thesis journal

7/24/2019 Thesis Journal

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Mercedes Padros Thesis Journal

12_9_15

Today I presented my senior thesis and the audience gave not necessarily

potent feedback, but instead I saw them as assets. Assets for me to use in

the future to network with educators in the K.C. Metro area. Reminder to

touch base with Kelly, Frank, and others.

Another useful thing that happened today was that I watched a video on

McSweeneys founder Dave Eggers. The video is called My Wish: Once Upon a

School. His education philosophy seems closely aligned to my own and I

really enjoy the McSweeneys publication. Perhaps I should contact *Dave

Eggers. https://www.ted.com/talks/

dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school?language=en

12_10_15

My mother is an E.L.L. teacher and she emailed me a couple stories on her

students. One of her students named Baseball came from a refugee camp in

Thailand. The language she speaks is Chin. I am thinking of including info

graphs with research on the different countries.

Two students:

Basebar - been in the country for 3 years, now in 4th grade. She came the

U.S. with some English language. At least she knew how to act within a school

environment, toilets, drink water (not take a bath in the water fountain).

She came from a refugee camp in Thailand/Burma, she speaks Chin. At times,

she talks about her experience in jail with her mom and a cousin. The mom

told authorities the cousin was her son so they could stay together.

Th Oo - been in the country for 5 weeks. He came from Thailand/Burma, from a

refugee camp. He is in 6th grade, knows no English. He has 3 other siblings

in school with him, Eh Wah, DahPay Paw, Wah Shee. They were a little freaked

out about the flushing of the toilet! At times we have an interpreter come in

to go over school rules, what's appropriate and not. There was a lot of

burping and they all had to be told it was okay to do, but manners are

appreciated. Sue Padro, E.L.L. teacher Rock Island, I.L.

12_11_15

Things I want my project to include:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school?language=en


2/20

the childrens stories & drawings

photography including photos of the students and old family photos

film including children in their home environment

components include culture, food, and family

12_12_15

Yesterday I talked to Frank about my project and he gave some useful advice.

I want my project to be practical as well as functional. I initially

described the project as design journalism, Which is still interesting to

me but I want to develop it into a more specific direction. In the near

future I want to consider a specific audience and a goal. I also want to

think about what job I want in the future: publication.

12_13_15

I keep thinking about the visual components and how interesting and powerful

photography can be. In the past, I havent used photos as the focus in

projects, but I think it is appropriate and almost necessary for a project

like this.

12_14_15

Potential Audience(s):

E.L.L. teachers

K.C.M.O. community

E.L.L. students Students at the school

Kids are..

playful

cute

absorbant

silly

funny

Thoughts

different languages

kids are kids no matter the culture

food + culture

12_15_15


3/20

Im going to start a series on patterns inspired from different cultures. I

think this will be a fun subtle way for me to expose myself to and learn

about their backgrounds. I also want to study pattern making as a practice.

How far can I push the pattern? What constitutes a pattern?

12_16_15

My mom asked me to come to visit her classroom sometime. Im driving home to

Moline, I.L. for the next couple of weeks so Im thinking of doing an

interview with my mom about being an E.L.L. teacher.

12_17_15

My mom has a lot of students from Thailand and Burma Th OO is from a refugee

camp. Hes in 6th grade, been in the country for six weeks, and knows no

English. His three siblings go to school with him, their names are Sh Wah,

Dah Pay Paw, and Wah Shee.

12_18_15

One thing people dont think about with E.L.L. students is that its not just

learning English, but learning our customs and technology. Some of my moms

students from Thailand were afraid of the toilet when they flushed it. They

also burped a lot and had to be taught our customary manners.

12_19_15

I saw my nieces Christmas program the other day. Shes seven years old andthey sang traditional music. However I noticed that they music was

predominately secular. Its interesting how weve (The United States) have

digressed from a Christ-centric celebration. Possibly because of the

melting pot that the U.S. is. Trying to accommodate to the variety of

cultures and customs.

12_20_15

My family is Mexican (moms side) and Puerto Rican (dads side). I want to

show a little chart focusing on food and these two cultures.

Mexico tacos, rice and beans, tortillas, tamales, gorditas, tortas,

horchata, pozole, etc.

Puerto Rico pasteles, yuca, bacaloa, mofongo, tostones, tembleque, arroz

con gandules, etc.


