my expenses for the rest of my life.

The companies I would like to invest in are Walt Disney and Apple. I know both of these companies very well and their audience has a big range from children to adults. I am investing in these companies because they are big right now and they look like there is big potential and stability.

I decided to invest in Walt Disney because the mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, they seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. The price of a share is $93.05. Disney’s Price Earning ratio is 17.84 and the industry Price Earning ratio is 23.32. The market cap is $149.51 Billion and Disney’s div yield is 1.53%. Bulls reasons to buy are weaker dollar increases number of foreign visitors to Disneyland, the Disney brand is still strong and world-famous and the movie business is highly volatile. Bears reasons to sell are Disney union workers will make wage and benefit cuts difficult, when the going gets tough, advertisers scale back and consumers stop flocking to theme parks and live action studio. Also, an opinion from an analysis helped, using valuation metrics that are tied directly to earnings growth. They consider current and future earnings expectations in conjunction with the PE multiple to determine fair value on a peg ratio basis. Their earnings driven observations entail complete earnings cycles to remove seasonal anomalies, they remove one time events to identify truer growth rates, and they do not look ahead further than two years because they do not trust analyst expectations beyond that time frame.

I decided to invest in Apple because they have a strong moat where costs get low after a while on a product and strong branding. Apples cost of one share is $117.63, the market Cap is 633.68B and the Price Earning ratio is estimated to be 14.12 in 2016. A bull is Iphones will grow again, China growth will slow but still do well, Macs and Ipads account for 20% of revenue, other products and services will be created, it has a perceived value, generates a lot of cash for buybacks and dividend increases. A bear is Iphones have peaked, China is slowing, ipads continue to plummet, Watches don’t contribute enough to make a significant difference, shares are fully valued, all the excess cash is overseas. Apple does pay dividends and the last record of them paying was on August 8, 2016 and it was paid out in regular cash at an amount of $.57.

For my 1 year goal I split 50/50 on both companies.
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
Equations: (%)(ROI)+(%)(ROI)=ROI portfolio & P(1+R)
(0.5)(0.25)+(0.5)(0.125
0.125+0.0625=0.1875 ROI:18.75%
P(1.1875)=20,000
20,000/1.1875= P=$16.842.11
$16.842.11/2=$8,421.05
AAPL: $8,421.05
DIS: $8,421.05
I have $8,421.05 on both companies.

For my 5year goal I split 60/40 on both companies
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
Equations: (%)(ROI)+(%)(ROI)=ROI portfolio, (1+R)^T & P(1+R)
(0.6)(0.25)+(0.4)(0.125)
0.15+0.05=0.2 ROI: 20%
(1+0.2)^5
(1.2)^5= 2.48832-1=1.48832 ROI: 148.832%
P(2.48832)=30,000
30,000/2.48832=P=$12,056.33
$12,056.33x0.6=$7,233.80
$12,056.33x0.4=$4,822.53
APPL:$7,233.80
DIS:$4,822.53
I have $7,233.80 on Apple by being risky and $4,822.53 on Disney.

For my 25 year goal I split 30/70 both companies
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
(0.3)(0.25)+(0.7)(0.125)
0.075+0.0875= 0.1625 ROI:16.25%
(1.1625)^25=43.13442…-1=42.13442 ROI:4,213.442%
$49,128.87-$16.842.11-$12,056.33=$20,230.43 is how much I have left from my total in the beginning.
(20,230.43)(43.12442..)=$872,628.02
I have $872,628.02 for my 25 year goal from both companies.

I have a stock sector which are Disney, entertainment and Apple, technology. Being a diversified entertainment company, Disney faces a number of competitors in its various segments. Some of the main media conglomerates with which Disney competes include Viacom Inc, Time Warner Inc., Pixar, Dreamworks, Twenty-First Century Fox, CBS, and Comcast. While the personal computer running on Microsoft operating systems has remained favorite of consumers since the 1980s, Apple has maintained a loyal following of users who report high satisfaction with the company's Macintosh computers and Safari operating system. Major competitors in this space include Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer and Lenovo. Apple is by far the most profitable and biggest selling company in this industry. Direct competitors are Google, Samsung, Nokia and Asus. The iPhone has literally decimated Research in Motion's business model and caused the company to restructure several times. Google produces the Android operating system, which is installed on most non-Apple phones produced by Huawei, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Lenovo and others. The two major players in this space are Apple and Google, with the Apple iOS running on its iPhones and iPods, and Google Android running on most competitor phones and tablets. Each operating system interfaces with iTunes and the Google Play Store respectively, allowing users to purchase music, books, applications and other media.

I said 50/50 for the first year because it is just a year and I wouldn’t or lose too much. I decided 60/40 for 5 years because I wanted to be a little risky, meaning that I can lose more or get more, so I increase the percent for Apple because they have the higher percentage. For the 25 years I decided to go safe, meaning earning little but knowing that I won’t lose that much. I did that to make sure I don’t lose money and make sure I had money for my soon retirement. I split my money in two different investments because I didn’t want to risk just focusing on one company and not reaching my goals. By dividing in at least 2 companies I can make sure I will reach my goals.

Three assumptions I made are:
I assume our ROI will be relatively continuous (no big downward swings)
I assumed I would get the exact money for my goals
I assumed in distributing my asset allocation

Sources:

• “About - Leadership, Management Team, Global, History, Awards, Corporate Responsibility - The Walt Disney Company.” The Walt Disney Company. N.p.n.d. Web. October, 23, 2016. 
• “Apple Inc (AAPL) Return on Investment ROI quarterly, average high and low, overall ranking.” CSI Market. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 25, 2016.
• “Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz.” Personal Finance. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 20, 2016.
• Kelly, Keith J. "Here’s What Disney Wants in Its New CEO." New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Must-know guide to the Walt Disney Company’s competitors.” Must-know guide to the Walt Disney Company's competitors. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 25, 2016. 
• "Walt Disney Co. (DIS) | Valuation Ratios." Stock Analysis on Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Walt Disney Company (DIS).” Stock. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 23, 2016. 
• “Walt Disney DIS”. MorningStar. N.p.,n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Who are Apple's (AAPL) main competitors in the tech industry?” Investopedia. December 3, 2014. Web. October 25, 2016.

