Fight to Unite!

In the beginning of the Rhetoric unit, I was intimidated by how it works and the meaning of literary devices. After studying and practicing it, I have been able to detect examples of rhetoric in historic text and books. Throughout the unit, i have been more careful with my speech and the tone I use after studying politician’s rhetoric. For this project, I applied the knowledge I have acquired about rhetorical elements to create artwork that breaks the status quo on a social issue. I chose immigration because I have been studying Chuy Garcia and his views on immigration policies. I had some trouble coming up with an idea, but research was able to inspire me. Each element on the poster represents a piece of rhetoric.

JMP, Fight to Unite, (2018)

In my invitation, I intend for the people to see this as a crosswalk sign in Chicago. As they are waiting for the light to change to assure them that it is safe to walk across the street, their eyes will linger towards this bold sign.  They should think about the endangerment of crossing the border as they cross the street, and how lucky they are to have freedom. The name of this piece, "Fight to Unite", will make them think, who is uniting? The piece addresses the immigration policy issue in the United States. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, a politician that focuses on changing our current harsh immigration policies, is holding the children's hands on the left side. On the right side, there is a mother and her other child waiting for her children to be united back with the family. The United States is on the left, because it is north of the southern families trying to find new life in a new nation. The children were taken away from their mom because of ICE's heartless actions. Chuy is holding the mother's hand through the broken wall because he is trying to abolish the harsh rule on immigrants and how the government makes them leave the United States with no care. Trump is fundraising for building a wall to block out immigrants and their potential. Many people support his actions, but Chuy is breaking the barrier, literally and metaphorically, to unite minorities and speaking out on this issue. I made my piece to build upon the tradition of rhetoric in U.S history by studying Thomas Paine's "Common Sense". In his writing, he makes war sound simple and easy, but it actually isn't. My piece understates what is at stake at crossing the border and makes it seem easy. This is an example of meiosis. Comparing the simplicity of crossing the street is analogous of crossing the boarder. Immigrants suffer for just the search of a new life. I want the audience to feel empathy as they study this sign. We as a community can start small from talking at a People's Assembly in the neighborhood, to making a change in the whole nation.

La Cargosian

In our last unit of Design and Engineering, we studied the benefits of using a bicycle. It saves fare or gas money, whizzes past busy traffic, and does not create pollution. We used new Calculus skills to determine the measurements, velocity, acceleration, and distance covered by a bike. We also talked to a representative from Divvy, a bike company in Chicago that rents out bikes. It was awesome to see where the Divvy stations are placed in the city and how the design of their bikes is fit for the average commuter. I never used a Divvy bike before, but after hearing the benefits of using one, I may use one when the weather gets nicer.

For our Action Project, my partner and I designed a bicycle for a certain persona. There are many components when it comes to designing a bicycle. First, we had to research different bicycle designs to see what was out there. Then, we thought about the consumer and what needs they have on the go. After knowing what elements the bike will have, we built a prototype and worked until the final product came along.
I learned that inspiration to design comes from researching existing bikes, but not to let it stop me from expanding those ideas to greater ones.

I interviewed Brent, a teacher at my school. He rides his bike from home to school for ten miles a day. He said…

“It has aluminum frame, which transmits a lot of bumps to my body. So any bumps I go over, I feel more than other people with bikes do.”

This inspired my design because I do not want my user to feel bumps easily, especially since she will be traveling on a trail and the street a lot. I researched different materials for the bike frame so it will be the smoothest ride for Malia.

JMP, Bike Route, (2018)

Our user is Malia, a fifteen year old girl that lives in Logan Square. She goes to school, works at the library, and buys groceries often. She will use the elevated , hilly 606 bike trail and ride on a bike lane to get to her destinations. She will try her best to be careful riding along intersections with a lot of potholes and debris. She rides home in the dark because of her busy schedule. It will take her about 27 minutes to get to school on her route.