4/20

12_21_15

My family is entirely hispanic, but there are a lot of distinct differences

in the two cultures. In terms of speaking, Puerto Ricans speak quicker than

Mexicans, but both speak Spanish. Puerto Rico also has an islandic, tropical,

and seafood culture while Mexico has a different cultural stigma. Both

cultures are known for strong familial and community relationships.

12_22_15

Its interesting how Puerto Rico, the island, came to be. It was a volcano in

the ocean and it erupted into an island. The island is small and humid and

full of greens. There was also a female Indian Chief named Loisa. Now there

are people thriving on the island and birds and lizards people brought to the

island as well.

12_23_15

I want to start thinking more about my focus and what effect I wasn't my

project to have. I think a good start would be to interview my mom and ask

what *needs she thinks there are in general within the E.L.L. community. From

there I think my project will gain more focus and perspective.

12_24_15

Im at a nursing home/rehabilitation center where Ive visited my grandma

every day since being home. In the dining room they have spoons with a thinkblack handle like a hammer. My grandma is from Silvis and she is a sassy

Mexican abuela. Shes comic and reads a lot. Shes also been through a lot

health-wise the past few months. Sherds her bible every night.

12_25_15

Its Christmas day and I received a lot of great design books. Some on hand

lettering and another on design for good. Im going to start reading and

taking notes on what I learn or what I want to be inspired by. Some of my

current inspirations in the design world are Louise Fili, Jessica Hische, and

Dawn Hancock. All powerful female designers working today.

12_26_15

Im reading a book by a hispanic writer called Shadow in the Wind. It was

translated from Spanish to English. I noticed immediately that his style of

writing is very poetic. The language is expressive and has a musicality to


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it. I think this is a cultural aspect. With my book I want people to learn

about cultures in obvious and subtle ways where language is a factor.

12_27_15

Comfort food. Some people think of comfort food as soup or chicken and

potatoes. My comfort food is enchiladas, tacos, and rice and beans. What does

food say about a culture? Whats your comfort food and why? What does food

say about a cultures customs and environment?

12_28_15

The world isnt water, nor all the years between.

12_29_15

In Jessica Hisches book, she writes a lot about finding your specific niche

in design. Hers is hand lettering right now because it combines both her love

of illustration and hand type. Typography is very culturally and time-

oriented. The design of a typeface is inspired by specific things. How can

the type be fluidly introduced in the book Im making without being

culturally offensive? How can type heighten meaning?

12_30_15

I talked with a friend about a situation that occurred at our cafe. A group

of people were exercising their freedom of speech with Black Lives Matter

by saying the names of the innocent people killed by officers. The grouppeacefully dispersed but the neighborhood security came. They asked what

happened and a coworker responded Oh a bunch of people were being racist

against white people. It alarms me how people think in this way. A better

solution would be to stop categorizing people and start treating them as

individuals.

12_31_15

If everyone thinks their way is the right way does that make us all ignorant

of each other?

1_1_16

A friend and I talked about North Korea today. Theres a documentary called

The Propaganda Game where a film maker is allowed to film there a rare

occurrence. I just started the film, but my conversation with my friend is

what was interesting. He said all I knew about North Korea was what our


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extremely capitalist government has told me is truth. Am I going to be

ignorant and accept everything people generalize about an entire culture?

1_2_16

English Language Learners are students with limited English Proficiency.

Their native language is a language other than English or comes from an

environment where a language other than English is dominant. dese.mo.gov

number of students in E.L.L. is increasing in Missouri.

1_3_16

There are 1,222 E.L.L. students in the North Kansas City schools. There are

110 different languages spoken by these kids. Top languages are Spanish,

Vietnamese, Arabic, Somali, Pohnpeian, and Karen.

*NKC Schools coordinator is Laura Lukens @ 816-321-5590 nkcschools.org

1_4_16

At the end of the day were all people. We wake up. We eat. We sleep. We

love. Everyone wants to feel included. Everyone wants to feel accepted and

loved. Maybe E.L.L. teachers foster relationships more than anything. Making

a kid feel welcome. Investing in their lives and their livelihood.

1_5_16

This project is personal. Its about people and interactions and inclusion.

Thats why I want to include filmmaking as a prominent component in mythesis. Film is one of the most raw and connective visual mediums today.