A Famous Story

In the second unit of the course Journalism, we studied why and how radio has been used to connect us to here and now. We looked at many radio clips from years ago to now and we compared the audio quality. We took on the role of a radio-journalist, practicing both the essential skills of interviewing, as well as script-writing and sound-editing. We watched Ira Glass videos on how to make a good story, and doing it in a podcast form. For our FE, we went to Columbia College, to their Journalism Department, where they do TV and radio broadcasting. For the action project, we had to think of a famous person in the 20th century, and make a podcast about them. In this podcast we had to explain why they are famous, and we had to tell a story about them or a mini autobiography. The person I chose for this was Selena Quintanilla because I have been hearing her music since I was little. During this project I had difficulties with getting sound effects and picking the right interview with Selena and getting the important things in 30 seconds due to copyrights. I also struggled with downloading the youtube videos in the right format to show up in garageband to edit it. I am proud of the how fast I finished my podcast and my fades.
 

Transcript:

WHEN	WHO/HOW	WHAT
0:00-0:30 0:30 - 1:00 1:00- 1:30 1:30-2:30 2:30- 2:50 2:50- 3:50 3:50- 4:20 4:20 -4:40	Me Selena and Don Francisco Interview in 1994 Selena Mrs. A and Me interview Me Mrs. A and Me continue interview Selena Me THE END	Hi I am KS and I am a senior at GCE Chicago Lab School. I am going to talk about Selena Quintanilla because I grew up listening to her music. Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas and was known as the "Queen of Tejano Music." Around the age of 10, Selena became the lead singer in her family's band, Selena Y Los Dinos. The band included her brother Abraham on bass guitar and her sister Suzette on the drums. Her father, Abraham, a former musician, managed and produced the group. Selena grew up speaking English, but her father taught her to sing in Spanish so she could resonate with the Latino community. She learned the lyrics first, and eventually learned to speak Spanish fluently. Ladies and Gentlemen Selena Quintanilla (applause and cheering sound effect) Selena interview in Spanish. Francisco: You started at age 9 Selena: Yes I started sining when I was 6 years old in a restaurant that my dad owned in Lake, Jackson Texas, where I was born and I never imagine it will be something professional it was only a hobby Francisco: You started, the first thing that you recorded was “Oh mama” or “Oh papa” Selena: “oh mama” the song by…. Francisco: Pablito Ruiz Selena interview in English. M: How did you get started in this, who were some of your influences when you were going up? S: My influences, well I would say my father. My father used to have a band way back then and I guess that is where we get the musical talent from and as far as other groups I used to listen to the taste of honey, little bit of rock AC DC and music, I listen to everything.    Interview responds from Mrs. A. K: Ladies and gentlemen I am please to have Mrs. A A: Hi, thank you having me K: How did you hear about Selena or her music? A: I hear of her because my husband. He likes to hear Spanish radio then he shave one of the songs then later on we saw her on TV. K: Where you a fan of her since the beginning? A: Not really, I like other music styles more, but her tejano techno banda was something new. Her music was different and her enthusiasm on TV or radio was something you could feel. K: What is your favorite song? A: Amor Prohobido and Como la Flor K: How did her music impact you? A: In that time she was like a roll model for many young latinas. Her message was that we have to fight for our dreams even though many doors close on us. Selenas music was contagious and most of her songs expresses real feelings. Selena Quintanilla died of a gun shot at a young age by the president of her fan club. Selenas music impacted a lot of people in Spanish. Her songs touched so many people and she was loved. Her last hit album in English, Dreaming of You, was released in 1995.(gun shot sound effect) Interview responds from Mrs. A. K: What was your reaction of Selenas death? A: I couldn’t believe it. I followed the news since the beginning and when the doctor declared her death I couldn’t hold back my tears. K: What is your opinion on the way she died? A: The way she died was unbelievable it seem like a part of a movie. Especially because in my opinion Selenas trust in many people died before she physically died. K: Did you think she was going to be big? A: She was big. Many felt identified because her songs where in Spanish, but also in English. K: Do you think she “lives” through people? A: Yes, I believe that. Since her death her music live with her fans and also the children of the fans, who listen and sing her songs in meetings or parties. K: Thank you. A: You’re welcome. Selena’s English music clip Selena was hitting top when she died, but in her music she left a piece of her soul, her passion and her experiences. People will say that a party is not a party without having at least one of her songs played. We feel Selena through her music when we listen to it and we remember her. Selena will alway live in our hearts.

Young answering "What is the meaning of Life?"

For the first unit of the course Journalism, we studied photojournalism and critical thinking behind the photo. We looked at many examples, we looked at a picture of a girl in Africa malnourished and how powerful the picture was when it impacted people. We also talked about the journalist who takes the pictures, what they go through, how their job is dangerous and how they can't do anything to help the people when they are taking the pictures. In our FE, we went to Weinberg Newton Gallery and we saw an exhibition called "Killing Season in Chicago." The exhibition contain pictures of killings on Chicago, most of the killings involved guns and some pictures were repeated to show how many people died in that spot. The pictures didn't have people in them because the photographer wanted to show places you might know and didn't know there was a killing there. For our action project, we interviewed someone on their opinion on, "What is the Meaning of Life." I chose to interview my cousins because of their young age range. During this project I had difficulty with putting everything together for the final product and I am proud of my interviews. 

                                                                                       

Life is a precious gift that everyone has, but people don’t know how to describe it. The meaning of life can have many perspectives depending on who you ask. Trying to answer the question, “What is the meaning of life?” is very philosophical because there is no right or wrong answer. To find out what other people's answers are for this question I interviewed my cousins J, M and X on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 and interviewed them at their house. I chose my cousins because they are a wide range of ages, and I wanted to see their perspectives on the main question “What is the meaning of life?” M is 14 years old; J is 11 years old, and X is 8 years old. I wanted to see how different ages approach this question and how they arrived at their conclusions.

