The beautiful Glow

For this action project the class was assigned to either learn from a animal, using that animal to create a design or to challenge that animal. I decided to learn from an animal using it as a sort of "model" to redesign a product. The animal I chose was a Firefly. I will be using a Firefly to create a more efficient lamp. The lamp would be able to conserve more energy, but yet create the same amount of light as a light bulb.

Pan, Licheich. "Firefly". Flicker. Yahoo!, 1 April. 2006. web. 20 November. 2013

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A Firefly is mostly known for their beautiful glow that they produce. The science of that is called bioluminescene. Its when the cells in the Firefly's tail make Luciferase Enzyme and then creates a chemical reaction that produces a light. The light they produce is different from a light bulb because the light is cold instead of hot, which saves them because if the light was hot they would die because of all the energy they are loosing. A light bulb uses 90% of its energy on heat, while all the energy put into Luciferase is simply light. A product that would benefit from a Firefly would be a nightlight that produces the same light a Firefly produces and also using the same amount of low energy.

To come up with this design I had to do research on how a light bulb works and contrast that with a way a firefly works. A light bulb produces light when electrical currents pass through a wire that makes the wire heat up and eventually it gets so hot that it produces a light. The Light bulb waste more energy because it produces heat, while a Firefly produces a cool kind of light. An idea that I had was create the same kind of light a Firefly uses which is called Luciferase. From that I can produce a more efficient light bulb.

RD, Photography. Fire Fly. Chicago Illinois  

The Light bulb would work very simple, the same way a Firefly works which is by a chemical reaction. I would apply luciferin and combine that with oxygen and then with luciferase making the bulb light up with a cool light. The light bulb would be able to produce any color light because each organism with luciferase has a different color light that they produce.

Citations:
"Why do Fireflies glow?" . huffingtonpost.com. NP. May 25, 2013. web. November 20, 2013 





















                                                                                                                                                                               

Letter to Alderman

For this action project in Global Peace the class was assigned to write a letter addressing an issue that is going on in my neighborhood and relating it to a term we discussed in the second unit called Swadeshi, which is discussing the local economy. I went on to realize how much my community lacks in having local businesses. 

Alderman John Arena

45th Ward Service Office
4754 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60630

November 14, 2013

Dear Alderman Arena ,

I am RD, a 14 year student who attends Global Citizenship Experience (GCE) high school in the Lincoln Park area. I am writing to you because I am taking a course in school called Global Peace. In this second Unit the class is discussing the word Swadeshi, which means me as in myself and place, as in location. For this project the class was assigned to discuss an issue that was going on in our neighborhood, which in my case is the Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area. An issue that I saw was the lack of local businesses going on in those areas.

The Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area is beautiful, but not many people get to notice that because of the lack of attractions and businesses. On my way to school I see huge businesses and restaurants that attract many people to the Lincoln Park area, and I don't see that kind of attraction at all in my community. There are many empty business buildings that are occupying so much space in our area. That not only takes up useless space, but it also makes the neighborhood look unsafe and bad.

The lack of businesses brings down the local economy very much. We are not selling any goods that benefit any business or our neighborhood. That also hurts the connection we have as a community.

I have many ideas that I would like to turn into actions with your help. There are many empty business buildings in 6 Corners. Many of those can be turned into bigger businesses or local businesses. I went to Andersonville to view all the local businesses that are established in that neighborhood and I was impressed at how they all connected. The community felt united because of all those local businesses. I would definitely like to see that going on more in the Portage Park/ Jefferson Park area. The Portage Park/ Jefferson Park Chamber of commerce can help support new local businesses like the one in Andersonville. I as a resident take this as an important issue because I want my neighborhood to look attractive and fun.

If this problem is solved the whole neighborhood would rise up. I’m using the example of Savordaya, which means everything and everyone rising up together, a term we used in the first Unit of the Global Peace course. We would see an excellent change in the local economy with all the income these local stores deserve in our neighborhood. I hope my letter inspires you to help me take action against this issue.