Thats why I believe it is a necessary medium for this project. Video

components can include interviews with the children as well as footage of

them in their home environments. How will this footage be viewed? On a

website most likely. A website that acts as an extension or slightly modified

context of the book component.

1_6_16

I made Puerto Rican food for Dia de los Reyes. I made arroz con gandules,

mofongo, platanos, and tembleque. I made it for someone who never had it

before and they described the food as textured, dense, and simple. All the

food was made with ingredients indigenous to Puerto Rico such as plantains,

coconut, and sugar. The context this food reveals is very Caribbean and

location centric. The simplicity with which it is prepared is emblematic of
http://nkcschools.org/http://dese.mo.gov/


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humble origins and indigenous roots. Food reveals a lot about a culture and a

group of people.

1_7_16

Culture is defined as a way of life of a group of people the behaviors,

beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept. Passed on from one generation

to the next. Culture is so important to many individuals identity. Mine, for

example. My culture and the way I was brought up is vital to the person I am

today. Culture influenced my beliefs, my ideas on family, what I eat, and my

mannerisms. Understanding peoples culture is an important step to

understanding the world around us.

1_8_16

I wrote a letter to Dave Eggers, the man who started McSweeney. I dont have

an address to send the letter to other than the McSweeneys office.

Dear Dave Eggers,

I am a Graphic Design and Creative Writing student at the Kansas City Art

Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. After I presented my senior thesis

proposal in December this past year, I watched your 2008 Ted Talk My Wish

Upon a School. Ive been a fan of McSweeneys quarterly publication for

several years now and it was exciting to watch your Ted Talk that closely

aligned to my thesis.

I am creating a book and website that focuses on the inclusion of English

Language Learner students within their specific schools and communities. I

want to foster a knowledgeable community that is aware of the cultural

backgrounds immigrant students and refugees come from to gain a larger

understanding and acceptance of their neighbors. In the North Kansas City

schools alone, the children speak 110 different languages, the most widely

spoken are Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Soali, Pohnpeian, and Karen. How can

we create cultural awareness and acceptance through writing, graphic design,

and filmmaking?

In my last semester at KCAI I am focusing on this project and although the

guidelines are vague at this point, I am passionate about the students and

the moral framework. I come from Puerto Rican and Mexican backgrounds and my

mom is an elementary education ELL teacher in Rock Island, Illinois. My


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culture is an important part of understanding who I am as a person, so I want

these students voices to be heard and included within the copy of this book.

Their take on their culture is as authentic as it gets.

My intent with contacting you is to [hopefully] perk your interest in this

project. Your work with the 826 Valencia tutoring program and McSweeneys is

inspiring and thoughtful. Perhaps you have words of advice or people I can

contact to discuss my project further. Im unsure of your role in this, but I

felt it was important that I try to contact you about a project that closely

aligns to your own work. I wish you the best and I hope to hear from you

soon.

Sincerely,

Mercedes

P.S. Great McSweenys web design.

1_9_16

Someone told me to contact a school connected to the Guadalupe Center. Ive

been researching different schools but have been hesitant to commit. I want

to make sure the school I choose has a diverse body of E.L.L. students. The

school affiliated with the Guadalupe center has had a new influx of a range

of students from areas such as Thailand and Mexico that I think could be a

good fit.

1_10_16

I sent my mom the interview questions and she responded.

The Interview

1. Whats your favorite part about teaching ELL?

The absolute favorite part of teaching its the relationships you build with

students. I currently have 49 students, learning all the names is difficult.

Building relationships and getting to know each student and learning about

their families and trying to be personal with each one is great!

2. What is the difference between ELL and ESL?

The only difference between ELL and ESL is the label. ESL = English as a

Second Language, which is what most people can associate with. Years ago, the


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state of Illinois changed the label ESL to ELL. ELL = English Language

Learners. It's come within the teaching community to use ELL. Outside of

educators, I often refer to it as ESL.

3. Do you think ELL students feel separated from their classmates not in ELL?

It varies from grade to grade. Do some students feel embarrassed when I pick

them up, yes. At a kindergarten level, they all want to come with me! I would

say around 3rd grade, they start to realize other students are not going with

Mrs. Padro and they want out. Right now we are beginning our state testing,

so 3rd - 6th graders realize this is their one chance a year they have to

exit ELL. Most students take that pretty serious. I will say, I see students

in the halls, mostly 6th graders that I have had in the past, that want to

come back to ELL. They love me!