Once I got to their house, I sat with J first I gave her some background information, without telling her the main question. I didn't tell her the question because I wanted it to be spontaneous and see what kind of responds comes up. I felt like if I told her beforehand then she would have overthink it and give me an answer that she thinks I want to hear instead of giving her sincere answer. I did the same with M and X.

KIS. M picture. 2016

This is M's picture, for his picture he wanted on a wall and I agreed because that way I could focus the camera on his face, the lighting was perfect because it reflected off the wall and it allowed me to take a clear picture of him. The dark colors of his clothes also helped so there could be a balance in colors because if he was wearing light colors then that picture would have been to bright. 

KIS. J picture. 2016.

For J's picture she didn't know what do do or how to pose because she is camera shy. I saw her homework in her room and suggested to do her homework while I take the picture, she agreed. I suggested her doing her homework because it shows what she does everyday, which is do home work and also she didn't have to look at the camera so that worked for her too. In taking this shot it was hard to get the angle for her because it was too wide and many things around her, I didn't want other things to take away the focus of her. Also the lighting was good because in the position she is in you can still see her face instead of shadow.  

KIS. X picture. 2016.

For X's picture it was a little more difficult because she had so many ideas on what she should be doing, what she should wear and how she should pose when taking the picture. After many takes with different backgrounds, clothes and props, she allowed me to use this picture. In taking this picture the light was a little different because it is more yellow and it made her look a little dark, but it worked out because her face still shows. Also the space was good because there wasn't that many things around so the picture focuses on her. 

Interview transcript of the M, J and X.

Q: In your opinion what is the Meaning of Life?
A:
M- The meaning of life is when you live with your family and people that care about you. You take care of them and they take care of you and you live as one.
J- Meaning of life is when you get to live.
X- Fun, also to be with your family and live life.

Q: What do you mean you get to live?
A: J- Like when you’re born. Life is something not a lot of people get to have like when babies die in their mom stomach or people die before they have a babie. Life is really special practically because not a lot of people get to live.

Q: What happens to the people who didn’t have family or friends?
A: M- Well, they have the people that surrounds them, the people that have been there with them through all their problems and they helped the person through everything.

Q: What’s another reason on why life is special?
A: J- Because when you die it’s not the same thing as when you are living, you don’t have your same family members or the people that you care about.

Q: If I asked you this question when you were younger do you think you would have said the same thing? What do you think you would have said?
A:
M- Probably not, I would have said that life is like when you are breathing and your heart is beating. I would have said something like google's definition wouldn't be the same as your own definition.
J- No, I would have said, my mommy gave me life.

Q: If I asked you this question in the future do you think you would answer the same way?
A: X- Life can be hard and tough, but you can get through it and it’s going to be awesome once you finish studying and school. There is also some hard things that you need to understand.

Q: Do you think that your definition of life applies to everybody no matter their race, religion or anything like that?
A:Yeah because everyone has someone who they care about or that cares about them so it applies to everyone.

Q: Have you been in a situation that made you realize the meaning of life?
A:
M- Well I guess my own experiences with my family, so that gave me the definition because I spend a lot of time with them, they are really important to me and they are part of my life.
J- I made me realize it when I hear a bunch of stories when their babies die inside of their stomach and that's just sad because not a lot of people get to live.
X- I don’t know I guess I just thought about it really good. Life is hard, but most of the parts are really fun to do and you know I think what me me think about it was that we always go to places.

Q: Do you think your definition of life still applies to you if you didn’t have your family? Like if you were one of those kids who are out in the streets the whole time.
A: 

M- I still think so because even though they get separated or they go into the streets they will always going to remember their families and even if you don't want to care about them you will always going to have a feeling that you need to make sure they are ok. I will apply to all those people too.
X- No, because they don’t have family and they don’t go places. Loneliness, but trying their best to move on with their life.

Q: Where do you hear these stories?
A: J- One of the stories I hear in People’s Music School. The other one my mom told me that my aunts baby died and I felt sad because that would have been not fair. That hurts people when their baby dies and you could commit suicide or something like that.

Q:You mention school and studies. That means that part of life is having an education? Why?

A: X- So then you can learn, be smart, you won’t be living on the streets and you can have a good job.

Thank you for letting me interview and being open to answer my questions.
A: M, J, X - You’re welcome.

At the end of these interviews, I took the time to actually let their answers sink in and realize what they said. The way they answers was very different and how they approached the questions in different angles. M approached it from the importance of family and friends perspective. J approached it as appreciating life and how special it is. X approached it as fun and going to exciting places with family. The foundation for their answers and that they always kept in mind was family and how it important it is because they kept mentioning it. I was surprised on how M answered my questions on certain words he said without repeating himself too much. I was surprised on J’s perspective on life and what kinds of stories kids her age hear. I was surprised at X’s mentioning education and how important it is especially at a young age.

College Plans!

For the first unit of the course Economics, we studied opportunity cost and how everything has a price your time, your choices, and the things you do. It was heavily filled with concepts of how people think and incentives. We studied math concept such as, simple interest, compound interest, continuous compound interest and matrix. Another thing we learned was Supply and Demand curves, how it can shift depending on a product. We went to the Federal Reserve Bank for our FE and we were able to talk to Rick Matoon a Economist. We asked him question about his job and what the Federal Reserve controls the economy. For our action project, we chose a career and two paths to get to our career in college. I chose Music because I am a harpist and I wanted to see the number to get my bachelor's degree in that Major. I choose two schools that I could go to, I chose Valparaiso University and UIC University of Illinois at Chicago. During this project I had difficulties in getting the right numbers to do the math and I learned how pursing this Major can impact my future after college. Below is a sound cloud of an extended explanation for my decision and the slideshow shows the cost of attending college.

