Category Archives: Student Work

Capstone Project Proposal – Opioid Epidemic

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For this Capstone Project, I will be focusing on United states opioid abuse. Opioid can be either plant base (like heroin) or synthetically made (like painkiller Oxycontin). Opioids stop pain from activating a part our brains. Also, it will temporarily releases a chemical called dopamine (is released when good things happen, this chemical is used to teach us to keep seeking out good things).I will be focusing on the synthetic versions of opioid abuse. Statistics show that over recent years there has been an increase of opioid overdoses still in America. Even with a decreased in prescriptions in the abuse of opioids is still strong.

The first media I will use is an infographic. I want to use this infographic to showcase data and statistics found on opioid abuse/overdose. The imagery in this infographic will be silhouettes, medical Rx bottles, and pills. I want to keep the images minimal to represent that addiction is not prejudice and it can anyone.
The second media I will use is an remix. In the remix showcase what an opioid addiction is like. My goal for the remix will be to evoke an emotional response (hopefully from the audience). I may use somber music to set a tone and perhaps ted talks about the the addiction and what it does.
Will reuse the same style of images, typography, and color pallet to tied my website, infographic, and remix together. In both of the infographic and remix I want to end it will resources on getting help for opioid addiction.

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Capstone Project Proposal – Conflict Minerals

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The topic of my capstone project is going to be about conflict minerals. Conflict minerals include tin and tungsten which are used in technology production. These minerals are mined using coerced and child labor, and the profits often fund militias. Workers are given very little pay and are put in very dangerous environments. To educate people on what conflict minerals are and what products use these minerals, I will make a website that has links to my two media objects, and a link to another website that explains possible ways to end the cycle. I want my website to have bold and contrasting colors so I will be using black, white, grey, and red as my color pallet.

The first media object embedded in my website will be an infographic file that educates readers on what conflict minerals are, and what products contain these minerals. I will make the infographic as a flow chart that depicts the process of how the minerals make it from the earth into our technology. I will use the colors brown, green, red, and grey, and include simple imagery along with each point in the process. The images will be minimalistic and white, much like the apple icons we discussed in class.

The second media object that I will be embedding is going to be a video mashup. This video mashup will be using videos that depict people using technology, footage of African militias, the unsafe mines, and the manufacturing of technology. I will create a story with these videos that shows how so many people are unaware of the violence and human rights violations that go into making the products people use every day. My goal in making this video is to educate people and propose the question of how we can stop the mining of conflict minerals. The end of the video will include a link to Intel’s website here that includes their summary of conflict minerals and how they are one company that has taken measures to stop the cycle. I will embed this link to Intel’s website inside my webpage to give viewers a chance to gain additional information.

Inside my website I will include a couple paragraphs of text that summarize what the infographic and video remixes are conveying. These paragraphs will explain what conflict minerals are, why they are a bad thing, and what products these minerals are in. My goal in creating this project is to inform people about conflict minerals, and to raise the question about what ways we can stop the cycle. I will include a summary of Intel’s solution to the problem, and I will cite them at the bottom of my webpage along with all other material used in my projects.

Capstone Project Proposal – Forest Fires and Urban Air Quality

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Here is my sample Capstone Proposal.

Trade War and Tariffs

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For my topic I plan on talking about the tariffs that were put on Canada, Mexico, and the UN on June 1 of adding a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum in an effort to renegotiate the NAFTA deal and to try to make trade more “fair” between the US and its allies. I particularly plan to go into the possible effects that this could lead the United States and its ally’s economy and the potential jobs losses. These will be in an effort to show how this is not the way to do business especially with one’s own allies for the many negative effects it will cause if these tariffs hold for an extended period of time.
To do this I plan on making an animated infographic and a remix video. They will work well with one another as the animated infographic will be a short way of informing people on what a tariff is and how it can affect them as a consumer and or as a corporation. The infographic will be more of setting up the scene for the remix video so I don’t have to add that much background to the remix video. While the remix video will focus on the current news feeds and what has happened after the steel tariff were placed on US allies and how the countries affected by these tariffs are retaliating to fight against this loss in economic stance causing for looks like a trade war.

Chocolate and the Brain

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For my project, I plan on focusing on the effects of chocolate on the brain. Eating has been viewed as one the most powerful motivators today. Whether its heart healthy food or junk food. If it appeals to their taste then it’ll be eaten. For most people, you find that junk food, more specifically chocolate, is enjoyed more than others. Which is why I plan on creating a website to enlighten others about the thing they love most. Today, chocolate is used with almost every consumable product available from ice cream to strawberries. Chocolate was not always as popular as it is now. It wasn’t until the 19th century that people started enjoying it as a sweet. It was first served as medicine and as an alcoholic beverage before they added a sweetener to it. Today, people have competitions in seeing who can best identify the type of wine before them, but more interestingly they have chocolate competitions in which contestants try and identify the amount of cocoa present along with other flavors. Eating chocolate can chemically make someone happier. I plan on using this information in forming a video mix to show a brief impact on the different types of the brain that chocolate effects. Also, I plan on making an info graphic showing the parts of a coco bean. After all, chocolate comes from a plant. We have all experienced how this bean can bring a smile to everyone’s face. And its good to know what you’re eating.

Renewable energy revolution

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For my capstone project I wanted to discuss the recent rise in popularity seen in the renewable energy field. This interested me because it’s something I’ve discussed before and have a fairly good working knowledge of already. My uncle also works with hydro-power in dams and is something we’ve discussed before and I found it interesting and worth learning more about. Typically when discussing renewable energy it refers to solar power, hydro-power, and wind power as an alternative to fossil fuels. Not only is renewable energy cleaner and healthier for the environment and for human populations, but also there is no danger of running out of renewable energy sources. In fact one of the most popular topics for the argument against renewable energy is that it is aesthetically unappealing, meaning neighborhoods and homeowners dislike viewing wind turbines near their property or other similar cases. However I find the good it can bring far outweighs the burden of personal preference for scenic views. I plan on going further in depth with my topic by using a Remixed Video and an Animated Info graphic. I feel like it’s a good topic to represent visually and using landscapes, however as an alternative I may create an Info graphic describing the different types of renewable energy sources and their specific benefits if I’m unable or unsatisfied acquiring footage and music for the remixed video. There are many organizations dedicated to alternative energy such as the CEBC (clean energy business council) and specifically, Washington state and Oregon are known as some of the greener states and is some of the leaders in alternative energy.

I look forward to discussing it more in my project and seeing all of your projects as well!

Homeless in America

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In this capstone project, I will discuss the epidemic of homelessness in the streets of America on my website. My website will include infographic file and live-action video remix. The infographic will depict the topic that back up by statistical information, the remix video will display live images of homeless people and their life. Infographic file together with the powerful tool of remix video can effectively bring out homeless issue that I want to present in this project.

Of many choices of social/cultural topics out there, I chose my project to be about homelessness because I heard about it frequently on the news and it has always been a social problem in United States. In 2017, homelessness has reached an all-time high since the Great Recession. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, a private non profit organization, homelessness can be caused by lack of employment opportunities, decline in available public assistance, substance addiction, mental instability, foreclosure, etc.

More often, homeless people face many dangers, such as exposure to extreme weather, getting killed or hurt by people, and catching diseases. While our government is still trying to solve this social problem, we can help the homeless people individually in many different ways. There are many organizations that aim at helping the homeless across America by providing shelter, hot meals, baths, haircuts, and water. Portland Rescue Mission and NCH are just to name a few. This project will give me an opportunity to conduct an in-depth exploration of the homeless issue.