4. If yes, then how do you envision inclusion looking like?

Inclusion for ELL looks like a Bilingual program or a Dual Language program,

which would be awesome! Many districts offer these programs like Moline. Rock

Island does not because administration has not bought into the value of this

type of program and we do not have the staff to accommodate. This is very

common in the Chicago area.

5. How long do you meet with your students? Do you see significant progress?

I am like a Special Education teacher, kinda! like a resource teacher. I have

a limited amount of time with students, the state requires we see students

for a minimum of 30 minute a day, which is what I do. Some students, whichare referred to Newcomers, they have been in the U.S. for less a year, I try

to see them a minimum of an hour. But, the majority of students, 30 minutes.

6. What are some challenges or issues within the ELL program?

One of the challenges are administrator support. And this varies district to

district, so I can only speak of my district. Administrators don't see any

value to ELL education, they do not support us at all. We are not allowed to

meet as Professionals during the school day. We meet after our contract hours

which many of us can't d. So, we miss important information discussed with

the ones that can meet. Technology has improved this year for my ELL's, this

is my first year to receive iPads for my students to use.

This year has started off to be a challenge. Every ELL student in the United

States, which include 32 states and over a million students. Please refer to

WIDA website to get more information. Wida is a consortium of states that ban


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together to discuss Language Acquisition issues. Every year beginning in

January, every ELL student is tested to see how much English they know. It is

called ACCESS testing, which is an English Language Acquisition test. This

year it will be done online, for the first time. So far technology has been

difficult. We have not had a enough time for teacher training and the

teachers have to train the students. Testing begins today and many of us feel

unprepared. Teachers need to be prepared in order to assure students have a

fair chance of exiting ELL. This is their only chance to exit other than

parent refusal. Parents can exit their child from the program if they want,

but students will be required to take the ACCESS test in January.

1_11_16

I met with Paul Corrigan today from Barkley and I briefly discussed my book

with him. He suggested that I include and push my illustration style within

the book because it was interesting. I definitely want to include my

illustrations in the book after talking to him and reviewing my portfolio.

1_12_16

I read more of my moms answers in depth and she made some really interesting

comments. What I read into as a problem within the system was a lack of

serious administrative concern for the E.L.L. program. in her district. I

think this problem can be rooted in lack of state funds for public schools or

the administration not seeing E.L.L. as a priority. Another interesting

comment she said was about how to fix the lack of inclusion problem. She saida solution was to have bilingual programs for all students. This solves the

communication barrier as well as raising children to be culturally aware of

their neighbors and fellow students.

1_13_16

Keywords: inclusion, diversity, and playful.

1_14_16

In Victor Papeneks book Design for the Real World, the preface was

introduced by Helsinki in a very direct and intense manner that immediately

grabs the readers attention. This book struck with my as an important to my

project because it is about social design for the real world. My project is a

social design piece and this is a human ecology and social change book.


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1_15_16

In the preface, the quotes that struck a chord with me the most were in the

conclusion.

The word Ujamaa, as a simple way of saying we work together and help

each other. p.xiii

Work positively. Design can and must become a way in which young people

can participate in changing society. p.xiv

1_16_16

Another book Ive been reading is Jessica Hisches In Progress. In the

introduction, Jessica talks about how, coming out of school, she mailed

postcards she designed to millions of people. And the person she least

expected to respond did. Louise Fili wrote the preface for her book and she

is the only employer, other than herself, that Jessica Hische has had. I want

her persistence to be a message to me about the importance of reaching out to

people, because you dont know what kind of feedback youll receive.

1_17_16

I went to a holiday party for my work tonight. I received $75 in restaurant

gift cards which was very exciting because food makes me happy and especially

good food. A remark someone made struck a chord with me. They talked about a

latino friend of ours being racist towards other races. Which is interesting

because most people think, sorry to generalize, of Caucasians as being closed

minded or inherently racist. When in reality racism and prejudices exist dueto a sense of superiority. Speak cautiously and with intent.

1_18_16

Its interesting to observe how people interact with one another. I have

three work environments and all of them are vastly different. At Rawxies, Im

an illustrator and my coworkers are all female. At Boulevard, Im a freelance

designer and the majority of my coworkers are male. At the Roasterie, Im a

barista and there is a mix of both male and female coworkers. Ive learned

through my work environments that sexism plays a role at each work place.