Matagalpa, Nicaragua!

Over the summer I went to Matagalpa Nicaragua with a program called Global Glimpse. I went for 18 days and in that time period we were low tech, meaning no phones, tablets, ipods or anything that gets wifi. The goal of this trip was to learn more about the community, people and lifestyle through experiencing it. We stayed at a Hostal called Hostal Del Rey and I shared a room with 7 other girls on bunk beds. Also there were no hot showers so it was hard to get use to it. The first night when we arrived we stayed in Managua in a hotel because there was a big parade for the Independence day, so it would have been difficult to get through it and get to Matagalpa. I attended many seminars to know more about the history, politics and people lifestyles. On the third day of being there we taught english tutoring in the evening for all ages. We were put into groups and we chose a groups of students to work with. I chose adult beginners because I know Spanish so if they didn't understand something I could translate for them to understand.

There were 2 free days where we could explore the city and buy things. There was also 2 fun days were we were taken to places that were fun and have a learning experience. In the last week we worked on a Community Action Project in a low income neighborhood. We partnered up with Infancia Sin Fronteras, working on an education center that they had there. We worked on a mural outside to make it more welcoming, an inside door for more security, a wall to divide the school and the clinic and we made a ceiling so it won't get to hot for the students. When we finished people in the community were happy with the results and so was the organization. This learning experience was really an eye opener and made me appreciate everything I have and the people I have. A nice thing to is that I am still in touch with some of my students and I talk to them in english so they can practice it even if they don't take classes anymore.

For this trip I got 50 community service hours.

KIS. Team Matagalpa. 2016. 

“One Of The Worst Supreme Court Decision Ever In The United States”

For the third unit of the course Policy we studied, we learned the purpose and powers of the judicial branch, and how those powers have been executed throughout history. We learned the role of the judicial branch and who is that branch today. We learned the difference between Federal Court and State Court, the different wars America has been in and habeas corpus. For our action project, we had to choose a court case and find research on it. The purpose of this action project is to document a historical Supreme Court and analyze how it has affected society since. I chose the Dred Scott v. Sandford case because I had some previous knowledge of it and because I think that this case had a change in our history. The media I chose to present my finding was prezi because I think it’s easy to handle and I think it captures people's attention when there's animation. During this project I had difficulty finding the truth because in every website it was different dates, different scenarios and I just didn’t know which one to believe. I also struggled with getting the quotes to go along with what I was explaining and that supports it. At the end of this project I learned to have patients when researching because it was a lot of research and lots of contradictions, but also to know what's coming because when researching about historical moments there are lots of versions to the situation, so that’s a hit that the research won’t be easy. I hope you find my prezi below informative.

Music As A Career?

During the school year I was studying music at The People's Music School. I have been at that school for a long time and I attend that school every year during the school year. This year the system changed a little, meaning they will try to accommodate everyone to a schedule so they don't go to the school like 3 days or more. Last year I was going 3 days, but now I only went twice. On Mondays I have my Harp lesson and in Tuesday I have my theory class (I am in theory J). I used to be in Choir, but this year they didn't put me in it. I was going to ask why, but then I saw the opportunity to practice my harp more, so I took it. I don't regret taking that decision because we had a Harp recital and I felt so confident in my piece because I practice a lot. Soon I will have my juries where I will play in front of Violin and Viola teachers. I am almost done with this year and I am happy of my accomplishments.

Harp. Free PhotoBank. Torange. Biz. Web. May 27, 2016.

Redesigning is Hard?

For the third unit of the course Urban Planning we studied things such as how do all of the different parts fit together to create a city, and what is the difference between a well-designed city and a poorly designed one. We also studied different cities to see how they were planned, how streets are organized, how transportation works and how everything comes together. We also learned that T.H.I.S. means Transportation, Housing, Infrastructure, and Services, while N.I.M.B.Y stands for Not In My BackYard. We watched TED Talks from different people, who believed that our city is boring, it needs to be fixed, it needs to be beautified and the new urban planning should benefit the people. For our action project, we chose a spot anywhere in the world to redesign according to what we learned. I chose the city Matagalpa in Nicaragua because I am going there for the summer and I chose a triangular spot that didn’t have anything. During this project I had difficulty with Tinkercad, a 3D design program and I learned how redesigning a place for people around the area is not easy.

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I will be redesigning an area in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The area I chose is a triangle with nothing on it, not even grass. It’s in a corner between two streets, in front of houses on two sides and next to a soccer field. Strengths of this area are that it’s big, and it’s close to a street so it’s not in the middle of houses. Some weaknesses are that it’s a triangle so it will be difficult to use the whole space, it’s close to the soccer field, so people might prefer to go there instead and it’s in front of some houses, so people living there might complain having strangers in front of their house. This space needs a beautiful garden with a fountain, different trees, seats and lots of flowers.

The shape is a triangle. The measurements are 314.06 ft by 442.71 ft. The equation to find the area of a triangle is ½ x base x height. Plug in the numbers and you get: A= ½ x 314.06 x 442.71, A= ½ x 139,276.566. A= 69,638.283ft^2.

KIS. Google Matagalpa Space. 2016.

Some improvements that this space can use to make it for the people and pretty are to add a leaf design to the space, add a bridge so they can be able to see the design from above, add trees to make it like a park, stepping stones so they don't step on the grass, and a flower like seating area (tall and cut in half both ways to make the seat).

KIS. New Design. 2016. 

I was inspired by a leaf vegetable garden design called La Chatonnière. I was inspired by it because of the way it included nature and enhanced mother earth. I was also inspired by the Japanese garden, not only because of the trees, but also the bridges they have. Their bridges have different architecture than usual ones and that was something that caught my attention and I would like to make a similar one.

My redesigned space is for pedestrians primarily, there is no designated parking for cars. There are lots of houses close to the garden and the garden has a bridge so they can see the design from above. Some services that my garden will need will be water to take care of it and someone will need to buy grass because there is no grass in that area.

