Humanities Passion Projects 2023-2024

Jason Bao

The Mind as Storyteller: a sketch Towards Narrativism

Everyone loves a good narrative. From The Epic Of Gilgamesh to Twilight, from The Journey To The West to Dragon Ball, we have been producing, telling, and reading stories since time immemorial. Even outside of fiction, we see narrative. Whether it be the underdog sports team that defies all expectations or a grand historical struggle for equality and freedom, we fictionalize real life. Given this, one may wonder just how important narrative is to humanity. My passion project seeks to answer this question and, in turn, explore the possibility that narrative is essential to the human mind.

The goal of my project is twofold. First, I will investigate and synthesize how narrative as a concept is used in various disciplines, from philosophy to communication theory. The end products will be (1) a visual infographic that summarizes five of the most prominent narrative concepts (Narrative Causality, Narrative Identity, Storythinking, Narrative Paradigm, and Narratology). Second, I will be writing (2) an integrative and expository paper that outlines and argues for a new framework for understanding the human mind, which I call ‘Narrativism.’ Positioned as the successor to Cognitivism, Narrativism postulates that the mind is best thought of as a storyteller that consumes and produces narratives. This end product will start off by synthesizing the various concepts (1), then use these to show the function, significance, and implication of Narrativism.

Miguel Barrios

Identitiles

As a fourth generation American from a very proud Mexican family, I often feel a great disconnect between my culture and I. At least on the inside. The food I can’t make. The music I can’t understand. The instruments I can’t play. And the art I can’t create. With my Identitiles project, this is what I’m hoping to reconcile. All around my hometown of Tucson, there is no shortage of Talavera tiles. Porcelain tiles painted with patterns and bright colors. Historically, they have been a way for Mexican families to earn money off of their talents, and also a way to visually ease my boredom when in time out. This project involved researching the creation method of these tiles, learning how to mold, bake, glaze, and finally paint them. And though the patterns would be in the traditional art style, I would instead paint scenes of Mexican heritage through the lens of American life, which in an assimilation-centered culture carries particularly complex perspectives.​​ The authenticity of talavera tiles lies in their handmade nature. Authentic tiles are not mass-produced. As such, each piece is prone to carry imperfections and varying dimensions that contribute to the nostalgic look they have. As such, the creation of these tiles represents not only a way for me to connect with the artistic expression of my culture, but also free myself from the confines of perfectionism, an energy that is radiated all too common on a college campus.

Kimmy Doan

Modest Fashion as a Cultural Vessel for Vietnamese Womanhood

Growing up, I was exposed to many novels and dissertations criticizing the subjugation that modesty casts on women. Through this project, my goal is to deduce a more positive formulation of modest fashion through a sociocultural lens. I will explore the transcending notions of modest fashion of women from the Imperial Dynasty and the Communist Regime to the post-Doi Moi period. Specifically, the three iconic figures and cultural phenomena that are analyzed are Empress Nam Phuong, Vietnam Heroic Mother, and Le Van. The shapeshifting ideals of the feminine through a cultural and national lens will lay the seeds for a counter-vision of whether modesty is empowering or subjugating for Vietnamese women. Social and economic reformed mobility has enforced changes in nationalist and traditional ideals of a wife, mother, and daughter. Humility, restraint, and modesty are duplicated through Vietnam’s teachings of virtues. Yet, these social pillars have been contoured throughout time in different ways, thus bringing forth contending ideals. Much of the tension between traditionalist and contemporary Vietnamese women is reflected through exploring developing trends of modest fashion. In placing the idealistic value, socioeconomic status and Vietnam’s political landscape on a scale, I can derive how these changing cultural precepts should be perceived and whether it should be embraced or resisted by modern Vietnamese women.

Desiree Galamgam

Against the Fates: Weaving and revising the Depiction of Women in Ancient Greek Amphora

Women in the Ancient Greek Polis existed on a paradoxical plane of prominence and subjugation, legally and literally in conjunction with their husbands or fathers. Women were responsible for housework, organizing funeral rites, and weaving. To the Greeks, stories were a means of attaining eternal glory: kleos. For many women in literature and in history, they were overshadowed by these great heroes. Their words unwritten and pushed to the background.

This project will analyze the depiction of women in Ancient Greek Amphora and literary sources to deconstruct the gender-essentialist conception of femininity. An annotated bibliography will survey the historical significance of Ancient Greek vases, literary representations of women, and its reflection of the polis. The Iliad, Agamemnon, Metamorphoses, among others, will be used to construct a comprehensive understanding of the Ancient Greek women’s experiences. Secondary sources which describe women’s roles in the polis, and works which redefine the critical lens scholars use will also be analyzed.

Reconstruction of prominent myths which placed women in subservient or villainous roles will also be made into a digital zine. With particular foci on: Clytie, Clytemnestra, Medusa, and Helen, their source material will be explicated and rewritten to dismantle gender-essentialism.

Alongside this effort will culminate into crochet tapestries. Using black and golden yarn and drawing inspiration from amphora paintings, the tapestries will combine crochet, tapestry crochet, sewing, and embroidery to depict their rewritten stories. Centered in the very artform associated with docile wives, they will be the heroes of their own story.

Esther Ge

I Confess: The Guilt of Being a LGBTQ+ "Maniac" in China

Coming out in China comes with forced “confessions”: queers face the situation in which they are required to “plead guilty” for being who they are. Sexual orientation is a topic to be “covered up” in China. There is no explicit mention of LGBT+ rights in Chinese legal framework; it is not taught in psychology or health classes; it is not discussed by parents with their children or the other way around. Being a queer is “irresponsible to your parents”, is “a psychological disorder,” is “a pervert’s act,” is “giving up your future” since “no one will offer pervert a job” especially if you want to pursue a career in law or politics.

This project seeks to provide an insight into the pressures faced by queers in China who are “out” or struggling to come out by tracing back to the source of the guilt they experience. More specifically, I seek to explore how the philosophical values of Confucian, a system of values which is deeply rooted in the formation of Chinese political, legal and sociocultural circumstances, contributed to the anti-legitimization of queers through perpetuating the concept of “filial piety,” which places emphasis on both the obedience that children must perform to their parents and the significance of parental authority. Moreover, I also seek to explore how the idea of “parents’ sacrifice” in China is reinforced overtime, creating a moral burden for queers who want to come out.

This project will further offer a comparative perspective by comparing Confucianism in China and Christianity in the U.S.. Acknowledging both doctrines, at certain stages in history, provide a standpoint for anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, I seek to explain that, given the prevalence of these two doctrines in China and the U.S. respectively, how and why is China so struggling to achieve substantial improvement for LGBTQ+ rights compared to the U.S.

Yunqing (Isaac) Han

Does the Philosophy Change with the Language? Examining Key Works in Philosophy of Language in chinese and german

My project surveys important Chinese and German philosophy of language texts, comparing their ideas, and producing a paper. The purpose of this project is to learn more about philosophy of language and varied approaches to it in different languages. I would read texts in their original languages, and examine similarities and differences in the applications of philosophy of language, such as for clarity of communication, for enhancing societal virtues, or for analyzing the relationship between language users and their communities. The authors that I would be reading are Johann Gottfried von Herder, Gottlob Frege, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Jürgen Habermas for German philosophy and Confucius, Dong Zhongshu, Pei Wei, Xunzi, and Gongsun Long for Chinese philosophy.

My output is a paper that provides an overview to key ideas in Chinese and German works of philosophy of language, connections among them, and an argument for or against a certain position. I will include a few key quotes from texts in their original language along with their translation into English for clarity. The paper will have sources cited and a small section for suggested readings in Chinese, English, and German for those who are interested. I believe reading the texts in their original languages would help to best preserve the nuances in connotation and allow me to be more exact in my analysis, rendering this specific project valuable. It is also a great opportunity for me to engage with philosophy while blending three languages.

Yuji Jones

All Roads Lead Back to Claremont

I have gone to school in Claremont since I moved here from China in 2013 and started fourth grade. As my high school life was approaching its end, it was time for college, and many of my classmates wanted out of this college town, known for its beautiful campuses and tree-lined streets. As a Claremont native, I was very familiar with the Colleges, but I did not go to any of the 5Cs during my freshman year. I did not have a dream school that I absolutely wanted to attend and thought that it was time to leave the city of trees and PHDs to pursue my college journey.

I decided on a school out of town, and unfortunately, I realized that this was not the place for me for the next four years. Luckily, second chances do exist, and fortunately, that did not need to be the case. Ironically, I decided to come back to the place I called home of nearly nine years, and have felt very positive about my decision.

I found myself longing for the campus that I kind of knew. It was a little ironic, but a pleasant surprise, to recognize that the right fit for me was in fact, right here in my town. For this passion project, I will make a short film using storytelling, cinematic and documentary techniques to tell this small switch in my life that I hope will turn into a great investment.

Martha (Victoria) Lopez

Reconnecting With My Past, One Stitch at a Time

Otomi embroidery is a traditional type of embroidery that draws on motifs of animals, plants, the natural, and the supernatural throughout individual works. It embodies the vibrant, colorful style that is found throughout most of Mexican art and culture. Everything about Otomi embroidery is done by hand, and some larger works, like blankets, can take upwards of a year to complete. Otomi embroidery is an intricate style of embroidery that has been passed down from generation to generation.

For my passion project, I intend to practice this embroidery technique and style in order to create art pieces of my own. During winter break, I will also be visiting my family in Guanajuato, Mexico, and I am hoping to be able to talk to them about this embroidery, what it means to them, and if they are willing, I would like to spend some time embroidering with and learning from them.

In academia, there is a tendency to think about marginalized groups in terms of their oppression and forget that these marginalized groups are communities with their own culture, art, customs, etc. Though I am from a marginalized community, I know I share this tendency: when I’m not home, I tend to forget about the beauty of my culture and shrink myself and my culture to how I am seen through an academic lens. With this passion project, I hope to ‘re-stitch’ myself to the culture and history that I have neglected for far too long.

David Lyu

China's Transformation in Light and Shadow

China is undergoing rapid urbanization, with new buildings and infrastructure up daily. On a recent visit home, I could barely recognize my surroundings. The constant construction overshadows my childhood recollections, making me wonder what the city looked like before. While urbanization signifies economic progress, it also raises questions about the history we leave behind as ancient sites make way for modern cityscapes.

I became fascinated with the workings of film after seeing some old family photos. The analog process magically transforms a negative into a printed image, yet the photos remain as a mystery until developed. Capturing black-and-white film photos demands careful adjustments before pressing the shutter. Developing them requires extensive darkroom experimentation. This made me spend more time observing how natural light transforms objects, calculating exposures and speeds — things phone cameras do automatically.

For this project, I will photograph historical urban locations in Beijing and Shanghai, where I grew up and where my family now lives. Drawing inspiration from works like Ai Weiwei’s Beijing photographs and photos of Shanghai’s late modern architecture, I will explore the history and changes behind the locations. The output will juxtapose archival images with my captures of the same scenes. Through this comparative visual study, I aim to discover nuances of change and continuity in these cities’ vibrant growth. Film photography's analog process offers a unique lens to reflect on urbanization’s impacts on China’s dynamic metropolitan centers.

Rohan Mathew

Endurance: Exploring Christian Communities in INdia

India's indigenous Christian communities are usually left out of the traditional religious dynamic, despite being a part of the diaspora for around 2000 years. Moreover, the spread of Christianity in India is often incorrectly seen merely as acts of religious conversion by Christian colonial powers, while ignoring the settlement and spread of Christianity indigenously.

In this project I wish to research the history and transformation of India's Christian communities by reading books, articles and essays as well as studying elements of oral traditions and Church history. I also want to study the architectural trends in South India and use that as a lens through which we can understand cultural and religious amalgamation.