1_19_16

and you are dying for a smoke and a lemonade. Torture

1_20_16


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Portions of drinks and food in a different cultures versus our ow in the U.S.

P.S. Dave Eggers has not responded.

1_21_16

Notes

E.L.L. + refugee

Keywords

Book + website + social media

Highlights cultural and narrative

Journaling conversation and interviews

Am I going

1_22_16

CURRENT AUDIENCE: Kansas City Community

CURRENT GOAL: Make the Kansas City Community more aware of the cultures that

exist around us through the lens of E.L.L. students and refugees. Narrative

story telling will push cultural stereotypes to a more real and authentic

place. The final material will be a book, social media posts (daily), and a

website.

1_23_16

Ive been drawing a lot of fish recently. And Ive learned so much about their

environments, specific specs on them, and their behaviors. Not that fish and

people are the same, but what if we spent time to learn about our neighborsand their culture every day? That way we learn more about one another and

feel comfortable.

1_24_16

Details that are interesting and distinctive in different cultures:

accents

hand gestures

how you eat

work culture

how you greet people

definition of manners

familial interactions

1_25_16

GOALS THIS WEEK:


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Research five most immigrated cultures in K.C.

Post on the writings

Draw one of my moms students

1_26_16

Yesterday I went home and made popcorn after having 12 hours of class that

day. I checked on my sweet purple beta fish named Florecita only to find her

dead. Emotional connections are strange. I cried for my fish when people in

other countries cry over something more real. R.I.P. Flo.

. . .

Vietnam

1000 years of Chinese rule, so influenced by Chinese culture (politics/

government)

Unlike Western cultures influence on individualism, Eastern culture

values roles of family and kinship.

Religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Catholicism. Vietnamese

Buddhism is the most popular.

Visual Arts: Calligraphy, silk painting, woodblock prints

Cuisine: food is diverse based on the region. Vietnamese food uses little

oil and many vegetables as well as rice, soy sauce, fish, and noodles.

Martial arts is highly developed, the country has a long history of

warfare and attempts to defend itself from foreign occupationPohnpei

Island, part of the Senyavin Islands, the capital is Pohnpei State.

Contains biodiversity and is one of the wettest places on earth !

Several dozed bird species

Tropical rainforest climate zone

Somali

Located in the Horn of Africa

10.8 million people live there, most people are Muslim

Inhabited since the Paleolithic period

Islam was introduced to the area from the Arabian peninsula

Terrain consists of plateaus, plains, and highlands.

The nation has a total of 1,880 miles

The climate is hot year round

Thailand

Formerly known as Siam, governed by the National Council for Peace & Order


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Thailand is the worlds 51st largest country and the 20th most populous

66 million people live in Thailand

Thailand has a constitutional monarchy with a Prime Minister as the head

of the government and a monarch as the head of state.

76 provinces in Thailand

Climate is tropical we and dry

The elephant is Thailands national symbol

In 2014 the literacy rate was 93.5%

Thailands prevalent religion is Theravada Buddhism

. . .

List of people who would be good to talk to

Frank Norton his wife is a teacher

Eleanor Lim-Midyett [email protected]

Jan Kennedy [email protected]

Academia de Ninos (elementary school) Elizabeth recommended

Kellyknew of people to contact

NKC Schools coordinator is Laura Lukens @ 816-321-5590 nkcschools.org

Nelson-Atkins Education Director

1_27_16

After researching cultures based in K.C. I found that a lot of E.L.L.

students are from hispanic cultures as well as Eastern cultures. Eastern wayof thinking is pretty different from Western thought, which is probably one

reason for the disconnect between students. Im going to contact a professor

who specializes in Eastern thought to discuss her ideas.

1_28_16

Today I sent a couple emails. One to a professor here at KCAI and another to

the head of the E.L.L. department in the North Kansas City School Department.

Im hoping to set up a meeting and talk to both individuals about my project

and potentially getting set up with a classroom.