Flower pedal seat: Half a cylinder
Diameter: 29.6 ft, Radius: 14.8ft
Height: 8
Pi x 14.8^2 (8) = 5505.07/2 = 2752.53ft^3

Tree Sphere:
Diameter: 21 ft, Radius: 10.5 ft
4/3 pi x 10.5^3
4/3 pi x 1157.625
4/3 (636.78) = 4849.04ft^3

One difficulty I encountered during this process was putting some space between the park and the houses that are close to it. I used the bridge to draw an imaginary line so I that my design doesn’t go beyond the bridge. I also struggled a little in making it appealing because since there’s a soccer field next to it I want my design to bring people and use the space. I also struggled with the Tinkercad program I used to make my 3D model because it was hard to get precision and try to create everything that is on my sketch in the model. The only thing that I don’t have on my model is the seating inside the leaf and I wasn’t able to show the bridge clearly.

Latin Artist

For my third period Spanish, we learned basic Spanish and things related to food, past tense, present tense and Spanglish. We practiced a lot how to translate english to Spanish and how to identify words. We did Spanish work on an app called Duolingo, where it focused on how to write Spanish and we played games. A big topic in class was Spanglish and how it's used in todays world. For example, advertisements, tv, comedy and people talk Spanglish.

Was The Iraq War Just Or Unjust?

In the second unit of the course Policy, we studied in depth the wars that the United States has been into. We had many discussions about different wars, when did the United States entered the war and why. We also learned the purpose of the execute and how it functions. For our action project, we had to find a war of our interest and that the United States participated in it. I chose the Iraq war because it was recent and when it was happening, I had no idea what was going on. Thats where my interest came from just knowing what was happening around me when I was a kid. During this action project I had difficulty finding a policy that was made in that time and how the citizens interpret it. I had lots of information, but it was difficult to place in information in the right place. I learned how to write an essay with lots of information from lots of websites.

Bush Doctrine. Wikipedia. March 23, 2016.

The war was fought in Iraq. The war takes place 2003-2011, the U.S was in the war since the beginning because they started the war. Countries involved in the war against Iraq are United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Italy, Poland, Australia, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, MNF-I, and Azerbaijan. Countries in Iraq are Baath Loyalist, Islamic State of Iraq, Mahdi Army, Special groups, IAI, and Ansar al-sunnah. Some tactics and strategies that the U.S. Army used was the Coalition forces were able to topple the dictator's regime and capture Iraq’s major cities in just three weeks, sustaining few casualties. “Despite fears that Iraqi forces would engage in a scorched-earth policy—destroying bridges and dams and setting fire to Iraq’s southern oil wells—little damage was done by retreating Iraqi forces; in fact, large numbers of Iraqi troops simply chose not to resist the advance of coalition forces” (Encyclopedia Britannica, page 1.) The causes of the war was The Dictatorship of Saddam Hussein that violated the peoples human rights. Also it was suspected that the dictator had a weapon of destruction or was making one to attack other places, such as the United States since the United State was certain that the dictator was involved in the 9/11 attack that happen in New York. Some underlying causes was the United Kingdom notice Iraq getting lots of weapons and technology. When that notice was made they requested the UN inspections to see if Iraq had a lot of weapons and Iraq didn’t comply. I think that the Iraq war was unjust because all of the President's Bush reasons were at the end proved wrong. All of his assumptions were just assumptions nothing that he claimed they had was true and yet many lives were lost both from America and Iraq citizens. Though several antiwar protests occurred in American cities in the lead-up to the invasion, many opinion polls showed considerable support for military action against Iraq before and during the war. American opinions on the war sometimes crossed traditional party lines and doctrinal affiliation, with many to the right of the avowedly conservative Bush seeing the war as an act of reckless internationalism and some to the political left—appalled by the Baʿthist regime’s brutal human rights violations and its consistent aggression—giving grudging support to military action.

Just after the United States Army stated the explosion on rock Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, “At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger” (History, page 1.) President Bush declared war in Iraq on March 20, 2001. Congress supported President Bush because they didn’t want another attack, they knew that the terrorism of 9/11 were from around there and Iraq had a weapon of destruction. Congress agreed to help protect the people of the United States. President Bush and his advisors built much of their case for war on the idea that Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

The Bush administration's foreign policy will be remembered mainly for the Iraq war and the doctrine of pre-emption.The pre-emption policy that President Bush made for the Iraq war was to allow the United States to attack Iraq before Iraq attacks them. Although the United States reasons weren’t as valid to attack and kill many people who might have been innocent. Mr. Bush's doctrine of pre-emption, which calls for attacking a country or group deemed to be posing an imminent threat before it attacks the United States. He proposed this because he felt that after 9/11 attack, he needed to be ready for another attack and with the knowledge of weapons in Iraq he didn’t want to risk another attack. Before knowing for sure he decided to make this policy to attack potential terrorism before 
they do. The policy was intended to prepare the country to go to war for potential reasons of President Bush.

Although the war wasn’t in the United States, there was protest about the war in Iraq. People didn't agree to the declaration of war because they didn’t see how sending sons, daughter, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers to war and putting their lives in danger was an honor. Not only people in Iraq will die or get injured, but also american citizens can have the same fate. Making the soldiers believe that they were fighting for something great, when actually there was no need for that blood shed and all the trauma the soldiers had to go through just for a policy that our government made. Government can declare war, make bills and laws, but most of the time they just make them because it doesn’t affect them. When declaring war they are safe at home far away from the war and they just have to deal with some updates about the war, the government don’t go through what the soldiers do. Soldiers fight, see things that they shouldn’t and do things that might be against their will, but the government doesn’t understand because they aren’t in the war they are just in the side lines. In Chicago about 5,000 protesters gathered at Union Park and marched to Federal Plaza. Three students were arrested for walking on the street and charged with disobeying a police officer, resisting arrest, and damaging to property. I think that the way the american citizens protested against the war and try to defend our soldiers and innocent lives in Iraq was just because they can see a solution without violence and risking lives. Consequences of this policy is Iraq was in January 2005, the Iraqi people elected a 275-
member Iraqi National Assembly. A new constitution for the country was ratified that October. On November 6, 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