JMP, La Cargasion, (2018)

Our new bike design is called “The Cargasion”. Since she will be carrying her schoolbooks and groceries a lot, there is a built in cargo pack in the middle of the bike. The middle of the bike is just empty space on past bikes we have researched, so we wanted to put this space to good use. It is made of a wire net to hold the bags in place, and has a secure cover lock that wraps around, so no one tries to steal her belongings. The saddle is a women's specific saddle so it fits just right. There is a built in metal U-Lock, so she can easily lock the bike securely. It has a foam grip, drop handlebar for 2 sets of brakes and faster speeds since Malia will be leaning forward. The foam grip will keep her sweaty hands stable. The steering will be sensitive so Malia can maneuver on the street. It has 3 sets of gears, since she will be going on some hills. The bike frame is made of titanium, which is a very strong material. The saddle is made to last for comfortable long rides. Malia won’t need to dangerously swerve from potholes and debris, because the tires will be airless- meaning that they never go flat to keep a smooth ride.

I have done the research, measurements, and talked to real bike sellers to make sure I can make the best bike for my person. I made sure that these new implements on the bike make sense and benefit the rider's needs.

I am proud that I learned this designing technique and went hands-on to create what my imagination desired. Having empathy and really wanting the best for the consumer is important. I think that this project taught me some life skills, such as planning before acting, thinking outside the box, and connecting my passion of design to the real world.

Boondoggle of a Wall

Previously in my first Action Project for Rhetoric, I studied Chuy Garcia and created a speech based on his rhetoric, style, and views. I focused the issue of immigration policies, on one of the topics he is very passionate about challenging in his run for the 4th Congressional District. Chuy García wants to change current immigration policies to make sure they treat all people equal and pay funds to domestic programs, not programs that already have enough money. I made a brochure based around the research I gathered about him and this topic.

JMP, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia On Immigration Policies", (2018)

Getting the material together was easy, since I have researched him before. Finding a medium to place all of this information was difficult. I talked to my teacher about how to best show off my work, and we decided on a brochure. 

Citations

"Jesus Chuy Garcia Speech at NALEO." Youtube,  uploaded by NALEO Education Fund, 2013 June 29. Video. 

Sun Times Editorial Board. “4th Congressional District Democratic nominee: Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.”

Chicago Sun-Times, 13 October 2018, Website.

Unknown. "Chuy." Jesus Chuy Garcia for Congress, 18 October 2018, Website.

This Shouldn't Be Our Reality

In my class called Art of Rhetoric, we studied how speech, presentation, and body language affects how people interpret a speaker. In order to make a rhetorical analysis, you must study the context, speaker, genre, occasion, and especially the audience. There are different rhetorical appeals too, that take great part in bringing the audience in. If it make you trust the speaker, it is called ethos. If it pulls your heart strings, it is called pathos. Lastly, if it is reasonable and has a logical approach, it is called logos. I had fun being able to analyze a speaker's rhetorical success or failure. For our Action Project, we had to create a speech for a mayoral candidate wanting to be part of the Chicago government. I chose Chuy Garcia, because I follow his actions as a politician in newspapers often. He hasn't said he is running for the spot, but I strongly believe he should because I look up to him. I agree with a lot of his views.  I studied his hand gestures, body-language, tone, and words very closely so I could represent him. There was a lot of research on his interview with news, so I wouldn't say any opinions he doesn't believe in. The class and I were able to do a face-to-face rhetorical analysis on Troy LaRaviere, a mayoral candidate who was a CPS principal. I was able to ask him questions, and see how he responded. This helped me know how to present myself during my speech.

JMP, Mustache, (2018)

  JMP, This Shouldn't Be Our Reality in Little Village, (2018) CITATIONS

Konkol, Mark. “Chuy Garcia Says His Little Village Block Helps Him ‘Keep It Real’.” DNAInfo.com. My

Chicago, 3 March, 2015. Web. 21 September, 2018.