1_29_16

I set up a meeting with Laura Lukens who is the E.L.L.j coordinator I

mentioned yesterday. Right now the schools are doing state access testing so

the students are busy. My meeting with her is on February 23rd to discuss my

project. In the meantime Im starting a new series where I hand letter each
http://nkcschools.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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letter of the alphabet, but have it be inspired by a different culture for

each letter. Im also drawing one of my moms students today. I want to

generate a lot of content. Im also contacting other people in the area to

try and gather material.

1_30_15

I had a terrible day at work because a customer yelled and I really let it

get to me. Silent reminder to be kind to those in customer service. Its not

always easy and is usually not rewarding.

1_31_15

Sustain consistent focus, passion, and drive.

2_1_16

I started reading more of Design for the Real World and heres some quotes

that stood out to me in terms of the functionality of design.

What is nonexistent has boundless uses. This is interesting because my

project is in a raw form right now so it has boundless potential. However

Im realizing how tight time is so this potential is scary as well.

Design is the primary underlying matrix of life.

Design is the conscious and intuitive effort to impose meaningful order.

Design must be meaningful.

Im also in a philosophy class with Rush Rankin and its interesting.

Something he quoted on David Humes today was differing views becausediffering experiences. As in people have differing views because of

different experiences.

2_2_16

Its day two of the daily letters for a country series. I compiled a list of

each country that fits to each letter of the alphabet so I can just refer to

it. So far its pretty challenging to make each country fit each letter

without it seeming inauthentic.

2_3_16

Through the letter project Im learning a lot about different cultures and

the essence of their life. Today the letter was C for Cuba which brought an

interesting quality to the production of the C. I learned that Cuba is iconic

for the vibrant and energetic dance styles of the mambo and the cha cha.


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2_4_16

This project is challenging me to keep a daily lettering log in addition to

my journal. Its interesting way you make when you create quickly.

2_5_16

Egypt was the country I illustrated today. It made me think about graduating

from high school and going to grad parties. One of my friends is Egyptian.

She had a lot of different food and snacks at the party that were interesting

and new for me. I had that four years ago and I still remember that food.

2_6_16

Fijis flag is essentially the British flag with a small emblem from Fiji. I

looked into this and noticed Fiji wasnt the only flag like that. The reason

being that those countries are/were under British rule until they gained

independence.

2_7_16

Today my letter is G for Guatemala. I think this letter turned out more

successful than previous ones because I sat down and thought about the look

more. I also decided that I want to print and tile my letters for the B.F.A.

show to have the letters publicized.

2_8_16

After the research presentation I received some valuable feedback. Perhapsblowing up the letter on one side of the spread and including mood boards and

sketches as well. Also I need to clarify the problem statement and

distinguish book versus web.

2_9_16

I think my hand lettering is becoming stronger and Im starting to treat the

letters more illustrative. Integrating type and visuals is starting to be

more seamless which is exciting.

2_10_16

I havent done my letter yet today, but the country is Japan. Im taking

influence from Japanese pop culture as well as ancient ritualistic arts. The

progression of art in Japan is apparent in modern art. As in many artists use

historic elements for inspiration. Culture is who we are.


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2_11_16

Rapid prototyping is my main concern right now. I dont want to focus too

strongly on one aspect of my project and ignore other components. Im also

contemplating selling prints and stickers with a card about my project and

the specific country involved in the print.

2_12_16

Today my country is Lithuania. I dont know much about it, but the name is

beautiful and I have a basic background of this culture. The exciting part of

this project is learning about a country I know nothing about.

2_13_16

Relaxation and time allow for a more amorphous and natural design process

that excites me and is fun. Ive also grown to have a fond love for metallic

markers, embroidery, and other forms of materiality.

2_14_16

Its Valentines Day and the semester is going by rapidly. Im going to

create a new list of goals for the week and do daily tasks unrelated to the

alphabet project each day.

2_15_16

Book (stories and narration) vs. web (film, sound, and animation)

2_16_16

Jessica Blanford Meeting

comfort food..big impact

KCK Community College adult students

Kenya psych major

break off by country or soccer team

eat python for months

main countries: El Salvador, Mexico, Burma, Honduras, Kenya, Sudan.

2_17_16

Yesterday I had an interview with Jessica Branford from Kansas City Community

College where she has adult E.S.L. students from Kenya and Burma. She told a

story about a man from Burma who wanted to know where to buy anaconda because

his wife cannot find anywhere in the area to purchase some. I want to include

unique moments such as this in my book.