I think that the war was unjust because President declared war on Iraq when there wasn’t strong enough valid reason. There was the cause that the dictator in Iraq violated the people's rights, but the United States didn’t go to war to protect and fight for innocent people. The United States fought for an assumption that Iraq had destructive weapons and that they will attack the United States, but at the end after investigations there was no evidence found. President created the pre-emption where allows the United States to attack a group of people before they attack them, but there was no evidence that the group was going to attack even if they had the weapons people claimed they had. After the war american soldier were traumatized from the war and many lives were lost on both places. It was hard to restore law and order in Iraq because since the dictator was in power a long time and many people were on his side, people didn’t know who to trust, follow or who should be in charge.

Citations:
"Iraq War." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Web. May 13, 2016.
“List of wars involving the United States.” Wikipedia. May 12, 2016. Web. May 12, 2016.
Nicholas Kralev. “Iraq war defines foreign policy.” The Washington Times. January 15, 2009. Web. May 13, 2016.
“Thousands Across U.S. Protest Iraq War.” CBSNews. October 27, 2007. Web. May 14, 2016.
“War in Iraq begins.” This Day In History. March 19, 2003. Web. May 12, 2016.

Electrical Circuit and Home Appliances

In the second unit of the course Urban Planning, we studied circuit diagrams, circuit flow, more about the World’s Fair, Ohm's Law, AC vs. DC and the War of the Currents. To study more about structure we went to the only building left from the World’s Fair, which is the Museum of Science and Industry. There we saw a Tesla coil and we went to the Brick to Brick exhibit, where all the structures of buildings were made out of LEGOs. For our action project, we were given a scenario to build a circuit with five resistors, one main switch and one parallel switch. We were put with partners to create the circuit and along the way it was very difficult to get all five resistors to work at the same time and to have the parallel switch. I learned how to make a circuit in this project and how something small can stop the circuit from functioning.

Women's Wage

In the first unit of the course Policy, we studied our government, how it works, what each branch does, people who represent the branches, how bills are made, we talked about the presidential debate in depth about what's going on, who makes a good argument and who has valid points. We also read some chapters of the book "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, it's about the Vietnam War and the book is written by a Vietnam Veteran so it's based on his experience and observations. With that we talked about war, world war 1 and world war 2, why it started, why we participated and how it affected U.S. We also went to a Vietnam National Museum where we saw exhibits of the war made from war veterans. It was really cool to engage in their work and see everything through their eyes. For our action, we wrote a letter about an issue that needs change. We wrote it specifically to someone who can change the outcome and hopefully with our letter they pursue that change. I chose the topic women's equal pay because it’s something I can relate to and that soon I will be looking for employee. I also chose to send my letter to President Obama because he has daughters and he can relate to this issue.

Men-And-Women-Double-Equal-Sign-Gender-Equlity. August 24, 2014. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. April 29, 2016. 

KIS
GCE Lab School
1535 N. Dayton St.
Chicago, IL. 60642

25 April 2016

President Obama
The White House.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500.

Dear President Obama,

Would you like to see a man get paid more money than your daughters? Do you think that’s fair? Well it’s the same thing now with women working as hard as men, but get paid less than men when they do the same job. Last year, “In 2015, female full-time workers made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 21 percent.” I think that if anyone has the same amount of experience, does the job right and gets things done than that person should be paid same amount as anyone. It’s not fair that because of your gender or race you get put less than others especially with something that our whole government is based on which is money. Imagine a mother without a husband how will she provide for her children if she gets paid less than a man when she does the same thing as him.

Another big part are the job opportunities. Common jobs for men are software developers, project manager, construction and computer system administration. Common jobs for women are a registered nurse, elementary school teacher and human resources administrator. A study was done to show when women will get equal pay if nothing is done to improve this situation “slow pace as it has done for the past fifty years, it will take 44 years—or until 2059—for women to finally reach pay parity.”

On the other hand people could say “No one seems to think wage inequity is a problem where they work. Seven in 10 employees — that's men and women — in these countries believe that their current employers pay them equally.” In other countries there might be similar or equal pay, but not in the U.S. Women work hard in what they work for and they strive to stand out, to be recognized between all the men. Not paying equally can be the cause of women exposing themselves to gain money because they know that they won’t be as successful as men. I know that you are leaving the white house soon, but before you leave consider this and pass the bill. This bill will be beneficial to the women and for the country because with more equality there is more diversity.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
KIS,
GCE Student

Resources:

• “Do Men Really Make More Money Than Women?” PayScale. Web. April 28, 2016.
• Hickson, Ally. “Most Workers Don't Think Women Get Paid Less Than Men — But They Do.” Refinery29. February 11, 2016. Web. April 28, 2016.
• “Pay Equity & Discrimination.” Institute For Women’s Policy Research. Web. April 28, 2016.

Popsicle Bridge

In the first unit of the course Urban Planning, we studied Newton’s three laws, vectors, Free-body diagrams, magnitude, law of sines, law of cosines, similar triangles, bridges, types of bridges, tension and compression and equations of motion (V2=at+V1, D=1/2at^2+v1t and 2ad=v2^2-v1^2). For our FE we went to the Chicago Architecture Foundation where we saw downtown Chicago's structure in a 3D model and we walked around to see bridges and observe how they were built, supported and what type of bridge they were. For our action project, we were put in partners and we built a 1 foot long bridge that will hold 10 pounds made of 50 popsicle sticks. During this project my partner and I had difficulty deciding what structure we wanted to build so that our bridge could be strong and look nice. I learned how calculations are important in your design and I am proud of our bridge.

Music Clock!