My work in creating an illustrated narrative aims to outline the history of these communities as well as their shifting roles and perceptions in modern India, while discovering the history and complexity of my heritage.

Meghna Pamula

Dimensions of the Self: Art as a Doorway to the Shadow

My project will be exploring the Jungian concept of the Shadow as it relates to artwork and creation. I will begin by developing a reading list to better understand Jung’s take on the Shadow, as well as other psychologists and their thoughts on the concept. I will also read about the place of the Shadow in art and literature over time. After completing my curated readings, I will explore my own Shadow through multiple forms, including artistic practice. My project will also involve a great deal of reflection through daily journaling, sketching, and shadow work practice. I also plan to interview people to understand how the Shadow can exist differently for others. The artwork portion of the project will both represent my journey through introspection, as well as further facilitate that journey. Elements from my readings, journal entries, shadow work, and interviews will all be integrated into my final art pieces, which will be mixed media. My goal for this project is to better understand myself and my Shadow, and make progress on integrating my Shadow with my identified self. I also hope to better understand my own conception of self, as well as how conceptions of self differ among different people. Finally, I want to develop a stronger understanding of how artistic practice can uncover different dimensions of the self.

Itzel Ramos

Migrant Mothers in Silicon Valley: Hardships, resilience, and Love

Silicon Valley is known for its major technology, software, and internet companies such as Google and Facebook. However, besides all the big wealthy corporations, what is not talked about is how the Bay Area contains a large amount of diversity and immigrant stories.

As I grew up in Redwood City, a place in the middle of Palo Alto and San Francisco, I noticed the overlooked stories of people in my community. Particularly, the importance of mothers and familial ties in maintaining a thriving community. My mom, an immigrant from Mexico, who despite sacrifices and facing economic, racial, and gender-based discrimination always made sure to take care of my family and other community members. Community is what kept us together in times of crisis, especially during the pandemic where black and brown communities were the most negatively affected. It was there that migrant mothers took the most burden to create an environment where the community could continue to survive. It was up to mothers, grandparents, etc to take care of each other when we were often overlooked by governments and institutions. This often looked like sharing free resources and information, encouraging and taking care of each other, and trying to ensure each other's survival. To this day, migrant mothers continue to be the backbone of Silicon Valley.

When one thinks about what Silicon Valley embodies, the history is often forgotten. Its history is riddled with migration and just recently gentrification. As more technology companies move in and displace people who live there, there is a loss of culture, familial ties, and knowledge. Even during the pandemic of COVID-19, the stories of migrants in Silicon Valley were forgotten. Specifically, the stories of individuals such as migrant mothers were left behind and dismissed despite the hardships faced and the resistance that followed simply through the ethics of care and love. It is through these ethics of care that sons and daughters of immigrants maintain hope in Silicon Valley, especially in times of hardships such as the pandemic and gentrification.

In my project, I hope to tell the stories of migrant mothers by conducting five platicas with different migrant mothers from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Alongside these unstructured interviews, I hope to do photoshoots with them that I will add to the handmade zine. The zine- a combination of old photographs, family photos, archives, and the platicas will all be a way to tell their stories in the most authentic way possible. It is vital that these stories are shared in order for remembrance of their knowledge as migrant mothers.

Francesca Rossi

We Did This: Recognizing and Resolving Modern Mass Extinction

Wildfires. Pollution. Deforestation. Poaching. This is only a handful of human actions that threaten the survival of Earth’s biodiversity. We are living in the Anthropocene extinction, which began in the nineteenth century with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Since then, nearly seven hundred species have gone extinct due to mankind and the existence of roughly a thousand more are still threatened daily.

For my project, I will first research how humankind’s ignorance and negligence have pushed the environment to the brink of survival. Then, to portray these ongoing issues, I will create a multimedia presentation on a canvas with paints, fabrics, magazine clippings, and other materials. The piece will depict several endangered species and the human actions threatening their extinction outlined by the silhouette of a skull.

Each of us–either intentionally or through our inaction–have contributed to the endangerment of the environment. I want to channel my passion for environmental justice into physical form to encourage others to reflect on their daily actions, contemplate the consequences, and consider changing their behavior. My project will reflect both our uncomfortable guilt of contributing to this issue and the responsibility we bear to be stewards to the environment. I hope my project draws an educational and emotional response; after viewing it, I hope people recognize the poignancy of the moment we live in. Additionally, I want the project to inspire people to be more politically active and put pressure on those who have influence to combat species extinction and environmental degradation.

Alexandra Umegboh

The Polished Narratives: The Intersection of Cultures Through Nail Art

The goal of this project is to intertwine self-expression, identity, and community within the contexts of nail artistry and its long standing history in the Black community. As a practicing nail tech, I delve deeper into the significance of nails as a canvas for personal narratives. With this, I drew parallels with the resilience and storytelling evident in African American Literature to uncover the meanings behind individuals' choices in nail art in various ethnic communities.

While enrolled in African American Literature, I've witnessed the importance of storytelling within the Black community, showcasing resilience amid adversity. Similarly, my journey with nail art reflects resilience and the creation of my own identity in spaces where visibility is lacking.

Doing nails has become a medium of self-expression. Through this project, I amplify the stories and experiences of my clients, forming bonds as I learn about their narratives, desires, and their envisioned art just as African American Literature connects a community through shared stories, fostering a sense of belonging and unity.

In this project, I will explore personal expression through nails by creating a digital magazine with all the nail designs completed. By celebrating individual narratives and amplifying marginalized voices, this project aims to showcase resilience and the power of storytelling in shaping identity while fostering connections within these communities.

Crystal Widado

Yellow Peril has always/will always support Black Power: Afro-Asian solidarity in the Bay area in the 1960s-1970s

In 2012, a 221 page FOIA-obtained file describes Richard Aoki as an FBI informant that was planted within the Black Panther party. In a rapidly cringe fallout, the only Asian American with a leadership position within the Black Panthers was found to be a deceitful spy that did immeasurable harm to multiple movements and the people he worked with. Reading Aoki’s story brings me a great amount of anger. It is a similar anger we, as Asian Americans, experience when we hear our families spout anti-Black narratives that pit racial minority groups against each other.

This frustration and lack of knowledge I hold about this history leads me to my passion project: a zine on the historical solidarity between Black and Asian Americans in Oakland in the 1960s-1970s. With a specific focus on the influences of the Black Panther party, I want to do a historical dive into the existing ties between Black and Asian Americans in the creation of the Asian American Political Alliance. To create this zine, I want to conduct archival research in the city of Oakland and San Francisco. Through museum visits and archival research at the Oakland public library system, I want to build an image of what this historical solidarity looked like. Between movements like the Third World Liberation Front and the Free Huey Newton campaign, there are so many clear examples of when cross-racial solidarity between Asian and Black Americans has been critical to liberation for all.

Ethan Wood

The Birth of American Schussing: An Unlikely Origin

20-knot wind gusts, minus ten windchill, ice, overcast, and numb toes are the typical New England ski day characteristics. Fun, right? Brought up as an East Coast skier, I turn to these rugged, iconic, northern New England slopes and love every minute of it. But more than a few times, I walk into the lodge with my jacket coated in a sheet of ice from a passing frozen rainstorm and wonder: why did skiing ever begin here? This is the question that I will be exploring during this project. The story surprisingly begins amid the depths of the Great Depression. During a time of economic and environmental crisis and stress, an unlikely explosion of creativity, exploration, and fun occurred in an unlikely place. The sport of skiing was made possible by a group of young adults employed through the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a government initiative. The program, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was meant to combat the Depression. Some hires were asked to cut the first trails through the northern mountains of New England.

For my passion project, I will research and learn why and how this often-forgotten piece of American history occurred–what skiing meant for these original schussers, and the significance of this story. Additionally, I will experience what it was like to ski during the 1930s by taking on the infamous slopes, imagined and constructed by CCC workers, some now forgotten and overgrown, on a pair of traditional wooden skis I made myself.

Ruihan (Leo) Yu

Names and Chinese-American Identity: Struggles, Strategies, and solutions

A topic not often discussed is the importance of a person’s name. Names are vital to our identity and even personhood. Names can create a feeling of connectedness with culture and community. However, names can also be a source of frustration. For people living in English-speaking contexts with a non-English name, all of the above can be true.

For many people like me, who grew up with a Chinese name, a complication arises when we find ourselves residing in a country with a different dominant language: what name should I use? I want to use my given name, Ruihan, but it’s difficult to pronounce correctly for non-mandarin speakers, and it heavily conveys foreignness, which can change the way others engage with me and view me as a person. I am still lucky in this respect, as other Chinese names are romanized in worse ways. With these considerations and more, it makes sense why many Chinese people choose to adopt English names. However, that comes with its own concerns. For example, changing one’s name can feel like an abandonment of one’s own culture to gain acceptance a discriminatory society.

In my passion project, I discuss what names can entail for different people’s lives and the complexities of living with multiple names. In the process, I hope to offer insight on how individuals with foreign names can navigate these situations, how this fits into broader issues of equality for minorities, and how others can help ameliorate these issues.

Diana Zhou

My Father's Steppes, My Mother's Rivers

Scattered on the North Asian plateau, the Mongolic ethnic group are sparsely settled nomads living off of the gifts of nature bestowed upon them by the vast steppes. Their sporadic settlement makes it hard to imagine consolidating a unified Mongolic identity. Throughout their history, the Mongolian group fragmented and came together time and time again. Mongolians were consolidated into one ethnicity within the People’s Republic of China. However, ethnic classification is not as simple as assigning one ethnicity to a diverse body of people that still differ culturally — in geography, political affiliations, clothing, food, religion, and traditions — that resulted in twenty-eight Mongolic subgroups in China today. Further, across the continent of Asia, there exists a plethora of sub-Mongolian identities that transcend the definition of “Mongolian” given by the Chinese Communist Party.

In my project, I aim to study the formation of these various subgroups within and beyond the more significant Mongolian identity. I will start with how the Mongolic subgroup identities were formed, specifically looking at the ethnological development across time within the Mongolian Steppe. I wish to focus on three Mongolic ethnic subgroups: the Buryat, the Dzungars, and the Daurs (the Buryats and Ordos are considered Mongolian, but the Daurs are its ethnic group). I will supplement my newsletter with ethnographic sketches of each ethnic group, depicting their traditional dress, cuisine, customs, and religion.

Essentially, I hope that my project highlights how the complexity of Mongolian ethnicity extends beyond the confines of China and the Chinese definition, something that ethnologists must grapple with, historically and contemporarily.

Humanities Passion Projects 2022-2023

JONATHAN BECKER

POWER AND ACCESSIBILITY: EVALUATING OPEN-SOURCE COMPUTER SCIENCE CLASSES THROUGH A SOCIOECONOMIC LENS

In this day and age, it’s become incredibly common to hear “coding is the new literacy,” “everyone will learn to code someday,” and other such assertions, regardless of what field you work in. Putting aside whether or not these statements are true, they present a pressing question, especially for those in non-STEM fields: where do I even begin to learn to code? While tech skills are becoming in some ways a path to power and economic wellbeing, the field remains largely homogenous and barrier to entry remains high.

In this project, I will seek to analyze one such course, called Nand2Tetris, which is a Massively Online Open Course (MOOC), through a socioeconomic lens. Created by professors at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, it is meant to be accessible for anyone with just about any level of knowledge, so long as they have access to a computer.

This project will culminate in a shareable repository, where I will share my reflections on the challenges of each project and how I would evaluate them per my criteria. I will also post my open source code, allowing anyone interested in the course to peruse what I did and even modify it themselves under an open source license.

