WH GCE Portfolio

Hello, and welcome to my first Action Project for my Economics: Risking Values class (or Econ for short.) In this first term, we learned about how to graph the supply and demand for objects and jobs, how to use Google Spreadsheets to calculate larger amounts of information for us, and how buyers and sellers affect the overall market. For this Action Project, we had to research a career that we'd be willing to go into after high school or college, and determine the best course of action to get there. In conclusion, I thought that this Action Project was pretty cool, although stressful. Even if it's just a hypothetical sort of situation, planning out our lives like this felt like a lot. But, at the same time, it was pretty fun to look into what we want to do for our futures. 

For this second unit of Computer Science, we learned how to code using the popular programming language of Python. We learned about how to do simple strings of code, how to take input, and a little bit on the background of Python as a programming language as well. As our final project for the unit, we were tasked with writing two pieces of functioning Python code, and then embed them on our blog post using a website called Tinker.  Below are my two Trinket strings of Python to show off what I've created. In conclusion, I thought that this was a pretty cool project to wrap up the unit with. It allowed us to flex our skill in Python, and also to put it into practical use. It was difficult to figure out how to phrase certain portions of the code, but overall I think that the class prepared us well for this Action Project. 

For this first unit of our Humanities class this year, Journalism, we learned about the core values of journalism, how impactful news can be, and the different ways you can consume it smartly. We read the book Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago by LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, and we attended several digital workshops from Northwestern Medill University on journalism. To show our understanding of the core values of journalism, we were tasked with writing a spot story about a topic of our choice based on small interviews we did earlier in the term, and my choice was to write a spot story about gentrification in Logan Square, the neighborhood I've lived in all my life. Below is that story. Ever since the year 2000, Logan Square (a small neighborhood on the Northwest side of Chicago) has faced continued gentrification accelerated by the popular 606 trail , conversions of historic multifamily units into single-family homes and new luxury developments near public ...

VISIONS collaborates at the grassroots level, with a strong commitment to their community partners. They have lived and worked in the Dominican Republic, Montana Indian reservations and British Virgin Islands for nearly three decades. When they develop new programs, they do so with long-term partnerships in mind. These enduring relationships translate into exceptional opportunities for deep cultural learning. You will interact with local people who know and care for us. And you will leave with a greater understanding of what life is like in other parts of the world. This is my "pod", the VISIONS equivalent of a "cabin", except we all slept in separate tents and had to wear masks due to the pandemic. VISIONS matters to me because it's a valuable service project that taught me a lot about where my food comes from and the process behind it. It connects with SDGs 2 and 15 because of how it relates with sustainable agriculture. My experience with them was a very posi...

For this final unit of our STEAM class, Urban Planning, we learned more about how urban planning is declining as time and technology advances. We watched several TED talks, and learned about how urban planning should be done, as well as learning more about volume in preparation for our Action Project. For this Action Project, we had to look at an area within a city and redesign it to make it more sustainable and pedestrian-friendly. Below is a slideshow detailing my redesign of the Logan Square Blue Line train stop/bus stop. In conclusion, I thought that this Action Project was pretty difficult. It's surprisingly hard to redesign a space that you see every day, and are used to the way it is. It was additionally a bit difficult to manage my time, given that it's the end of the year, especially with the current events going on right now, but I managed to pull through with it pretty well, I belive.

In the second unit of our STEAM class, Urban Planning, we learned a lot about how circuits work and the history of electricity. For this Action Project, we were asked to build a simple electrical circuit, and build a circuit cover around it representing an eco-friendly design. We also had to research different energy-efficient devices, and calculate how much energy they would help the homeowner save. Below is a slideshow detailing the process of my project. In conclusion, I thought that this Action Project was actually pretty fun and unique. I quite liked the idea of building our own circuit system and circuit cover for it. It was pretty difficult, however, finding all the information I needed for my eco-friendly devices, and it kind of resulted in a timecrunch for me.

For this unit of our humanities class, Policy, we learned a lot about the process a bill has to go through before it becomes a complete law, as well as more about the history of the US's legal system. We ended up visiting the City Council on a Field Experience, through a Zoom call, and got to listen in on the proceedings there once more. For this Action Project, we were asked to select a bill or ordinance currently circulating through either our local government or the national government, and write a letter to our corresponding local representative to either vote for or against that bill. Below is the content of the letter that I plan on sending to Senator Durbin. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WH 1535 N Dayton St, Chicago, IL 60642 7th May, 2020 Richard Durbin 524 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-2854 Dear Senator Durbin, Our world is slowly...