Journal 8 – Jordan Jawdat

PROBLEM: A DISAPPEARING LANGUAGE

Ian Larson wanted to help preserve the Passamaquoddy language from extinction.

SOLUTION A

Create a task force from a select group of Native American language experts, and ask them to write down a dictionary of words and their definitions. Enter these definitions into a database and build a Web site that allows anyone to search for terms and hear their pronunciation. Hire a high-profile Web designer and marketing firm to ensure that as many people as possible learn about this resource.

SOLUTION B

Distribute laptops with video cameras to school kids in the Passamaquoddy community, and ask them to record their grandparents telling stories in Passamaquoddy. Upload these to a Web site along with the grandparents’ definitions of particular words used in the story, and make these words searchable via a tag cloud.

For this problem, I feel as if solution B would be the best solution because it is a “Many-to-many” solution and it would provide benefits for both parties. It provides exposure for the Passamaquoddy via the stories and tales from the grandparents. This allows the culture of this community to be distributed to anyone who decides to view these stories and spreads the culture around to prevent extinction. Along with this exposure, the distribution of laptops further access to the world for the Passamaquoddy. This is important because it doesn’t just allow the world to see what their community is like, but instead, it also allows the Passamaquoddy to be exposed to all of the communities around the world.

PROBLEM: NEGLECTED RUINS

Evan Habeeb wanted to make people aware of the beauty of abandoned buildings.

SOLUTION A

Assemble a film crew and visit abandoned homes, factories, and other buildings. Bring lights to illuminate these spaces dramatically, and record ambient sounds like dripping water. Edit the footage onto a DVD to create a compelling account that documents these relics for posterity, and distribute copies to historical societies across the state for their collections.

SOLUTION B

Build a Web site that allows adventurers to print stickers they can leave behind in abandoned buildings they explore. Create the stickers so they can be scanned by a mobile phone to reveal a Web site built to feature photographs taken by those explorers.

As a student in the New Media major with a focus on film, my gut wants to go with solution A. However, I feel like solution B is a more interesting and “New Media-y” type of solution. This is because it provides more of a many-to-many solution to Habeeb’s problem. Instead of viewing the abandoned buildings and admiring the aesthetic from home like solution A suggests; the ability to be apart of the creation like in solution B is a lot more interactive and engaging for an audience. This increased engagement across many people is why I believe solution B is more appropriate for this problem.

PROBLEM: MISUNDERSTANDING COMPUTER ANIMATION

Ryan Schaller and Jason Walker wanted to help people understand the many layers required to create a computer-animated film, including wireframe, textures, and light effects. As a case study, they created an animation depicting a cartoon archeologist digging for ancient artifacts.

SOLUTION A

Design and build a touch-screen interface that allows viewers to “rub” away layers of the film with their hands to reveal previous stages of the animation as it plays.

SOLUTION B

Create an iPad application that documents each stage of the animation process, using stills from the archeologist film as illustrations. Explain techniques such as ray tracing, motion capture, and morphing. Include links to companies that create animation software such as Autodesk.

I believe that solution A is the more appropriate solution in this scenario. My reasoning behind this is because this solution seems more innovative and interactive which are two big necessities for an impactful capstone.

PROBLEM: A BROKEN FOUNTAIN

Danielle Gagner wanted to renovate the waterfall fountain under the skylight in the middle of the University Union, which had fallen into disrepair.

SOLUTION A

Repurpose the existing plumbing to irrigate a garden planted in the former fountain. Research the types of plants that would grow well together at different levels of the fountain, and meet with dining hall staff to find out what herbs or vegetables they might add to salads and other offerings. Then plant these in collaboration with the sustainable agriculture club on campus, and invite students to pick the resulting parsley, strawberries, and other fare from the garden for their lunch.

SOLUTION B

Use Google Image Search to download photographs of natural bodies of water such as streams, rivers, and the ocean. Combine these with nature footage from sources like National Geographic and the Discovery Channel to create a multichannel video installation that projects images of flowing water and rippling waves onto the fountain, which has been covered with theatrical screening. Supplement the moving images with the sound of a babbling brook emanating from surround-sound speakers mounted on the ceiling.

Solution B seems more of a “New Media” approach to a capstone, however, I feel like solution A is the best way to go about this project because it prioritizes ethics and the environment along with providing access to the garden for the community. This solution seems to not focus on others at the beginning of the project, but by the end, students and others will have access to said garden and allows the community to come together to grow their own vegetables.