Sincerly ,

RD

Live Forever

For this action project in Bioneers the class was assigned to think like nature, so that we can learn off it. In specific we were to think like a plant or tree. I chose a Nelumbo Nucifera or a Lotus.In order to learn from a Lotus,I had to learn about a Lotus. I did research on its orgin, the way it grows and many cultural lessons it teaches. I am most proud of my drawing because I think I visually represented an understanding of how a Lotus flower works. I leaned that even though a Lotus flower is small they are still very strong.

By researching this flower I also leaned that it has a very spiritual meaning in other countries. In India and Vietnam, they use a Lotus as a national flower. In the Buddhist religion and Asian culture this flower symbolizes many things, some of those things include purity in the mind and body, long life, health and good luck.

Gailard, Jennifer. "Lotus Flower". Flicker. Yahoo!, 2 September. 2011. web. 8 November 2013

RD(2013) Lotus Flower. Chicago Illinois

The Nelumbo Nucifera is a plant of many names, but it is most commonly known as a Lotus. Its native home is mostly known to be in Australia and throughout Asia. They grow in water, which is why they usually grow with lily pads. The roots usually grow at the bottom of the river or pond and the flower or leaves of a Lotus float on the water's surface. It usually grows to be a height of 150 cm. The seeds are known to live for a very long time. Researchers investigated that the longest Lotus flower seed lived for 1,288 years!(Kew.org) A Lotus flower also can clean itself off when it emerges from the dirt, this is also known as the "Lotus effect".

Many people wondered how the Lotus flower is able to live for that long. It is said that the seed's long life is due to the heavy and strong coating.(ehow.com) The proteins also help the seed survive fungi attacks, and bad weather. The seed is also capable of controlling its leaves temperature within a range, just like humans and other warmblooded animals. The seeds, leaves flowers and roots are all edible.We use those for teas, beauty products and for medical purposes.  

The Lotus has an ability to clean itself out from coming out of the dirt. From that we can learn how Nature takes care of itself because that's all it has, so that would be a lesson of how we can take better care of ourselves.  Can we use the seeds as a medicine to maybe extend other life, or maybe even human life? We can take a sample of seeds and apply it to many medicines that can help us with a cleaner and healthier body.The Lotus seed is also very strong, it can survive some of the worst weather conditions, that could give a lesson on how to better adapt to our surroundings. We as humans can learn to boost the quality of life and the way we think of ageing, because even though a Lotus lives up to thousands of years, it is still very beautiful. If I were to be any flower, I would definitely choose to be a Lotus. Not only because of its beauty and meaning, but also because of all the things it has to offer to the world.


Citations:

• "Facts about the Indian Lotus Flower". ehow.com. ehow contributor. N.D. Web. November 7, 2013.

• "Lotus leaves health benefits and weigh loss effectiveness". divineglowinghealth.com. Susanna. June 4, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013.

• "Nelumbo nucifera". wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. October 30, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013.

Freedom Song- Gloria Steimen- RD

For this unit the class was assigned to write a poem about a famous person who tries to help end inequality by using Sarvodaya.  Sarvodaya means everyone and everything rising all together. In specific I chose Gloria Steimen, a feminist activist, writer and lecturer. She knew talking was not enough so she took action peacefully. The most challenging part of this project was having to see what women had to go through in order to get their voice heard. When I finished my poems I felt very proud of what I, and what other people can do to make Sarvodaya happen.

RD, Photography, Chicago Illinois, 2013

I am Gloria Steinem

Feminist activist, writer and lecturer

I am a warrior for womens rights and equality

I am a leader of myself

words are not enough for me

I take my time to take a stand for my sisters

I will not let society’s thoughts control me

My 12 organizations help find peace and direction

rather than covering women fashions I cover real issues

Ms. Magazine being an example of my courage and wisdom

passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

I was there

anything promoting equality between a man and a woman

I was there

because I cared

when women had no voice

I was there

and I still am.