Culti-Grabbing the Soil

In this unit of Design and Engineering, we learned about how tools are designed, volume, surface area, and vectors, which are important concepts for creating a product. Throughout the class, I was surprised to see that math and drawing had a connection in the real world for designers. We mainly focused on gardening products and how designers must complete many steps before manufacturing a product. For one of our Field Experiences, we had the opportunity to speak with the owner of Beyond Design Inc about the process of inventing an original tool. It made me realize the team effort required to create something that could improve thousands of lives. Mostly elderly people like to garden, though many tools aren’t made for their needs. I learned that it is important to take people’s differences into consideration when designing. For the Action Project, my task was to improve a gardening tool so it makes the task easier for an elderly person. My class and I took a trip to Home Depot to pick a gardening tool and inspect its different components, in order to be inspired for our invention. The tool is meant for someone who has low hand strength, and needs assistance in cultivating the soil for aerated soil. Many tools need a lot of hand strength in order for them to work, but this lightweight hand tool will just need to be lifted and placed on top of the soil so it can do its job. This project is teaching me how to have empathy in designing this tool, because it needs to be made for the hands of someone else, not myself. Empathy is being able to understand how another person feels. I got out of my mindset and was able to interview an avid gardener about how they feel about gardening, so I could think of a solution to their hobby troubles.

JMP, Interview with a Gardener, (2018)

From my interview, I learned that if a designer keeps a tool simple, it will perform amazingly at its intended task. Tools that camouflage with their environment become dangerous, as a gardener might accidentally step on them. Owning brightly colored tools makes them easier to locate. Small tools are popular because they are portable and light. Also, gardeners grow into their hobby because of their parents' or grandparents' love for it. It is a shared passion to enjoy the slow but rewarding growth of plants throughout time. 

I had to conduct a lot of research on existing examples of my tool. To cultivate deeper into the soil, a more curved pronged cultivator is best. Keeping it light with minimal prongs will make it more portable. A stronger, three pronged cultivator will aerate the soil best. Cushioned grips make working more comfortable and keeps sweat away. Wood is often used in tools because it is lightweight and is cheap. Not properly using a wood tool can cause breakage.

After gaining a sense of what can be improved in the cultivator, my partner and I created the "Culti-Grab". This new tool acts as an automatic cultivator. The prongs work together to get rid of big clumps of soil so a plant can grow its roots out. It aerates the soil by acting as a claw machine. You hover it over a selected area of clumped soil, and press the GRAB button to dig to break down the lumps. Press the OPEN button to release the claw, to let go of the now aerated soil. The three prongs are made of carbon steel, which is lightweight and strong for the thickest of dirt. A handy timer reminds the gardener to take a break every 30 minutes, to not wear their muscles out. It is recommended to take breaks while gardening, or else strain will cause deep pain in your body. The button makes it simple to adjust the prong’s curl, for different dirt thicknesses. For a comfortable experience, the grip is made of gel that molds to the hand, making the planting feel natural. 

This tool gives the gardener a break from intense manual labor, and does the digging for you. Elders can find comfort in the grip, so it doesn’t bruise their hands. Being able to adjust the tool’s parts is handy because it is worth investing in interchangeable tools, rather than tools with different sizes.

The Culti-Grab is similar to a wedge, because it drives into dirt to separate the dirt chunks. The prongs work together to wedge into the soil in order to get the task done. The grab button make the angle of the prongs more drastic so they insert into the soil, and the open button makes the angles of prongs less so the soil can be released.

This project gave me a more positive view of gardening. I recognized that there are many factors in taking part of this hobby. Being able to be hands-on with tools was helpful, because it put me in the shoes of a gardener and the hardships it has. I believe that this hobby is rewarding because you end up with a beautiful piece of life that you helped raise. It was easy for me to depict how to use the new tool. I was able to work well with my partner, by splitting up the work evenly. Coming up with an original idea was difficult at first, but we let our creativity show and thought of the wackiest inventions with no hesitation. If I have the materials one day, I would love to bring this idea to life and use it myself and share it with others!