NATALIE CHEN

TALES OLD AS TIME

A princess who wakes out of her deadly sleep at the touch of her lover's kiss. A boy whose nose grows at the speaking of a lie, and a Beast transformed back into an honorable man after the love of Beauty. These fairy tales were told to us as children through the visual illustrations of Disney movies, or read to us by loving adults. They are universally loved, and viewed as, by the nature of fairy tale ideology, a 'perfectly magical' life. However, the roots of these Disney interpreted stories go way back: one fairy tale, in particular, can be traced to the Bronze Age, which existed 6,000 years ago. Furthermore, there is evidence that, in the conceptions of various historical societies and civilizations, that tales played a large part in shaping the makeup of them.

My passion project will study how tales were reinterpreted over time, and have shaped the policies, cultures, and personhoods of both historical and current civilizations and societies. Furthermore, we will see how the same basic storylines transcend varying cultures, time periods, and societies. Thus, I will also examine the philosophical truths within fairy tales: what about them has been so universally attractive to humanity? What truths are we to discover about what appeals to and awakens a person's soul? What can we learn about our natures?

For, as one of my favorite storytellers Patrick Rothfus wrote, "All the truth of the world is held in stories"

JACOB DETRINIDAD

SO YOU THINK YOU'RE CONSCIOUS?: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

If I asked you if you were conscious, how would you respond? It seems pretty obvious that you are, in fact, conscious, but how can you be sure? What does consciousness even mean? Once you figure out whether or not you are conscious, how would you prove it? Can you prove it? It seems clear to Descartes that he is, in fact, conscious, an idea which spawned his now famous quote “I think, therefore I am.” But how can he be sure? Taking inspiration from Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy and philosopher David Chalmers, I will analyze and explain the nature of consciousness before exploring how people can know they are conscious. To apply these theories to the modern world, I will tackle the question of whether machines can be considered conscious and the implications this will have in the future. By looking at the writings of Alan Turing and John Searle, I hope to explain the possibility of a conscious computer program by determining whether consciousness itself is a physical or non-physical property. My project will tackle all of these questions by using diagrams, pictures, and thought experiments in an attempt to explain the different theories of consciousness in a basic, understandable way. My hope is that anyone, regardless of philosophical background or ability, will be able to interact with philosophy of mind at a greater level and discover an interest in philosophy.

ELIZABETH PALOMARES GUZMAN

“MI QUERIDO BARRIO” (“MY DEAR NEIGHBORHOOD”): AN INSIDE ON THE EFFECTS OF GENTRIFICATION

Often when having conversations regarding gentrification tends to center around the economical and political controversies and not focus on the people who are being affected. While being away from home, many changes have occurred through my neighborhood. Each time that I go back, I notice how the neighborhood I know is slowly disappearing and becoming more expensive to live in. Through my passion project I want to express and voice our thoughts regarding the changes occurring to provide a more humanistic perspective. There is much frustration, sadness and anger regarding these changes since we feel ignored, our community has been advocating for changes that would increase safety throughout the neighborhood. And although there is now process to increase safety, it has been occurring now that gentrification has been developing. I also plan to do research regarding gentrification and how it can be possible to prevent and or stop it from occurring. My neighborhood has been my home for many years, and the home for so many people despite poverty and gang-affiliated issues. Through the project I hope to capture the beautiful essence of my neighborhood and community, and share how negatively gentrification impacts communities from the perspective of a resident.

Maxwell Kim

Plating: How Pottery Impacts a Culinary Experience

Michelin-starred restaurants are known for their creativity and innovation in the world of fine dining. These restaurants often push the boundaries of food by using unusual ingredients, combining flavors in unexpected ways, and presenting food in a visually appealing manner. As of recently, executive chefs have started to recognize the important role handmade ceramics have in elevating a dining experience. The latest release of a menu requires an equally unique and authentic set of dinnerware that compliments the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Many people can view the completed work of a ceramicist and find only beauty. However, an artist’s understanding of the tenuous, multi-step process involved in making something handmade alters the view of a finished piece as being a culmination of imperfections, cracks, and warps. The uniqueness and individuality a single piece carries are what help bond a diner to the dish—fully connecting them to the present moment with subtle, yet intentional features.

As I enter my sixth year as a potter, it has become a goal of mine to have a studio where I create dinnerware for Michelin-starred restaurants across the world. The goal of my passion project is to bring attention to how the craftsmanship of handmade pottery can work harmoniously with the plating of food. I plan to make a full dinnerware set, made specifically to elevate the signature dishes that resemble those at Michelin-starred restaurants across the world. Additionally, I will create a photography portfolio designed to showcase the pottery in it’s desired usage. Finally, a video documenting the multi-step process necessary for the finished product will supplement my passion project.

Yui Kurosawa

Aristotle is my Therapist

My life is full of problems that seemingly have no right one answer. But as a reflective individual and chronic over-thinker, these problems often leave me ruminating in hopes for an omniscient advisor to tell me exactly what to do.

Especially since starting college, these problems have been much more people-oriented. From living with roommates who were initially complete strangers to existing in a predominantly white institution, people-oriented problems are complicated as it often involves the clashing of values and norms that only the owner of those values would fully understand. For example, how do I draw the line between playful banter and hurtful insults when that ambiguous line shifts differently for everyone? What do I do when good-intentioned “banter” feels like an insult to me? What do I do when values I grew up with in Japan are diametrically opposed to American values?

But thankfully, I found an omniscient advisor in the most unexpected place at CMC. It wasn’t a trusted friend, a wise professor, or even Monsour therapy. It was the 2000 year old philosophers in my FHS Virtues and Characters class. Namely, Aristotle. This winter, I will be analyzing Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments to explore how different philosophers would respond to my modern day problems. My final project involves a screenplay that captures a conversation between me, Aristotle, and Smith. It’s such a misconception that philosophy has no practical value, because Aristotle is becoming my therapist.

Annika Larson

Kierkegaard's Cool Daughter

I have always enjoyed reading existential literature and thinking about how philosophical ideas about identity still resonate with the modern-day problems I face. It is fascinating to use historical theories about identity and selfhood to contextualize how we perceive ourselves, others, and cultural events with the added context of social media. Simultaneously, this past year I have become interested in reading substack blogs written by women about online subjects they find fascinating in the form of creative nonfiction essays. These essays use academic language and texts to analyze light-hearted issues like specific fashion trends or celebrity gossip but also more serious topics like mental health, social justice, and other online political and social discourse. For my project, I am starting a substack blog where I will write articles that incorporate works of my favorite existential philosophers like Soren Kierkegaard, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, and Jean-Paul Sartre. These essays aim to simplify and consolidate the core ideas of these authors’ texts to be more relatable and engaging for women to read. Through my passion project, I would like to better understand the works of my favorite philosophers by applying them to contemporary issues of selfhood and social media representation.

Ryan Lenney

The Storied Past of Surfboard Shaping: Lessons for a Sustainable Future

Surfboard shapers have long been the backbone of surfing culture and community where I grew up in Southern California. Today, however, these craftsmen are becoming a dying breed. Most of the 400,000 surfboards purchased each year in the U.S. are mass produced from pre-designed molds. This proliferation of “pop-out” boards, as they are known, marks a greater shift away from the personalized nature of surfboard shaping and towards a relationship based solely on consumerism. So too, does the new mass production of surfboards represent a challenge to the environmental sustainability of the surfing community, due to the increased emissions involved in the creation of store-bought boards.

For my passion project, I will begin by writing a long-form article exploring the storied past of surfboard shaping. Throughout my project, I will highlight sustainable practices that can help to reduce the surfing community's environmental impact today. By creating a list of best practices for sustainable surfboard shaping, as well as a step-by-step guide to shaping your own surfboard, I hope to contribute to a wider effort to preserve the art of surfboard shaping for future generations. Ultimately, using the knowledge I gain through my research, l will endeavor to shape my own surfboard.

Mingyu Liu

The True Cost of Success: An Exploration Of the AAPI High School Student Mindset

Coming from a predominantly affluent, majority Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) public high school, it seemed as if most of my peers were following a rigid, prescribed path in high school in order to be “successful.” Often this meant getting into a highly selective college with a major that would earn them the most money. In instances when my peers deviated from their prescribed path and tried to explore their true passions, they often ended up partially caving in to pressures from their parents and friends. Sometimes their steadfast adherence to this mindset often harmed them in the long run, making them less successful.

The prevalence of this mindset has plagued me internally with questions. What causes this mindset to exist among my peers? Why do my peers so easily conform to this attitude?

In my passion project, I aim to answer these questions by documenting the origins and effects of this mindset on AAPI students from my high school. I will conduct a series of interviews with teachers/staff, parents, and students. I will also interview sociologists whose research focuses on Asian Americans and education. From these interviews, I hope to gain insight into the cultural attitudes toward education in the broader AAPI community and investigate how these attitudes impact generations of young AAPI. I want the stories and lessons that I gain from these interviews to reshape my community’s understanding of the AAPI high school experience.

Miller McCraw

Work Hard, Play Hard: The Gamification of the Workplace and its Psychological Consequences

Gamification, or the use of game elements like points and objectives to encourage certain behaviors, has become a pervasive phenomenon in all sectors of life. While gamification has been lauded as a unique way for companies to engage consumers, gamification has instead been used as a form of electronic monitoring to expand productivity in unorthodox ways for major corporations. This project analyzes the consequences of gamification by four international companies through the medium of pixel art. Amazon’s efforts to squeeze even more productivity out of warehouse workers led to the development of the FC Games program, a gamification of repetitive warehouse tasks to force worker competition. Disney has implemented a similar “motivation” system for laundry workers in their Disneyland hotels, displaying workers’ speeds on screens across their facilities correlated with the color of a traffic light. Target has developed the Checkout Game that tracks clerk speeds and displays scores on the screen for customers to see. Cold Stone Creamery, the beloved ice cream chain, developed the game Stone City that workers are required to play during off-work hours that makes them practice correct scoping size and informs players of the monetary expense to the store when they overscoop. These and many more corporations have used gamification to induce unhealthy, productivity-focused mindsets among employees through social control, but the practice is relatively unknown despite its growing implementation. Pixel art is being used as a vector to bring attention to these violations as a parody of the art’s use in video games.

Annie McKinley

A Christmas in Lexington

I plan on writing a children's book while I am in my hometown, Lexington Massachusetts, for break. I will use the Christmas traditions and community members to write a story involving the history of Lexington and the magic it holds during the holidays. Lexington is a small town just outside of Boston. It has a town center composed of a battlefield where the minutemen fought the militia, a small movie theater, an old bell tower, and the main road lined with shops and restaurants. The town is mostly composed of young children and old couples living out their last decade or so together. Lexington is best known for being where “the shot around the world.” The mighty red coats facing a measly twelve or so militia men. Despite the skewed numbers, one soldier from the Lexington militia fired his gun. It was a moment of both bravery and defiance. Beyond this history that everyone has read in their high school history textbooks, Lexington holds a tight community full of traditions and unlikely relationships. I hope to convey the spirit of this small town in a fun way that will be enjoyable to read.

Joelle Min

Fermentation and Memory: A Historical and Personal Recipe Book

I remember visiting my grandma’s farm every year in Sebastopol, CA, our beloved family gathering place. The steps to her house overlook the road that my late grandpa paved, frames of each grandchild decorate the staircase, and jars of candy hide under lace tablecloth. My grandmother, Suki, plants a fruit tree for every marriage of her three daughters and for every birth of a grandchild. The fruit trees count the years: loving unions and growing up.

At the farm, my grandma lives a simple life, speaking sweetly to her plump persimmon and delicate perilla leaves, unknowingly gifting them carbon dioxide through her compliments. With her homegrown produce, she makes her famed kimchi by squatting beside a large clay bowl, mixing cabbage, salt, garlic, and red pepper. Humid farm air and kimchi stenches, my grandma has cultivated a 5-acre haven that I call home.