In the third unit of the course Light, Sound and Time, we studied sundials, arc length, longitude, latitude, complementary and supplementary angles, sextant, pendulum, time zones, circumference, Pythagorean theorem, distance formula, cocks and different ways to tell time. We also did a mini lesson on a chapter that we read of our choice out of the books Einstein's Dreams, E=mc^2 and A Brief History of Time. I read the book Einstein's Dreams and I did a mini lesson on how time affects youth. For people who live in tall buildings or far away from Earth's core they age slowly because time passes slowly whereas if you live closer to the core time passes faster. For our action project, we designed a unique device to tell time. I mixed a 70’s boombox and a 2015 Apple watch. My clock is called a Music Clock and it tells time by playing your favorite album as an hour passes. As I was doing this project I had difficulty finding a quote and showing the cool features my clock had. I learned different ways to tell time and how creativity has a big influence. To learn more about my Music Clock please look at my video below.

Quote:

"Music is a Moral Law. It gives Soul to the Universe. " 

-Plato

Citations:

• Williams, Rhiannon. “How the Apple Watch was created.” The Telegraph. Mar 10, 2015. Web. March 16, 2016.
• TOMO. “Who invented boombox?” Who Invented? DECEMBER 20, 2010. Web. March 16, 2016.

 

Standardized Testing

In the third unit of the course Argument 1954, we studied contradictions by looking at the relationship between: thesis, antithesis and synthesis. We also went to a cool FE to the Newberry Library where we learned about the struggles that black in Chicago went through to get basic civil rights.How they weren’t served at certain restaurants, couldn't buy a house in a white neighborhood, and had to have their own separate things. If they crossed the real or imaginary lines of racial segregation there would be consequences. For example, when a black boy accidentally swam across the non-existent dividing line while swimming at the beach , the whites got mad and started beating the boy up. That is when a riot in the city started, with the fighting and violence starting at the beach and moving into neighborhoods leading to many injuries and deaths. For our action project, we had to choose a topic that is going on in our world and that had a thesis (someone's point of view) and antithesis (a point of view of someone who opposes). I chose the topic of standardized testing because it’s something I disagree with strongly. As I worked on this project I had difficulty structuring everything so it makes sense and I also learned that standardized testing is a very controversy in our country right now.


Thesis:

Everything in life is based on a test, but why? Isn’t there more to a person and more to their knowledge than what is shown on a piece of paper? I argue that standardized testing should be abolished from American schools.

Support for my position:

There is a Selective Enrollment test that you have to take before graduating 8th grade to know what elite high school you can apply to and which of the remaining schools you have a better chance of attending. From a young age American students are tested every year which supposebly tracks their skill levels. By the time they’re in high school you have to take an ACT or SAT test junior year and based on that score, you have a good sense of which colleges will accept you. The topic of standardized testing matters to me a whole lot right now because I am a currently a junior in high school, this year I am taking the ACT. I am a bad test taker; I take several ACT classes to help me ready, but when I take a practice exam, I always get nervous, panic and end up forgetting everything I know. I don’t like how a piece of paper determines your knowledge and I think that colleges should give students an opportunity to show them who they are and the many things they have to offer beyond what a piece of paper says. Also, testing for hours stresses students out, which adds to the stress that we already have at school and exhausts our minds. For the first test, we are lively, but once we get half-way done, we are mentally exhausted from trying to get the correct answer so our scores won’t be low.

Quotes that support my thesis:

“A 2012 study by the Brookings Institution determined that states spend $1.7 billion per year on testing, an enormous increase over the $423 million states spent in 2001 before NCLB, according to the Pew Center on the States. All of this money has fueled a booming testing industry, with companies like Pearson racking up billions in sales.” -Quinn Mulholland from Harvard Political Review.

“Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that standardized tests cannot measure include "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, integrity."
-Valerie Strauss, "The Myths of Standardized Testing,” Washington Post, Apr. 15, 2011.

“Standardized tests are unnecessary because they rarely show what we don't already know. Ask any teacher and she can tell you which students can read and write. That telling usually comes in the form of letter grades or evaluations that break down progress on skills.”
—Jori Bolton for Education Week.

Antithesis:

The opposing side is for standardized testing because many believe that giving these tests to students will show what they know, and that tests have a positive impact on the students. Standardized test show their basic skills, making sure they master them and that the student has met the academic requirements. My opponent on this issue believe that teachers and administrators might otherwise cheat and alter students’ grades. They also believe that teachers’ own class/homework grade are not an alternative to the standardized tests because they are unreliable and too subjective.

From the opposing quote:

“Standardized tests are not narrowing the curriculum, rather they are focusing it on important basic skills all students need to master. According to a study in the Oct. 28, 2005, issue of the peer-reviewed Education Policy Analysis Archives, teachers in four Minnesota school districts said standardized testing had a positive impact, improving the quality of the curriculum while raising student achievement.”
-Stuart S. Yeh, "Limiting the Unintended Consequences of High-Stakes Testing" (204 KB), Education Policy Analysis Archives, Oct. 28, 2005. 

Synthesis:

Both side of the standardized testing debate can agree that students should know basic skills. Another point both sides can agree on is that there are valid studies that support our sides, so we each have data to prove our points about the negative and positive effects of testing.

A way to move beyond this argument is to imagine another way to asses students. One idea for alternative testing is having students create a project that includes a sample of basic skills, including English, Reading, Math and Science. A student can choose the topic they want to research and take materials that they will need to bring this project to life. Another solution is to have a small oral test along with paper testing. Adding the oral test, however, means the written test will have to be shorter. In order to share my synthesis I would get a group of supporters of this argument and talk with the test-makers, organizers, school council, or alderman to propose my idea. My goal would be to show them that if we approach testing in a different way, the students will benefit and school officials and government will still have an assessment of what they’re learning. It will be a win, situation for both sides. Thinking about this synthesis has transformed my point-of-view from instead of wanting to get rid of testing altogether, I realized there can be an alternative that won’t make students stressed out and satisfy education leaders.

