Self Analysis

For the first unit of the course System and Models we studied, psychologists, people, groups and ourselves. We researched psychologist that are part of history, we researched what they were known for, their background and what other accomplishments they did. We watched so many test to show how certain people react to things, situations and people. Some test we looked at was The Marshmallow Test, The Slap Her Test and The Stanford Prison Test. They all tested different people, different age group, different scenarios and they test to see what part of our human nature shows up. We also took personality test to know more about ourselves. We took the Myers Briggs test, TKI test, Enneagram test, Disc test and Conflict test. For our action project, we took the results we got from the test and include them in a self portrait. Our self portrait could be anything we consider art like painting, drawing, sculpture, abstract and many more. I chose drawing because it’s something I can do. Along with my drawing I wrote an artist statement that explains my art and what it represents. During this project I had difficulties with coming up with my final drawing and getting a view of a professional artist. I learned how long it takes to write an artist statement and how much detail you have to put in it. Also I learned and confirmed a lot from the personality tests. Overall I had fun with this project and I enjoyed it. To know more about me check out my artist statement below.

KIS. Self Portrait Drawing. 2017. 

Self Portrait
Drawing
8.5” by 11”

In my drawing I am the flowers. The big flower is me to everyone, I am an introvert, I don’t talk much to anyone and I just observe everyone. Once people get to know me I become the open small flowers around the big flower because I talk more, I care for them, I am friendly and I have a strong connection to my friends. My drawing represents how i've been for my whole life until now. The music notes don’t represent me, but music has been in my life and it’s an important part in my life. That’s why I chose notes to represent music. I used the TKI and the Myers-Briggs test to help me create my self portrait. The TKI shows up in the big flower in the middle because I am an avoider of conflict so I am just closed off and quite. I also don’t attempt to satisfy my own needs nor attempt to satisfy the other person’s needs. The flowers around represent the other test, I am an ISFP. I am the small flowers because once people get to know me I am friendly, I step up onto what needs to be done, I live in the present moment, I help others, I am non judgemental and I am loyal. Isabel Briggs Myers, Gifts Differing said "The work of their hands is usually more eloquent than anything they say." (Myers, page1). Another ISFP, David Keirsey, Please Understand Me II said "The Composers are attuned to sensory variation, which gives them an extraordinary ability to work with the slightest nuances of color, tone, texture, aroma, and flavor." (Keirsey, page 1). A person who I identify with is the psychologist and philosopher William James. James is known for introducing psychology and bringing psychology laboratories to the United States. I identify with him because he had an interest for philosophy and I like to use philosophy in some situations. Also he had back issues like I do, but his was more serious. I also used the “Slap Her” test to relate to. In this test small boys were asked to slap a girl and all didn’t because it’s not right, they don’t want to hurt her and they were raised not to hit girls. This is similar to the way I think. I treat others the way they treat me and I always respect people because that’s how I was raised.

In the beginning I had different idea but after talking to a couple of classmates my self portrait changed. My initial idea was going to be a drawing of many things that make me what I am today, but my drawing didn’t fulfill the rubric and it didn’t explain me good. It only showed the outside of me instead the inside. I had to rethink my drawing and my classmates helped me with it and it became to what it is now. I chose nature as an overall theme because I like nature, specifically flowers. The point of my self portrait is to tell others how I am and not to expect other things from me that I might be able to do or reach their expectations. To see that to get into my trusted circle of friends won’t be easy and it takes time. I also think from a different perspective, I like to think outside the box and step back to fully analyze a situation. I want people to think that I can be a flower. I can be very closed off and sometimes come off with a not intended bad vibe, but I can open like a flower over time. Having the artist statement count more than the portrait itself influenced me to have a simple drawing. In the statement I have to worry about getting into detail and explaining my drawing and thought process. I honestly like it better because I don’t have the right skills to make a detailed drawing, painting or sculpture and writing is something I am good at. In this project I had difficulties with finding the right person for my interview and expressing myself through the drawing. I did not expect to find it so hard to come up with a concept that represents me and that fulfil the rubric. It was easy to do the interview after I got a hold of a person.

I interview Jackelyn to know how professional artist write their artist statement. I learned that she likes hearing the viewers opinions of her art and she likes leaving it open for them to interpret it how ever they want. “I know a lot of us don’t like writing them, but gallerie and different people in just either the art community or non art community want to know more about an artist” she said. While talking with her this struck me because it shows the side of the artist in writing the artist statement and how it’s a requirement so that the viewers can understand it more.



Citations:

“Good and Bad Avoiding | Using the TKI to better resolve conflict.” Psychometrics Canada. N.p. January 22, 2017. Web. January 11, 2016.

“Isfp.” ISFP in Depth - Discover Your Strengths and Make the Most of Your ISFP Talents | Truity. N.p. January 22, 2017. Web. January 11, 2016.

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.