My passion is rooted in preserving culture, celebrating food, and honoring the women who have given me a life of greater choice. For my passion project, I would like to learn more about kimchi recipe development, to find the perfect proportions that my grandmother once did. As pieces of my grandmother fade in her condition, I hope to emulate and master her craft of kimchi making. My grandma’s farm has always been a place where people can come together and have a meal, no matter what. I hope to cultivate food and spaces that practice this same sentiment, while exploring my Korean heritage as well. I hope to continue exploring my research in feminism and Kantian contract theory in accordance with the women who have raised me. I am humbled by the care of women that have come before me and hope to instill the same spirit of belonging to those around me.

Salina Muñoz

Tattooing Through Time: Exploring Ancient and Modern Practices

As an artist, I enjoy learning about different styles of art and their mediums. Over the last few years, I have been fascinated by the world of tattooing. This winter, I am exploring the art of tattooing and compiling research regarding its history through eras of time. I look at the origins of the tattoo, where it was practiced, different techniques, and the meaning behind the ink. After getting a few tattoos myself, I realized that it was something I really wanted to try and learn to do. For my project, I simultaneously document my experience shadowing a tattoo artist named Damien (@royal_blue_tattoos on IG) and try to learn all about the modern craft for myself. Each week I explore tattooing in places like Egypt, Greek, Rome, the Pre-Columbian Americas, Japan, Polynesia, Samoa, Niger, New Zealand, and the U.S., learning about their practices, instruments, and techniques. I eventually reach tattooing in the modern age, highlighting the evolution of artistry and technique. I examine stigma around tattoos, considering their associations with various contexts such as sailors, the circus, prisons, and the shift to their current, modern popularity and acceptance. I visually record as much from shadowing the tattoo artist as well as any practice and artistic contributions of my own. I combine everything into a mini, informational documentary showcasing everything I've learned.

Amelia Opsahl

The Past, Present, and Future of Gender Relations in Algeria

As a Foreign Languages major, which develops fluency in French, Spanish, and Portuguese, I hope to apply my passion for foreign language and culture to practical purposes both in and after college. From conducting research to working with locals, I hope to use my fluency and cultural understanding to better understand the needs of developing areas in which my languages are spoken, raise awareness about these issues, and take steps to aid the population.

In line with this interest, this winter I will publish a website (translated in both French and English) that looks at the evolution of gender relations in Algeria. Algeria was colonized by France in 1830, and throughout colonization Algerian women faced a difficult intersectionality of colonial oppression and restriction from within their patriarchal society. The Algerian War for Independence, which lasted from 1954 to 1962, presented an opportunity to defy traditional gender roles and fight colonial power structures. Nevertheless, Algeria won independence in 1962, there was a return of mentalities that limited women to the domestic sphere and rid them of equal rights. Indeed, the Algerian woman’s centuries-long struggle continues today as women are underrepresented in the workforce and lack political power.

What continuities exist within this history of oppression? How have Algerian women resisted marginalization over time? How are current movements working to protect against gender rights violations? My passion project seeks to answer these questions and highlight the Algerian woman’s complex story of oppression and fight for equality.

Meghna Pamula

Storytelling and Narratives: An Adventure through Animation

I have always had a passion for visual arts, and have worked extensively with traditional media. I am interested in furthering my exploration of visual arts, specifically, digital media and animation. Through this project, I aim to explore storytelling and narratives within the framework of animation in order to better understand how animation can function as a narrative tool. This project centers around the broad themes of modern life, identity, and social interaction through the voices of my peers in college. It will be a collection of stories and interactions gathered through a series of spontaneous interviews. I hope to bring these stories to life in a creative way through animation. I am interested in the concept of using non-voice actors as voices in this animated project in order to ground it in reality. In terms of storytelling, this choice promotes authenticity and anchors the animation to the real world, regardless of whether the concept is real or fictional. This is an idea that I am very excited to explore further through my project. My vision for this project is to investigate the previously mentioned broad themes through the people I encounter in my daily life. I plan to use animation as a medium to express this, and to better conceptualize methods of storytelling.

Emma Pan

A Short Film: The Life of a Dancer

As a former professional dancer, I have always been intrigued by people working in the dance industry. I am intrigued by their creative spirit, perseverance, and passion for the art. Having been in the industry, I know that devoting one’s entire career to dance is risky. So, you might wonder, why do people choose to become dancers? What motivates them? From talking to many people in the dance industry, I would say the motivation comes from passion and love for dancing. There’s a spark in their eyes when they talk about their choreography. The dance industry is diverse. There are many different styles of dance: hip-hop, heels, modern, ballet, etc. Different places and racial groups also have their own cultures for dancing. It is an art form that unites people of different backgrounds as it is a human commonality. The dancers' devotion to art and their passion inspire me to create a short film to discover more about this industry. In this project, I will incorporate interviews with current dancers as well as retired dancers in California and other places to hear about their experiences. As a dancer myself, I will also take classes with these dancers and talk about how these dancers influence other people in the classes in the film.

Daniel Penaloza

Phylogenesis of Knowledge, Value, and Resistance

As science and the study of pharmacology has evolved over the centuries, we have seen a paradigm shift in the way western society views medicinal plants, herbs, and similar treatments as antiquated and unsophisticated. For my mother, for whom access to higher education was restricted, the study of such plants and treatments became a path to continue her passions and interest in medicine and in the alleviating of pain in others.

My passion project will roughly be split into two parts. The first part will entail me cataloging all of the plants my mother is currently cultivating, documenting the properties she has learned they possess over the years, and then doing further research on them to compare what scientific articles have to say about their proven properties and benefits. I will then focus on 3 of the plants my mother deems most important and create a painting of each of them on canvas using acrylic paint. Aloe vera, cactus, and guava are all crops that hold immense importance in our culture, and I hope to portray that through these paintings.

The second part of my project will include a final paper that will consider the role that people, like my mother, who use and promote these plants and their properties to those around them, have in their community, and how the continued interest in them as forms of medicine can be seen as their own form of resistance to a colonial value system that was forcefully imposed onto us.

Eva Pruitt

Consu(ME)

Consu(ME) is an art exhibit exploring the multifaceted nature of sexuality and self expression in a culture of consumption and gender roles. In today's society, we consume each other every single day through social media, stereotypes, and even in neutral contexts like perception. This is an especially present phenomena in the lives of women, as gender roles and expectations are beyond pervasive. This project is my attempt to grapple with the social pressures that women face on a daily basis. I will work in multimedia collages to create ten-twelve pieces in four different subject areas: (1) ways in which men perceive and value women, (2) socialization of young girls and teenagers, (3) the different experiences of many young women, and (4) self expression and sexuality. These subjects are all incredibly intertwined and centered around the idea of consumption. Most of my ideas on these topics are founded on discussions and readings I have done in classes here at the Claremont Colleges, but many are also based on personal experiences and those of others. In creating the collages, I will use mostly second hand materials I have collected from donations and yard sales. Additionally, I will attempt to use imagery from sources that match the theme of gender roles: women’s magazines from the 50s, sewing patterns, modeling magazines, consumption-based media, etc. My final product will show the tensions and complications between these different themes and hopefully provide resonance on some of the questions surrounding them.

Sanaa Sondhi

Photojournalism through an Ethical Lens

Growing up as a photographer in New York City, it was only natural that my favorite kind of photography was street photography which lent to my growing interest in photojournalism. To be able to take your surroundings and immortalize them is the ability to tell a million stories that have never been told before. I was surrounded by brilliant photographs; it was just a matter of taking them. But at what cost?

In my project I am combining my extracurricular interests with my academic interests by examining my own body of photographs through an ethical philosophical lens. I am assembling an exhibit of 4-6 of my own photographs that contain themes of social justice and examining them with philosophical standards of how to treat people and what constitutes consent. These photographs have been taken primarily in Cape Town, Mexico City, and New Delhi which creates the added layer of taking my photographs through an American lens. I want to examine the degree of condescension involved in taking photographs of nations in poverty, from which the photographer capitalizes on, not through money per se but through notoriety and success.

Essentially, my project seeks to understand how to weigh the ethical costs of a good photograph. Photographs are an important part of storytelling, and we shouldn’t stop taking them, but they have ethical implications that we cannot ignore. Do we sacrifice morality altogether in the name of illuminating greater injustices?

Claire Vlases

A New "Wild West"

When a person thinks about Montana, what often springs to mind are images of the “Wild West” with cowboys, farmland, and a rugged, untouched mountain landscape. In some ways, that is still true.

However, recently, my town has become one of the fastest growing in the nation. As a young person, it can be overwhelming to consider that the world is changing, your friends are changing, and your perspectives are changing. As people move in, and the houses spread out where farmland once was, I cannot help but wonder what the modifications mean. This short film follows the story of life of young Montanans as we navigate the changing landscape and identities. It also explores the effects of development on the natural world, climate change, and youth activism.

Especially in the era of globalization, there is a beauty that comes with the cyclical motion of advancement; development brings diverse perspectives and ways of life. So change can be good… or is it?

Can tradition and advancement coexist? The cowboys and rugged landscape that exists as many people’s stereotype of Montana is still there, just shrinking. How can we navigate these changes by maintaining our identity as the “Wild West” while still accepting that progress is inevitable?

Nathaniel Worley

Remember Me in 500 Years

Public access to general information and current events is at an all-time high. While I relish the ability to always stay in the moment, headline stories can quickly fade away within a week or less. Medieval Europe's solution to pictorially informing the public of events and historical information was colorful, translucent, and enduring — stained glass. This medium has somewhat resurged, but the common technique today often strays from tradition and seldom depicts contemporary events or important figures. Stained glass is now more accessible than in the past, but to truly create medieval European style stained glass, a kiln is required to actually "stain" the glass with silver stain. Unfortunately, a kiln is outside my budget for this project; some alternatives to achieve the desired results exist however, including using relatively low-temperature ceramic paint that can meld to glass in an oven. I will truly blend the past and the present with this project with contemporary depictions on an antiquated medium and the use of modern paints and stained glass creation technique alongside traditional painting methods. I will attempt to create between one and three pieces, time permitting, in the following presumptive order of depiction: Russia's war in Ukraine; anti-government protest in China; flooding in South-East Asia; a front-page newspaper. The piece(s) will be displayed online as well as hopefully on campus in an area flooded with light.

Daisie Ye

My Way to Home: A Poetry Collection Dedicated to Beijing

Haven’t been back home for two years now, I feel my identity becoming more and more fragile. My life at home in Beijing feels more and more distant from the present me. However, the essence of my identity seems to have come from the past. When I stop existing in an environment where my consciousness is cultivated, how to understand who I am now? How can I bring my identity with me everywhere when it cannot be represented by where I live, who my family is, what language I speak, or things I possess?

I took a poetry writing class this fall semester and found it a helpful way to reclaim my identity. A piece of poetry helps me transform objects, experience, and feelings into eternality. As I write more about my past memories, I am more assured that I won’t ever lose them if I collect them all in my poems. In fact, my poems become part of my identity that I can carry everywhere. Going back to Beijing this winter break, I want to dedicate my passion project to recording my city in poetry and photos to make it part of my identity eternally.