Questions I have for the Opposition:

1. What happens to the students who can’t meet the standardized test requirements?
2. How does sitting in a chair for hours have a positive outcome, especially with elementary kids?
3. You say peer-review is very helpful, but how does peer-review help a student in an individual test?
4. Why does our world have to be based on tests?

Questions the opposition might have for me:

1. People say that the government doesn't spend as much money on education as it should, so what can you say about buying and making these new tests for students? 
2. Why do we need empathy, courage and compassion, when this world is based on academics and how smart you are? Clearly, tests are important.
3. Can grades that aren’t from standardized test even be trusted? Can we trust that the student got that grade without extra credit?

Bolton, Jori. “Here's Why We Don't Need Standardized Tests.” Education Week. July 8, 2014. Web. March 16, 2016. “Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?” ProCon.org. Web. March 16, 2016.

Schools Amendment

In our second unit of the course Argument, we studied the checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution and the Dred Scott supreme court case. We also had many discussions on how the Constitution affects us now and what issues are going on in our world. We also studied inductive and deductive reasoning, valid and invalid arguments, sound argument and unsound argument. We learned about logical fallacies, including Black & White, No True Scotsman, Ad Hominem, Straw Man, Authority. For our action project, we had to read the school’s Code of Conduct and address a flaw, injustice or rule that could be improved or added. Once we chose one, we made our own amendment to it. I chose a part in the Code of Conduct about after-school activities where it doesn’t say that students must leave campus by 5:00 p.m. In the Code of Conduct it just says that students are allowed to stay after school. During this project I had difficulties recreating my argument in the way that gets my point across, but I learned how to craft a formal argument.

                   Nyan Lin Cho. Singapore Parkour Free Running | JC Boy Late for School. 2013.

The GCE Code of Conduct states, “Students are subject to conditions of the Code of Conduct while attending and participating in after-school student activities and events. Regulations outlined in the Code of Conduct apply at all after-school activities and events. Students waiting for a ride should meet their ride at the school's designated student drop-off/pick-up location. If the Director or school personnel determines that the student's presence at any after-school activity creates a continuing danger to persons or property or creates an ongoing threat of disruption, the student may be removed from the activity immediately.” This rule is unjust because it doesn’t provide a time where students have to leave campus and when the activities are over, yet every day students are told that they have to leave campus by 5:00 p.m. Some students are able to leave right away because they take public transportation, but others wait for rides. Sometime parents run late or there are delays in travel. I disagree with students having to leave at 5:00 p.m because what if the student doesn’t feel comfortable going out wandering the street until they get picked up, especially when it’s winter and it’s very cold. This rule doesn't specify what time students have to leave campus, so staff should not tell students to leave when there is not a policy saying these students must leave school.

As it is currently written in the Code of Conduct, the rule is:

    P1: Students are expected to follow the GCE Code of Conduct during school hours.

    P2: GCE offers after-school activities to students each school day.

    P3: Some students participate in after-school activities and events.

    C: Students can remain on campus after school for activities and events, if they follow the GCE       Code of Conduct.

This rule should not apply when students don’t have an option and need a familiar, safe place to stay, when waiting for a ride, which is not an after-school event or activity. Students should be able to stay on campus for a reasonable time if they need to, especially if they are waiting for transportation, studying, doing homework, participating in after-school clubs or have meetings. If students are on campus and following the CoC, they should not be told to leave just because it’s 5:00 p.m. This is not in the current CoC and should be extended (and made clear) for students who require extra time after school.

I have proposed an amendment to the current rule, which is written as a formal argument below:

    P1:Some GCE students don’t have internet access once they leave school.

    P2: Some students need a safe and familiar location to be picked up by parents/guardians, who cannot always arrive before 5:00 p.m.

    P3: Some students have meetings, sports and clubs after-school.

    C: When following all of the rules, students should be allowed to remain on campus daily past 5:00 p.m.

Something similar to my amendment is like a situation where someone is singing for a long time in a recording studio. The conditions are warm temperature, no wind and proper treatment for singing. Then the owner of the recording studio asks that person to leave right when they finish instead of giving the performer the chance to cool down their vocal chords and physically prepare their warm body to face the outside temperature. If the singer doesn’t take that precaution they can be negative consequences.

In result of my amendment life will change at GCE Lab School by allowing students to stay at school for a reasonable time like 7:00 p.m. Students would not be told they have to leave and they can stay to do whatever they need to do that will help them in school. Also they can wait until their parents/guardians pick them up so they won’t have to go somewhere alone and unfamiliar.

My amendment relates to the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution the most because the first amendment allows the public to protest peacefully about something they don’t agree with and prohibits the government to interfere. In terms of the CoC we students are protesting to improve this rule, so many of us can benefit from it. Also so the Code of COnduct will be more clear, there won’t be any contradictions to it and if a student stays past 5pm, they are not breaking the CoC. My amendment demonstrates true citizenship by following the obligations and duties that the Code of Conduct requires.

As I propose this change to the Code of Conduct, I have students agreeing with me. For example a classmate said"

“I agree highly with this idea/revision, because I have been, many times, kicked out and had to tell my parents last minute to pick me somewhere else. Also, I can see how maybe the fact that their is no one watching us from the staff, but I believe we are old enough to take responsibility for our actions.” - NVA

I believe that the the administration should revise this rule. Implementing this rule will show students that they have a voice in creating school rules. Also it will create a better environment for students. It can also improve students’ grades because they will have time to do work and get feedback. Another thing is that not all staff leaves at 5:00 p.m, so when the last staff leaves then students can leave too. I am asking that if the staff also follow what is in the Code of Conduct and not add anything or do anything that is not mentioned.

    P1: Students will be able to finish their hw before they go home.

    P2: Students will be able to stay in a safe place until their parents pick them up.P3: Students will be able to enjoy their after-school activities without worrying that they have to leave early.