My freedom song

I am RD

Although I am small, I have a big voice

thoughts building up in my head that are not being heard

people’s thoughts and shyness holding me back

but not for long

I’m tired of hiding

and being stepped on

I will be seen as someone important

my thoughts will turn into actions

they will get me to places I couldn't even imagine

Interview with Mrs. Mendoza

The purpose of this project was to interview a person who has experienced segregation in their life. I interviewed Laura Mendoza, who is a family friend. I was very surprised when I found out she has faced segregation. The toughest part of this investigation was having to hear what she had to go through. It all made me mad. Even though I was mad I felt rewarded to hear what she went through and how I can help others not go through the same. I was proud of actually talking to someone who went through this difficult time in their life and see how that shaped her as a person.

This was the very first time I had ever heard the word “sarvodaya” and I am happy that I had the chance to learn more about it. Personally it means that I must always include everyone and everything into my life. I can never exclude people or things from my daily life and give major importance to one specific thing. During my interview Mrs. Mendoza quoted Paul Harris and although it was a very good quote there was something else she said that was impactful to me. She said “segregation is abuse “ and I will always carry those words with me. From my interview I have learned that segregation happens everywhere even at work. I always thought that once you get older people would grow up and treat everyone with respect and treat them equally. I was wrong about this and now I know that I might one day face this at work in the future. I have also learned that if this does happen to me I need to be strong and not let anyone else decide my future or give anyone the satisfaction of winning. The world is a scary place and I need to be strong at all times to be able to overcome the things I might face one day. I know now that even unintentionally I have excluded people in my life and I am now aware of it and will work harder to not do it again. This course introduced a new word into my life that has had a great impact in my present and in my future.

The person I am interviewing is Laura Mendoza.

How do you define segregation? What images & feelings come to you when you think of it?

A :I define segregation as unfair actions taken to people just because they are not the same as the majority of the people around them.  The images that I get are mostly things that happened in the past for example the Holocaust and also the segregation with Black people.  When I think of these occasions in history I am saddened for whoever had to go through these unjust experiences.

Have you ever faced segregation in your life? If yes, how did you face it and how did you feel about it?

A: Yes, I have. I work in a upscale department store where most of the employees and customers are Caucasian and I am Hispanic. So from the beginning it was very hard for me to fit in. Employees and customers would give me looks like I did not belong there. Not only was I pushed aside from activities that everyone else was doing together but, when it came to asking questions related to work no one ever helped me. After that I decided to quit because I knew I deserved to be treated fairly.

What did you learn from this situation?

A: I have learned that there are still some racist people out in this world. I have also learned that if this ever happens to me again I will speak up. Now that I am older I wish I never would have quit the job I left. I know now that I gave them exactly what they wanted and that was to have the power over me. There is this great quote by Paul Harris that says “Segregation never brought anyone anything except trouble.” 

What advice do you have for people who experience or witness segregation?

A:I would tell people to stay strong. Yes, I know there are still many racist people out in the world, but together we can out beat them. Like I said in the previous question I would have stayed and showed that I was stronger than their hate. I would never have given them the satisfaction i gave them before.

Did you ever feel like you wanted to treat someone that bad because you were so angry?

A: No. not at all. When you’re that hurt it’s hard to imagine that you could ever be the cause of putting someone else through that kind of emotional abuse. In reality segregation is abuse!

Did you ever cross paths with any of the people who treated you badly?

A: As a matter of fact yes I did. One of my ex coworkers actually came to apply at the company I work for now. She was applying for the department which I manage, I interviewed her and she was as surprised as I was that after 15 years we would meet again and in those circumstances. Although I had the power to simply dismiss her and not move her application any further into the hiring process, I proved to her and to myself that I am a great person and a great leader and I can let the past stay in the past.