Humanities Passion Projects 2021-2022

NICOLA AUGUSTYN

POETRY AND PHILOSOPHY IN FILM AND MUSIC

How does one express the inexpressible? Well, most of our understanding of the world is through philosophy and poetry; think religion, ideologies, and identity formulation. It is how we connect the sensual experiences of our inner world with the communication of the outer world through media and humanities studies. However, not everyone is interested in the poets and philosophers, and justifiably so! The dense writing and deeply contextual issues can be confusing and off-putting. I want to explore poetry and philosophy in more accessible forms of storytelling, that of which is music and film. Not only does music have an obvious poetic element to it through lyrical and instrumental harmony, but many artists are overlooked for the philosophical depth that encapsulates their work. I want to showcase the transcendental power music has on one’s understanding of the self, ideologies, and the world. I will also evaluate films from all over the world portraying philosophical concepts like existentialism, moralism, personal identity, and aesthetics. Similarly, I will explore the poetic elements of film with its use of language and cinematography to convey ineffable moods and themes. Overall, I want to think critically about the media I consume and understand how it connects to meaning in poetry and philosophy. I hope to inspire others to listen and watch the pieces of art I find meaningful, while also coming to their own conclusions of self-understanding and perspectives of the world. Are musicians and filmmakers the poets and philosophers of the postmodern age?

MICHALI BACHAR

THE BOOKS THAT MADE US

We all have that book, or perhaps books, that made us who we are. The books we read challenge us and comfort us, frustrate us and soothe us. The books we read broaden our perspective, and alter the way we view the world and ourselves. Books appeal to a part of us that we have hidden, that we have repressed, that we did not know existed until the words on the page beckon it forward. My passion project explores the books that made my peers who they are today; I will solicit books that helped shape my peers’ beliefs, identity, or understanding of the world and read them myself. Reflecting on why the particular book resonated with them, I will write blog posts about how the book impacted me and the insights I have gained. I believe this passion project will help me challenge my current views, broaden my perspective of the world around me, and connect with my peers. Literature offers an intimate understanding of how others think and I hope to use this project as a way to promote empathy, reflection, and learning. To quote the author of one of the books that “made me”, Elie Wiesel, “[t]here is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth… The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you.”

Marshall bessey

A Digital Tour of the History and Significance of the U.S. Capitol

My project seeks to share the unique stories and significance of the US Capitol Building. As a government and history dual-major who interned in the House of Representatives during the fall semester, I have always had a passion for American government and history. I would love to explore my passion further and share it with a wider audience. I plan on researching the history and architecture of the six most significant rooms of the Capitol: the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, the Crypt, the Old Supreme Court Chamber, the Old Senate Chamber, and the current House Chamber. For each of these rooms, I will research the history of construction, its unique architectural features, any changes in use, famous events and decisions that happened in that particular room, and what each room says about our country. I will also gather anecdotes from current and former Members of Congress and other influential figures about what all of these rooms mean to them and what they indicate about the future of our country. The output of my passion project will be six long-form blog posts that share my research findings in a widely accessible manner so that anyone can learn more about their building. Currently, no one besides staffers and Members of Congress can enter and visit the US Capitol building, and I hope that my passion project can fill some of that void.

sarah chen

From the 907

My younger brother and I were born in and grew up in Alaska, which is breathtaking all twelve months of the year but also freezing and dark for eight of those months. To enjoy the summer months, my brother and I explored the forest and the sea near our home, and when I grew older, we would drive around Anchorage looking for new mountains to hike or rocks next to the sea. During the chilly winter months, my brother and I would dive into video games, finding fantastical worlds to escape to where we were could be fellow heroes and villains (or, oftentimes, very argumentative saviors of the world). We aim to build an experience that takes the user down both worlds that my brother and I saw in Alaska through a watercolor art board game. “From the 907” players will experience various classic Alaskan spots, such as Bear Tooth or Chena Hot Springs, meet friendly visitors, and enjoy the view. However, they also will encounter the ‘fantasy’ element as well, based on my younger brother and my childhood with videogames and with creating our own stories on long car rides (we bet a dragon hid along the Seward highway and that there was a friendly deer-devouring snowman in Kincaid). We aim to design a four-person board game, inspired heavily by Tokaido, which is a tranquil, conflict-free board game designed around exploring Japan. Incorporating elements of art, user interface and experience, fantasy, and childhood homes, we hope to build a project with my younger brother that takes players to our home. Gameplay will rely mainly on ‘experiential’ payment and interaction, where users are incentivized to slow down and explore the game through ‘experience’ tokens and interact with each other by playing duo or four-person mini-elements at some of the ‘stops’ on the board game ‘trail.’

Wren Cilimburg

Mycology as a Bridge Between the Humanities and the Sciences

This winter, I am creating a website to explore the ways mycology can help bridge the gap between the humanities and the sciences. Mycology, the study of fungi, is in its infancy. Recent discoveries have shown the potential for powerful practical applications: fungal species can break down plastic, clean up oil spills, and grow organic substitutes for styrofoam. More than 90% of plants depend on fungi to survive, and humans carry more fungal and bacterial cells in our bodies than human ones. Many mycologists have suggested that at least two major revisions of our dominant worldview are in order: 1) Individual organisms are not nearly as distinct as we think, and 2) Intelligence exists in many life forms often considered biological automatons. The more mycologists learn, the more our anthropomorphic, individualistic perspective proves insufficient.

A shift in the way we view different academic disciplines can give a more functional view of the world. Is mycology ecology, because it studies organisms in nature? Or is it history, analyzing the role of fungi in our past? It offers creative solutions to the environmental crisis and innovations in the healthcare field. Fungi have the potential to shift our perspective of the world-- one could consider it a sort of philosophy. Some mycologists use fungi to create art. A connecting thread is that mycology brings people together: scientists, psychologists, historians, philosophers, educators, activists, and more. My website aims to showcase the ways that mycology can bring these disciplines together and create positive change.

will ellsworth

Their Time in Detroit - Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and the City Everybody’s Against

It is surprising that Mexican muralist Diego Rivera’s masterwork is in Detroit, Michigan. Commissioned in 1932 by the Detroit Institute of Art, Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo came to Detroit to study its automobile factories and assembly lines. As Rivera researched for the murals, he was captivated by Ford’s River Rouge plant. But he saw another Detroit as well, a city devastated by the Depression, a city of bread lines and rampant hopelessness. In important ways, Detroit in 1932 looks like the Detroit I know. In 2021, the effects of white flight and policy failures are still decimating Detroit. Shells of burned-out houses rise among acres of empty lots. Liquor stores sit alongside boarded-up schools, factories, and train stations. Rivera’s tribute to Detroit's innovation is inspiring, but what does it say about Detroit’s struggles today? Moreover, what did Kahlo, a practically unknown painter at the time, think about America’s drive for more technology and money? So, on my pilgrimage back home this winter, I will embark on a study of the murals and their history, retracing Kahlo and Rivera’s time in Detroit. More importantly, I will endeavor to re-position their insights into the twenty-first century. I will write monologues and take photos that reimagine their footsteps through Detroit. Exploring their artwork and the spaces they frequented during those intense and life-changing months from April 1932 to March 1933, I will use their voices to tell their story and to shed light on the Detroit of today.

stephanie espinoza

Historias y Conexiones - A Look at Mexican American Communities in Dallas

Dallas is a very diverse city that has been deeply shaped by the strong presence of Mexican American communities and their cultural heritage. Historias y Conexiones: A Look at Mexican American Communities in Dallas will dive into the makeup and significance of these communities starting from the city’s 1900s immigration of Mexican Americans. More specifically, it will look at places such as Little Mexico, a historic neighborhood that stood since the 1910-1980s, and Oak Cliff, currently one of Dallas’ most notable predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. As Oak Cliff is going through the process of gentrification, I hope to preserve and commemorate part of its history as well as that of past communities who were displaced and lost their identity, such as Little Mexico. I want to bring attention to the importance of incorporating these communities' stories and impacts in the city’s narrative. The project will have three main focuses: expanding knowledge through conversations and readings, capturing important sites through photographs, and analyzing the topics of gentrification, displacement, cultural heritage, and community identity through Mexican American authors’ writing. The end goal of this project is to gain a deeper understanding of the legacy of Mexican Americans in Dallas through an interdisciplinary approach.

Katelyn ge

After Happily Ever After

Don’t be overconfident. Don’t be lazy, lie or cheat or judge people by their appearance. These lessons came through fables, folk tales, and urban legends, were formative for childhood fears, and fed my thirst for more literature. As I aged, the smallest things in my life reminded me of childhood stories. These reminders have opened my mind to my past and the purity of sensations and emotions as a child. I want to reignite my love of literature by returning to the origins of my love of English in the form of folktales, fairy tales, and legends. Though I started off writing fantasy and dreamed of becoming an author, I developed an interest in short stories. In a creative writing class, I was exposed to “The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado, a modern rendition of the short horror story “The Girl with the Green Ribbon” which I read in third grade. While I had been horrified before, I became scared in a different way. Machado incorporated modern themes of misogyny and power dynamics in marriage and motherhood: a more innocent fear of the unnatural becoming a real societal struggle. Since then, I’ve been interested in how old tales could be seen in a contemporary perspective. Waiting for inspiration is like waiting for lightning. I hope to walk into the lightning storm. By reimagining these pieces of children’s literature and tales, I want to unify 18 year old and child-self, while exercising my creative writing skills and imagination.

Alexis gero

"Death and Life": an Ode to Vienna

This past fall, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Vienna, Austria. This allowed me to hone my interests in Art History and travel, serving as a turning point in my academic and personal lives. More than forty years ago, Vienna was also a pivotal place for my family, when my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother emigrated from the former Soviet Union. Prompted by family tragedy the trio had traveled from Moldova, to Romania, and to Vienna, where they awaited sponsorship to go to the United States. My grandmother’s half-brother provided them with an American address, enabling them to emigrate to the San Francisco Bay Area, where we still live today. Before studying in Vienna this fall, I had no knowledge of the significance of this city to my family in their emigration journey. I have learned to love Vienna through my own studies, relationships, and experiences over the past three months, and discovering my family history has only deepened this connection. Since much of my time in the city has been defined by art and Art History, I created an ode to Vienna by recreating the work of one of Vienna’s most celebrated artists, Gustav Klimt. I produced an altered version of “Death and Life” by Gustav Klimt using figures modeling my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and myself. This work is best suited to capture the importance and circular nature of Vienna in my matriarchal family history, my own academic journey, and the history of Central Europe.

Jonathan ke

The Ethics of Private Prisons

As of 2019, there are more than 1.43 million prisoners incarcerated in the US. Among the 1,677 adult correctional facilities in the US, 25% were privately operated. Through this project, I would like to examine the ethics of privatized prisons in the US.

Private prisons have been a controversial issue in the US justice system. For one, private prisons are operated by for-profit companies. How do private prisons generate profits? Why are private prisons able to operate at lower costs than public prisons? Would it be ethical to put profits above the health and safety of inmates? Taking a step back, what is the purpose of prison if it is not to rehabilitate? When the legal system is tied to monetary profit, is it still upholding justice?

To answer these questions, I plan to examine published data on private prisons and see how money plays a role in driving the private prison industry. Furthermore, I plan to conduct interviews with civil rights attorneys, past inmates, and professors in the field of human rights and political philosophy to examine the ethics of private prisons. In addition, I plan to visit 111 Taylor Street in San Francisco, a “halfway house” operated by one of the nation’s largest private prison companies. My project will be presented in the format of a website, containing short essays, charts and graphs, infographics, photos, and videos.