18/20

2_18_16

Im going to work on developing interview questions that are both written and

verbal. I organized a film major to help me do the audio and actual recording

of students. Im excited to go beyond research and my alphabet process to a

more concrete place. *reminder to respond to Em-J and people from the

education program.

2_19_16

I Feel as if my letters have been lagging in terms of a dynamic composition

the past couple of days. So I really want to put some punch in the one today.

This weekend I also want to create another process video. One that is less

grainy than the New Zealand one.

2_20_16

Problem Statement: Encourage cross-cultural awareness in the Kansas City

Community through the lens of E.L.L. and E.S.L. students. Key words:

inclusion, diversity, and playful. Way a group of people put together their

life.

2_21_16

Book versus Website. Book: organized by country with interviews, short

stories, and poems in each. Website: film interview component, details about

countries, short stories, alphabet of cultures.

2_22_16

Interview Questions.

1. What language(s) do you speak?

2. Where are you from?

3. Whats your favorite childhood memory?

4. Do you have a job? If yes, what is it?

5. What traditions does your family have?

6. Whats your favorite hobby?

7. Can you tell me a story about your family?

8. Whats your comfort food? Whats the strangest thing youve eaten?

9. What does culture mean to you?

2_23_16

NKC, interview questions

JVS Cathy Anderson 471-2808


19/20

2_24_16

I thought about the interview yesterday and Im reconsidering using

elementary education students not only due to the permission problem, but due

to their grasp of their culture. I recall not knowing my culture is different

than people around me. The book is about reflection.

2_25_16

Todays word/country of the day is Yemen. I took a cut paper/collage approach

for this one. Im almost done with my lettering project.

2_26_16

Yesterday I started wire framing the book which made me feel a lot less

panicked about my progress. Today Im wire framing the website! Its nice to

get into the design side of things. Today my letter is Z for Zimbabwe. I want

to remember to include several things on my last post.

Post:

normal biographical text

announce conclusion of AOC and thank everyone

tell everyone to hear updates on project, E.L.L. students (narrative)

new series (unrelated to dp) coming soon

2_27_16

Its my birthday. Which makes me wonder how other countries celebrate birth

or how and why they do. Its a funny thought. Today was a good day. However Igot sick off a burger.

2_28_16

I went to the Omaha Zoo with Joseph today. It was a windy day but the zoo was

indoors. The animals were, for the most part, organized by climate or

country. I saw many animals I had never seen before. Animals such as a De

Brazza monkey that stores food in its cheeks. This reminded me of my younger

cousin who stored food in his cheeks. How similar.

2_29_16

Youre so anti-racist that sometimes youre racist. Broad City

Today I made a flyer Sheet for my book that is collaged and bouncy and fun.

Im excited to start designing. I also have a general layout of the book but

I want to make more details refined. Its rough at this point in time.


20/20

3_1_16

Today I had three interviews with E.L.L. students from the Kansas City Kansas

Community College. I think it went really well and the students said pretty

fascinating things that Im excited to share with people.

3_2_16

Post: Meet Carver. He goes to the K.C.K. Community College where hes taking

E.S.L. night classes. Carver talked to me about growing up in Burma, hunting

for monkey and python in the jungle, joining an underground Karin army at the

age of seventeen, and becoming a refugee.

3_3_16

I made packaging for Manifest Chocolate in favor of a minimalist approach. It

is nice that food reflects a country and the economys so much.

3_4_16

I met with my Hallmark mentor Lisa Hadley today and shes connecting me with

Hallmarkers that would benefit my practice. Im going to ask her to connect

me with diversity team leads for me to talk about my project with them.

3_5_16

I went to portfolio reviews for feedback from professionals today. They gave

valuable critiques, primarily on photography styles to shoot my pieces more

professionally for my website.

3_6_16

Its a really beautiful day outside and the air feels nice. Tomorrow is my

B.F.A. meeting and tomorrow is also when submissions for Sprung Formal are

due. Im going to bring my process sketches as well as the dimensions for my

B.F.A. display. For Sprung Formal Im submitting writings as well as photos

and artwork.

3_7_16

I find that today I am stressed by our time crunch. There is not enough time

for this project but it will work out. This week I want to focus on identity

and the name as well as making the book. My goal is to spend a minimum of 2-3

hours each day on progress.

thesis journal

Documents