Rosanna leal

Aztec Myths & Legends: A Trial By Fire

My passion project is divided into two parts. For part one, I researched Aztec myths and legends, and for part two I wrote a fantasy book inspired by Aztec culture. Growing up, my favorite series was Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians. It was the series that first made me fall in love with reading. The books were funny, action-packed, and featured lots of historical references. I learned about Greek myths and legends without having to sit in a class and read a textbook. Riordan was able to integrate history with his novels in a way that did not turn away young readers, but made them take interest in the subject.
In my past classes, I have always read texts with a European influence. The only time the Aztec civilization was mentioned was when we were covering the Spanish conquest. I want to make Aztec culture accessible to a general audience like Riordan. I also wish to create representation for the Latino community by integrating my Mexican-American background into the story. My novel will be drawing inspiration from the presagios funestos and other Aztec myths and legends. My story would center around my protagonist, Luz, who is trying to stop a modern day apocalypse. I want to accurately portray Aztec culture and history, and introduce it to a YA audience.

Flora li

Guilty Pleasure - Is It Wrong to Laugh at Those “Offensive” Jokes in Stand-up Comedies?

Last summer, I volunteered at a stand-up comedy company, helping set up night shows everyday in a small cozy bar in Shanghai. The audience crowded at the front door, waiting in a line at 3 PM just to secure their seat for the night show starting at 7:30 PM. However, not every audience had a joyful time: some of them felt offended by the jokes and their creators. At the same time, using analogy, hyperbole, and some oversimplification are actually some of the techniques comedians often use to make their storytelling funny, since explaining things in a detailed and precise manner usually makes the jokes too serious and less funny. In this project, I wanted to seek and explore what makes people laugh, how comedians do it, and how we should appropriately appreciate and properly criticize the jokes we hear. Each week, I will write a blog post featuring one stand-up comedian and one of their shows and share my thoughts on these issues.

yvonne macias

Who Should Take the Lead - The Cross-Sector Roles in Social Change

The goal of this project is to design a board game where players take on the role of a social sector. The players draw cards and face decisions that the social sector role has faced and continues to face. The passion project will dive into the complexities of the nonprofit industrial complex, how political campaigning and reelections impact public policy makers, the dissemination of research from academia to support social change, and how activists and grassroots organizations may face resource scarcity and burnout. The scenarios for the decisions are informed by research and collected from different sources, ranging from news articles to blog posts and even social media posts that describe the experiences of each player in the social sector. The goal of this project is to educate about these cross-sector dilemmas. With each decision, there will be educational tools to explain why such decisions have been made or what case studies they are based from. Although there will be no winner, the three main goals of this game are to teach players about these issues, show how each player has a role to play, and to begin the conversation on how these sectors can work together for social impact.

paris masiel

LA Profile Poetry Journey

For five days in January, I will be exploring LA by foot, talking to strangers and then telling their stories through roughly 300-word poetry sketches. Although I am not an experienced poet, I feel I have the ability to capture feelings through words, especially when those feelings relate directly to a person's experience. I plan to break up the journey between four specific locations: Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and the stretch along Melrose Ave. Quite possibly, however, the journey and stories I find will take me places I was not planning on going. I believe that modern society has caused many of its inhabitants to become technologically isolated, but I still believe we have the desire and potential to have meaningful interactions with strangers. I also believe that talking to a random stranger can in many cases prove to be a life-changing experience. For the five days of the journey, I will start many conversations with random strangers. I will make it my goal to listen to people's life stories, which requires an open heart and suspended judgment. Then, for the people whose stories I find most compelling, I will attempt to summarize through poetry. The experience will be demanding--both physically and creatively--but I am confident that by the end, I will feel rejuvenated.

Miller McCraw

Eyes Bigger than our Stomachs - A Street Art Critique of International Food Companies

Despite food's central role in our lives, its production and distribution stays relatively out of sight. Major international companies responsible for the majority of the US's available food often use exploitative, toxic, and inhumane practices that elude the eyes of their consumers. With my project I would like to bring awareness to these practices in a series of four graffiti-style spray paintings, critiquing Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Chiquita Brands International, Tyson Foods, and Nestle S.A. for their unhealthy food production practices. Bayer Pharmaceuticals and their subsidiary the Monsanto Company are infamous for their production of non-replicating GMO seeds and destruction of small-town farming in the US. Tyson Foods has created some of the poorest conditions worldwide for animals in food production, and has repeatedly been sued for discrimination and toxic waste pollution. Chiquita Banana Brands changed their name from the United Fruit Company following a series of political actions in South America in which the company funded state terrorism and a military coup to prevent proper working conditions for their employees. And Nestle maintains more than a 90% monopoly of several food markets, controlling an army of subsidiaries that guise the company's unlawful corporate control with a slew of varying brand names and depictions that create the illusion of consumer choice. Following the prominent graffiti artist Banksy's style of satirical street art, I plan to use homemade stencils to create pieces that illustrate these political issues in an entertaining but informative light. Each piece will be accompanied by a manifesto explaining the company and the practices being critiqued in the piece, and will be brought to the colleges and made available online for view at the 5C's.

Madison Menard

From Pisa to Palermo: a Taste of Pasta from Each of Italy's 20 regions

When I was a child, I my father would always ask me which I preferred most: bread, rice, or pasta. I can confidently say that in my 21 years, I have only ever replied with one word: pasta. Pasta, a simple carbohydrate consisting of just flower and water or eggs; yet this simple dough can be elevated in countless ways that stimulate tastebuds and ensnare appetites. The simple eloquence of pasta is evident in its popularity not only in Italy but also abroad. Pasta is a staple in many households and at Collins Dining Hall because of it is affordable, versatile, and absolutely delicious.
I have long been under the spell of pasta, enthralled by its numerous variations and their regional origins. Italy consists of 20 distinct regions, each with their own unique culture, traditions, and of course, pasta. My project brings light to 20 different types of pasta, each from one of the 20 different Italian regions. Recipes within my booklet include Pappardelle al Cinghiale (Tuscany), Trofie al Pesto (Liguria), and Orrichiette alla Norma (Puglia).

andrea posada

Albums (Andrea's Version)

On November 12, Taylor Swift re-released her 2012 album Red as Red (Taylor’s Version.) This album follows the re-recording and re-release of another of her albums, Fearless (Taylor’s Version.) The release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) reminded me of how many other albums exist that I have yet to listen to, along with albums I know of but haven’t actually experienced.

For my passion project, I want to thoroughly experience many albums of various genres by listening to the album, watching live performances and interviews with the artists, and also writing about the albums in various forms: reviews, original poetry, contextual essays, and creating mood boards. I also plan to ask for recommendations from others: For these, I will also include short interviews and quotes from the person who recommended them. My goal is to express how these albums feel to people, the way we view them based on our lives, and how the album’s creative process can affect the way we interpret it. My passion project specifically will focus on how music touches us: emotionally and as an experience. Listening to an album for the first time is exciting, especially when it’s from an artist we enjoy and admire. I want to learn about how in-depth knowledge of albums can affect our relationship with them. My passion project will emphasise how universal music is, and how it changes us.

Sabrina Stone

a common thread

I’ve always been captivated by human individuality. For the first assignment in my New Media Research Studio class, my professor assigned our class to create an interactive design within a video game engine to introduce ourselves to our class. When we presented, we had all interpreted the assignment differently. I had created an interactive gallery exhibit where every virtual symbol enabled a text box about a part of my life. Another person used the visual symbols to create a giant self-portrait of themself. Another student used them to illustrate their life story from birth until now using symbols. I liked how with the same instructions, everyone’s projects turned out completely different. In my eyes, photography mirrors this phenomenon. Each frame freezes a moment. However, if multiple photographers were to photograph the same object or subject, each image would turn out differently, even if it is in the most minute way. I love that photography allows the presentation of expression of the featured subject, but also of the photographer as well.

For my project, I would like to develop my photography skills while investigating interpretation and how individuals interact with a selected medium. In creating a photo essay about humans and their relationship to objects, I will give the participants and photo subjects creative freedom to take yarn and do whatever they want with it. I will then photograph what they choose. Each frame and image encapsulates a person's essence. When dictated what the limited elements are, I hope to find a common “thread” and through-line as well as diversity and differences of expression and personal choice through this project.

Tiffany teng

Lotus Garden, In Contemplation

Over quarantine, I took a course on Chinese brush painting, and learned about artists like Gu Kaizhi and Wu Daozi. I learned to appreciate the simple beauty present in traditional Chinese art, with its focus on the natural world and unadorned depictions of daily life. My goal for this project is to create several rug tapestry pieces that reflect motifs common in traditional Chinese art. I plan to learn a craft called rug tufting, which over quarantine, gained popularity among artists and hobbyists on TikTok. To me, the intertwining of traditional elements with a new art medium is symbolic of different parts of my identity, from being a part of the Gen Z generation to my desire to reconnect with my Chinese heritage. I hope that through this project, I can learn more about traditional Chinese art and pay homage to it through a new creative medium. Rug tufting requires a blend of artistic skill, creativity, and physical handiness to create beautiful artwork - to me it represents a marriage of textiles, fibers, and painting. I am excited for the opportunity to exercise the right side of my brain this winter break!

Ilma turcios

My World - A Collection of Short Stories

Verbal expression has never been my strong-suit. Since I was a child, the idea of outwardly vocalizing my thoughts seemed almost impossible. Sharing my feelings felt like renouncing a piece of myself that would require a level of intimacy that I did not have with anyone, and so this became something I was determined to keep out of anyone’s grasp. Throughout the years, writing has slowly become a vehicle for my creative and emotional expression. I have found that writing allows me to translate my emotions into terms much easier for me to understand, without subjecting myself to a sense of vulnerability I was not ready to outwardly share. My family and friends are the most important aspect of my life, and my passion project allows me to honor them in the way I know best: through writing. After conducting extensive interviews, asking those closest to me to tell me their story, I will record their responses. Through my interpretation, I will then write detailed creative short stories that capture the essence of each individual. The short stories will be titled with the individual’s name–if applicable their nickname will also be included–and they will be accompanied by a photo of the person, a short biography, and a direct quote from the interview that embodies the crux of the story. I hope to not only share pieces of what makes each of these individuals so special, but also to assert how much they matter to me; they deserve to be esteemed.

dana villaseñor

Kooky and Chuchi: An inclusive guide to Earth (Previously "Kooky on Earth: The Inclusion Series")

I believe society is changing in a positive way towards inclusion. While uproars about discrimination are happening constantly, that is a reflection that there are a lot of people in our community willing to take a stand against backward ideas and to purposely push for more diversity. Education is the base of it all. Education takes different forms such as schools, parenting, and media. I want to create content for children to be exposed to different people and also a tool for parents to help their children have a more inclusive point of view. I will write a ~233 page children’s book about 2 aliens from planet Chickenwing that crash on Earth and go on adventures exploring diversity. This book will contain 10 short stories which are aimed to expose children to subjects such as different identities, economic statuses, disabilities, etc… and to provide parents with guiding questions that can help both the parent and the child explore these subjects. Because the aliens in my book are completely new to planet Earth, it gives me a chance to challenge biases. For example, in the first topic about prejudice, a flower and a tarantula are compared. Kooky doesn’t know anything about either and so in looking up their information finds that the flower is poisonous and the tarantula is inoffensive and so cuddles the tarantula and avoids the flower.

Ningqi (Carina) Zhao

Reading books and interviewing the 75 Books Project

For my passion project, I will read several books recommended by CMC community members through Gould center’s 75 Books project and interview the recommenders about the books. This winter break, I will travel back to China to reunite with my family. I need to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks, which is a perfect time for me to read books.

My winter passion project will be divided into two parts. For the first part, I will read six books selected from the 75 Books Project. I’ve watched all the book interviews posted on the website and chose the following six books: Night by Elie Wiesel, Tell the wolves I’m home by Carol Rifka Brunt, A Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, Algorithms of oppression by Safiya Noble, The cultural map by Erin Meyer, and Maybe you should talk to someone by Lori Gottlieb.

For the second part of the project, I will write book reviews for the selected ones and interview the recommenders. Each of the book reviews will be approximately 400 to 600 words, in which I will share my take-aways and feelings after reading the books. Then, I will reach out to the book recommenders, members from CMC community, about the books. After interviewing them, I will convert our conversation into interview transcripts.

Humanities Passion Projects 2020-2021

Projects Funded by the Gould Center

KIMIKO ADLER AND JACK STERN

SHOULD I EAT THE COOKIE? EXPLORING PLATO AND SOCRATES'S AKRASIA

I know that I should eat carrots instead of a cookie at Collins. Eating carrots is better for my health. Yet I eat the cookie anyway. Though eating the Collins cookie is a simple (and now often missed) instance, this act against my own better judgment demonstrates akrasia, or weakness of will. Plato tried tackling the idea of akrasia and virtue in general in a couple of his dialogues. In the span of our project, we explore questions like: What is akrasia and why is akrasia important? Are there any prescriptive measures we can take, or are we all doomed for a weakness in will? We hope that through studying the Platonic dialogues, we can further our understanding of the Platonic, Socratic, and Aristotelian concepts of virtue, and the role akrasia plays - if any. A unique aspect about ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Plato’s works, is how it is conveyed. In Socratic dialogues, individuals partake in discussions with the intent of reaching a deeper understanding of a concept. Conveying ideas through a dialogue offers unique advantages: it preempts objections, breaks down arguments into clearly delineated steps, and shows how different people’s conceptions of ideas relate to one another’s. We intend to replicate this unique format for our own dialogues; the Gould Center passion project on Platonic philosophy gives us a perfect opportunity to do so.

MIA FAITH ALMOND AND AISHAT JIMOH

HOW TO LOVE

Black women have had to face the unbearable--the unjust, without support from anyone other than ourselves. Black women have fought against gender inequality, racial injustice, and LGBTQ issues and still face the most oppression. To fight for everyone but have no group reciprocate that energy only signifies that no one cares for our group. No one listens, no one acts, no one moves. Our project is meant to be a welcoming space for Black women and a point of reflection for others on their actions toward this particular group. This project will include pieces about finding love in white America, dealing with imposter syndrome, feeling undesirable, the effects of colorism, Black men’s allyship and perpetuation, the journey of falling love with our natural hair, failure, heartbreak, and so much more. It is supposed to be an all-encompassing piece showing the complexity of Black women. Finally, this project is supposed to be a space of support from one Black woman to the next. A place where we ensure that Black women are understood, they are loved, they are protected, and they are allowed to just BE. Being able to share what one is feeling can be so liberating and to be able to hold that space would mean the world to us. As Black women we’ve experienced the struggle hands on. We know what it feels like battling all of the topics to be covered in this book.

NICOLAS BURTSON

ANALYZING THE ABSURD: AN EXPLORATION OF EXISTENTIALISM

My project is designed to be an introductory exploration of reading and writing about existentialist philosophy. The project’s content will span across most of existential history, starting with earlier works from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, and going towards more contemporary work like Camus and Sartre. The main text for the project is Robert C. Solomon’s textbook, Existentialism, but I will branch out for certain essays such as Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus” and Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Ethics of Ambiguity.” The project also includes a brief segment on connections between modern physics and existentialism, covering Carlo Rovelli’s book on our perception of time and some of its implications, The Order of Time. The deliverable output of this project is in the form of journal style responses to each author’s writing and a small set of longer exploratory essays on the topics I find most interesting. I will also write reflection pieces on the essays based on feedback from meeting with Professor Basu. My goal in doing this project is to improve my ability to engage with philosophy writings while also exploring existentialism, a topic that I am personally interested in.

SARAH CEJA

MI QUERIDO VIEJO: IN MEMORY OF FILOMENO CEJA

After my grandfather passed away unexpectedly in the middle of this semester, my family and I went through some of the most difficult times that I could have ever imagined. In spite of the hardships, I found myself constantly learning new things about him, about who he was before I called him my grandpa. He was driven; he served in the Mexican army for four years, was a certified parachutist, and he immigrated to the United States before anyone in his family did. So, I decided to dedicate my passion project to acquainting myself with other versions of him, ones that I am lucky to still have access to through family. I would like to piece together a holistic profile of my grandfather, to honor his memory by documenting how much he was able to accomplish in his lifetime. After such a straining semester, I really want to give myself the time I deserve to revisit my memories of him while discovering new ones. Above all, I want to try to put into words everything that my grandfather meant to me and my family.

WREN CILIMBURG

VIRTUAL CLIMATE ART WALK

My passion project is creating a virtual art walk and audio guide that focuses on climate change in my hometown. I am connecting with local artists and asking them to create or share an art piece that represents climate change, climate resiliency, or expresses their connection to the natural world. I will also create my own piece of art! I’ll put the artwork up around my town in public places or in the windows of local businesses. I will talk to each artist about their piece and record these conversations. Finally, I’ll create a podcast that guides people to the various art pieces and explains them. It will include parts of my interviews with the artists, as well as my own reflections, as well as poems or texts that I feel are relevant. The audio guide will tell people where to begin the walk and give directions throughout, so each person who participates follows the same route. My virtual art walk will serve to remind people of the importance of environmental action and the urgency of this moment, hopefully pushing people to take action in their own lives. I think it can also provide hope, by using art to remind people of the beauty of the natural world and everything it gives us. Additionally, I will create a virtual version of the walk for people who are not physically in Missoula or cannot walk long distances. This will consist of photographs of the art and an adjusted podcast episode.

CAMILLE FORTE

IDEAS AND FORMS IN ART: STORIES ON LOVE, WAR & INDUSTRY, AND WOMEN

My passion project consists of building an interactive online gallery of art. I will discuss 18 selected pieces of art over three weeks. Each week, I will focus on a broad theme that relates to each work’s subject matter or background. The first theme is love. From there, I explore war and industry and then women. These themes are broad, but they will allow the detailed analysis of the pieces to highlight specific issues and concepts. Within each of these themes, the art pieces will connect to the various ideas such as identity, perception, morality, mortality, change, and more. Each piece will have its own page with my commentary, background information, and other sources pertaining to its purpose or meaning. There will also be a variety of featured videos and audio interviews to supplement the discourse. The pages are intended for analysis and inquiry instead of critique. I personally choose which art to include, so the art intentionally ranges in period, style, medium, and acclaim. In addition to my analysis of others’ art, I will be making my own art. I will be drawing a series of human figures. I have no prior experience with the practice of art, so I am beginning by learning the basics. This component aims to demonstrate that creating art is accessible. The final product will be a combination of an interactive gallery of the selected art works and a gallery of my progression with the human figure.

ALEXIS GERO

FINDING FAMILY HISTORY THROUGH FAMILY ARTISTRY

For my passion project, I am learning to play the tenor guitar that’s been in my family for generations. The instrument was originally my Great Grandfather Richard’s and has been passed down to my brother and me. Unfortunately, no one in my family knows how to play, so it goes unused. A few years ago, my family discovered that the tenor guitar is a highly valuable antique made almost a century ago. We were unaware that we were holding onto something so special and it seemed like a waste that no one was able to appreciate it. This fellowship is an opportunity to reconnect with my Great Grandfather Richard and my broader family history. Up until my parents' generation, music was extremely important to my family—especially on my father’s side. Now, music will allow me to identify my family’s musical history and reignite our tradition. I couldn’t imagine a better way to reclaim this piece of my heritage than by learning and appreciating an instrument that has been cherished by so many of my relatives before me. In particular, I am learning how to play the song “26 Miles” by the Four Preps, which was my Great Grandfather Richard’s favorite song to play on this guitar. Learning to play this song will be a tribute to him.

ISABELLE JIA

THE TRUTH BEHIND ASHES

There is an ancient Chinese proverb “望女成凤” or wàng nǚ chéng fèng, which means to hope one’s daughter becomes a phoenix, auspicious and lucky. I recently learned this proverb through my Intermediate Chinese language course at Pomona College. However, growing up Asian-American, I rejected my Chinese heritage in desperation to adapt to American culture. In 2016, I started to wonder where I truly came from. Is the girl I worked so hard to become who I should be? Early this year, I traveled alone to China to reconnect with my maternal relatives and realized that despite my efforts to learn my native language, I did not belong. This winter, I aim to bridge the gap between my family’s dream for my future and my own to belong in-between this cultural divide by producing a series of clothing items inspired by my mother, maternal grandmother, and paternal grandmother. This cross-cultural generational project hopes to investigate the power of female narratives in my family and the influences they have on my identity and artistic creations. My passion project will culminate in a digital portfolio of the step-by-step process of designing and producing each piece of clothing, product photos, interviews, poems, and narrative pieces entitled The Truth Behind Ashes: Phoenix, Becoming.

BASIL LLOYD-MOFFETT

WALES: THE COUNTRY. THE MYTH. THE BLOG.

I'm writing a semi-fictional blog about learning Welsh: factual in the sense that I'm actually learning Welsh and researching the history of Wales, fictional in the sense that the blog will also contain fictional storylines about sword-swallowing, Morse code, and other fun things. While there will be a strictly academic portion of it, the main feature of the blog will be the daily hybrid posts, which will follow the structure of Moby Dick extremely loosely. The goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of Wales's history (with an emphasis on recent history and Welsh independence movements) and examine how that history is intertwined with the history of the Welsh language, as well as to learn the language in a fun and creative way.

TOLUWANI ROBERTS

ELECTRIC FEEL

This winter, Toluwani hopes to become a Rockstar. After five adolescent years of playing the acoustic guitar, this winter, she will be learning the electric guitar. Her goal is to record two covers and one original song for public appreciation. Stay tuned to her musical creations and musings on her blog, toluspeaks.com.

BRANDON RUIZ: DIGESTING THE NEWS

BEING A RESPONSIBLE CONSUMER OF INFORMATION / ENTENDIENDO LAS NOTICIAS: CÓMO SER UN CONSUMIDOR RESPONSABLE DE LA INFORMACIÓN

Given the pandemic and the current political climate, the issue of misinformation cannot be any more prominent. The threat misinformation poses is substantial and studies have shown that less educated populations are disproportionately affected by the negative effects. This project aims to combat the prevalent issue of misinformation in my local community of Santa Ana by providing its residents with the tools necessary to be an informed consumer of information in the age of misinformation. In an era where technology advances rapidly and the cost of education rises, it is now more important than ever to encourage technological literacy and critical thinking skills. By promoting the tenant of critical thinking, questioning, this project hopes to give the residents of Santa Ana a new way to engage with material presented to them. Instead of shaming or debunking any specific claim or conspiracy theory, the project aims to provide a framework for people to ask the tough question on what it is they might read or believe. Topics to be covered include the basics of fact checking, why and how misinformation spreads, questions to ask yourself, how to read and interact with infographics, why visual data might not tell the whole story, and more. The project has an emphasis on being as accessible as possible (being available in both English and Spanish) with easy to digest information requiring little to no prior knowledge. I hope this inspires a new community of people to feel empowered, confident, and included in larger conversations about the issues we face today.

SABRINA STONE

SPINNING A WEB

When I was young, my first “pet” was a little spider I caught and kept in a glass jar. I kept him for about a week before my parents told me it was time to let him go (four-year-old me did not realize spiders did not, in fact, live off of grass), and when he was released, he left behind a gift for me. In the jar was the makings of a beautiful, intricate web. While he had been kept locked up in the confined space, he created. Quarantine has felt a bit like being locked up in a glass jar. While quarantine during this COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on several aspects of life, I have taken this opportunity of time in isolation to do what makes me happy. My choice of escapism is in the creative realm and I have been drawing, editing, and creating non-stop since March. I have created over ten animations, completed commissions, practiced photography with a small business in LA, and started producing YouTube videos. I am very fortunate to say that this time during the pandemic has allowed me to grow as an artist. My project will be a website that showcases all of the pieces I have made during quarantine. It will be an interactive portfolio where the visitor can explore my different mediums including animations, digital drawings, photography, 3D modeling, etc. I want to construct this website to look like an elegant spiderweb that strings together all of my creations.

JON JOEY TELEBRICO

THE FIFTH DOMAIN: CYBERSPACE AND THE ETHICAL DIMENSION

Countries and their militaries have long defended the four domains of land, sea, air, and space. However, the evolving technological developments of the 21st century and the rise of the Internet of Things have ultimately revealed the development of a fifth domain: cyberspace. Through its use of the ethically neutral realm of big data, cyberspace raises various ethical concerns and represents a conceptual challenge to traditional notions of hegemony, privacy, and security. The recent emergence of cyberspace and its potential for ethical violations has continued to exist in the periphery of the international sphere and ultimately warrants greater attention. This paper offers a bird’s-eye view of the nuances of a domain that relies on the global transmission and exchange of information, questioning where individual rights and the dimension of ethics ought to lie as new cybersecurity threats emerge. The paper aims to both expand the notion of security to an individualistic and humanistic level while simultaneously reasserting ethics as the basis for military interactions within cyberspace. I highlight the concepts of Foucauldian concepts of governmentality and heterotopia before examining the potentially concerning cases of global internet infrastructure, digital intelligence gathering, and cyberwarfare. In all these, a humanistic and ethical framework for addressing these concerns is therefore called for.

MIMI THOMPSON

DO RE MIMI’S POETRY PROMPTS

Do Re Mimi. Somebody once told me that if I ever became a DJ, Do Re Mimi should be my name. A personal spin on the classic musical scales. While I consider myself to be an expert playlist creator, my passions lie elsewhere, in the realms of the written, rather than the sung, word. Thus, I decided to pen Do Re Mimi as my writer’s nickname and I am using the Gould Center’s Passion Project as the motivation to launch a personal creative writing website. Although this blog will feature short stories, other projects, and serve as a personal branding platform, this winter I am focused on designing the site and writing 15 poems for the launch. The prompts will be crowdsourced from my friends and family. I’ll be collecting as many prompts as possible (drop me a note anytime with potential ones.) and picking 3 each week from a hat. Examples include: write a poem from the perspective of a caterpillar, about a lost shoe, using the word “paper,” in iambic pentameter… you get the idea! I’ll document the writing process from prompt selection to writing, to making edits and posting them online. The final deliverable will include this website (with a logo and personal design) and the poems, each with their own unique page. I plan to post all prompts I receive on a Google sheets link to inspire other people to write their own poems.

FANGYI (STEVE) WANG

A DIALOGUE WITH TIBETAN MONKS ON THE MEANING OF LIFE

Born in a Buddhist family, I have long learned about Buddhist practices, including chanting, meditation. However, I know nothing about Buddhist Philosophy: What reasonings do Buddhism for its practices? Is Buddhism more of a Philosophy or a way of life? What is the meaning of life for Buddhists? So, I plan to go to monasteries in Tibet and ask about Buddhist Philosophy with monks. Specifically, for this project, I wish to converse with them on the philosophical issue of the Meaning of Life. Before leaving for Tibet, I will first read more on Buddhist Philosophy and develop a list of questions focusing on the Buddhist and their conception of the meanings of life. I will also prepare counter-arguments from some Western philosophers' arguments to further the dialogue. With all the questions prepared, I will travel to Tibet with Tashi, my high school friend and cinematographer of the project, to interview monks with different backgrounds. Two prominent scholars in the Kumbum monastery, a monk very critical of certain Buddhist practices, a monk who now works at a Tibetan nightclub, are on the list of all interviewees. There are two deliverables in this project. I will first organize all interview questions and responses based on topics in a written dialogue format. I will also edit with Tashi to create a documentary series in the course of the spring semester. Stay tuned for the dialogue documentary series!

AILEEN ZHENG

REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF READING FOR PLEASURE

My love for reading began at a young age. My favorite memories include my dad taking me on weekly trips to the local public library, and middle school spent in the library learning commons browsing the bookshelves, checking out as many books as I could fit in my backpack. Through both good times and bad, reading was my escape, allowing me to enter a whole new world. But, like many other people who were avid readers when they were younger, I pushed reading aside when I became busier with schoolwork and extracurriculars. I also did not enjoy reading anymore because it became an activity I had to do for class, not because I wanted to. I missed the joy of reading for fun and pleasure. This winter, I hope to regain that passion and love for reading. I want to read the books that I’ve been recommended, books that I’ve seen great reviews for online, and interesting books I’ve encountered in my classes. After reading books checked out from my local public library or purchased from my local independent bookstore, I will write book reviews and post it to a bookstagram account. Through this account, I am excited to share my own thoughts on books, connect with fellow bookworms, and rediscover the same passion I had for reading when I was younger.

ANYA ZIMMERMAN-SMITH

STYLE, FUNCTION, & FABRICATION: ANCIENT GREEK, ROMAN, & BYZANTINE JEWELRY

This passion project is an exploration of ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine jewelry and metalsmithing—specifically styles, uses, and fabrication techniques. As a metalsmith myself, I’ve long had an interest in ancient jewelry. I have always wondered how it was made and if I could make it myself! I will be reading historical accounts of the culture surrounding ancient jewelry and gathering techniques used to make the most popular styles during those time periods. Using the ancient techniques I learn through my research I will attempt to recreate designs typical to each era. Some examples of what my final pieces may be are embossed coins, Roman Anima rings, pectoral ornaments, or the popular snake cuffs of the Byzantine period. The output of my project will be pictures of the jewelry I make interspersed with information I gather on history, uses, and techniques in a digital report publication. I am curious to find out how ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine jewelry generated and formed traditions, positions of status, experiences, and relationships and I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn!

Projects Funded by the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies

RUKMINI BANERJEE

HOW COMPROMISES WITHIN EARLY SOUTH ASIAN FEMINISM HAVE AFFECTED MODERN-DAY FEMINISM IN THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: ANALYZING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RASHSUNDARI DEVI AND THE WOMEN OF THE PUNJABI PROTESTS

South Asian feminism is riddled with compromises in the name of progress. Considering the stringent cultural and societal roles imposed on women since the beginning of South Asian society, it has been difficult to achieve equality between genders in the subcontinent. The way early South Asian feminism was able to establish itself was by asserting that women were equal to men on the basis that they were able to successfully participate in activities that were characterized to be traditionally for men. This paper seeks to analyze this compromise within feminism and the implications it has had for contemporary South Asian feminism through the examination of the autobiography of Rashsundari Devi and the testimonies of women during the modern-day Punjabi protests. The similarities between the compromises Rashsundari made during her life in the 19th-century and the women of the Punjabi protests in the 21st-century merit exploring the factors that have caused these compromises in feminism to continue to be necessary. The culture that has necessitated these compromises as well as the effects they have had on feminism in South Asia are necessary to understand to better articulate the issues South Asian women face and how the general society and feminist movement have exacerbated them.

TRINITY R. GABATO

THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW: THE STORIES OF A VIETNAMESE WAR BRIDE AND THE ARMY OF WOMEN SHE CREATED

This screenplay will try to understand how American military intervention in Asian countries affected the Asian women and the mixed-race children produced from these Asian survival marriages created after WWII. The film will try to understand how mixed-race identity, trauma and culture play a role in these relationships. Real stories will be collected and then compared to recent studies on mixed-race women, the history of colonization and research on Asian war brides. I hope to highlight, the different cultural norms between the ethnic parent and the westernized children which can lead to a cultural disconnect. Due to this cultural disconnect each party, the parent and the child, do not have the familial relationship that is built on the same understanding and the same cultural norms. In order to cope with the cultural disconnect from not being raised in the ethnic parent’s country, the children then reject the ethnic culture and learn how to forge their own path. The screenplay will focus on one woman who grows up in Vietnam during the 1950s and is driven to sex work to provide for her family. In order to survive in a worn torn country, she leans on an American Military man for support and provides him with a child in return. He then leaves them in Vietnam without any support and the Vietnamese woman goes to the states to look for him. She then ends up meeting a different man who is an American engineer and starts a family with him. The family they start results in three daughters who have to navigate two cultures, racism and a cultural disconnect.

VALENTINA GONZALEZ

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE BORDERLAND

“Human Trafficking in the Borderland” is a project that analyzes how human trafficking affects people of color and other vulnerable groups in border towns. Additionally, it considers how this violation of human rights is interwoven in the international realm, specifically because traffickers oftentimes exploit marginalized communities in multiple countries, through ports of entry in border cities. This project will study the dynamic between the US-Mexican and India-Nepal borders and their current situations in human trafficking. The purpose of comparing these areas is to highlight that human trafficking is an international issue that no country is safe from. Unless there is more done to prevent forced labor, in whatever form it comes in, this atrocity will continue to thrive in every country. I will document my research in an Instagram blog called Cruzando Las Fronteras (@projectclf), while also giving my personal insight in how the research process is progressing. My hope is that Human Trafficking in the Borderland will create a call-to-action by educating and prompting the audience to make a difference for an issue that is oftentimes forgotten, even though it is occurring all around us. The people who are most affected by trafficking are vulnerable groups who need others to be their voice when they are unable to take a stand for themselves.

DRI TATTERSFIELD

TAIPEI METRO QUEST: A NARRATIVE GAME ABOUT TIME-TRAVELING HOME

I plan to create a short narrative video game set in the future exploring Taiwanese & Taiwanese American identity called Taipei Metro Quest. My premise centered around a Taiwanese-American protagonist returning to Taiwan and arriving in the far future. As they ride the Taipei Metro transit system from the airport to their grandmother’s house, they stop at several stations to shop for gifts for their family members before reaching their destination. Taiwan looks different from how they remembered it, making them nervous about their disconnect from their home country. But as they observe their surroundings out of the train windows, and as they explore each train station, they slowly realize that time may not be working the way they expected it to. To create the game, I will use the tool Bitsy, a simple game editor designed for creating “short narrative games, little vignettes, or games about being in one place and wandering around” using 8-bit pixel art (Pipkin, 2020). This project is a way to process and channel my anxieties about returning to Taiwan post-graduation and finding it different from when I left six years ago due to political, social and environmental changes, as well as navigating my multicultural identity. Beyond these specific personal motivations, I hope to create a game that touches on the broader theme of trying to find home while caught between worlds.

Projects Jointly Funded by the Gould Center and the Keck Center

SARAH CHEN AND AVA LIAO

THE DIGITAL UTILITY OF CONFLICT: WEAPONS DESIGN, INTERFACE, AND COMBAT SYSTEMS IN VIDEO GAMES

Video games tend to center around conflict, no matter the genre. The player is often given fantastical, supernatural weapons and thrust into violent situations with little to no explanation, only purpose. Players must adapt to controls that replicate analogous real-world movements: some intuitive, some absurd. The Digital Utility of Conflict aims to break down and conceptualize the logistics of weaponry, combat design and systems from 21st century video games across a variety of genres, and feature commentary breaking down objectives, justifications, and the efficiency of conflict. The project will also include an analysis of user experience and user design of the games themselves, and be presented in full as an interactive, multimedia website. We will be examining fictional narratives, game design literature, scientific capabilities, and motivations for conflict. The Digital Utility of Conflict will trek through a series of art pieces, analysis and personal reflections—curating our own framework of digital conflict in the modern world. The website will present a variety of video game categories, ranging from multiplayer RPGs to rogue-like dungeon crawlers, with in-depth case studies of individual games. We hope to further supplement this resource with recorded short-form podcasts each week to discuss our findings and experiences over the course of the project in a more informal setting.