The Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHS) Capstone is a semester-long project that builds upon prior coursework and allows students to produce a polished piece of original work. Past projects have included papers suitable for publication, art installations, computer games, and more. This collection contains final AHS work in a variety of mediums, for projects from 2006 to the present.
This book is the second-to-last part of a project I have been working on for years. It started with a casual interest in comics and a curiosity about this famous dead Italian guy who had my name. It has morphed into an in-depth study of the Inferno and the art of creating graphic novels.
I chose to create portraits as my AHS capstone because I find drawing humans extremely interesting; not only are bodies fascinating and incredible machines, humans also have very distinct personalities. I wanted to explore drawing people that I see every day and using my art as a way to portray some aspect of their personality. I was interested in trying to depict personality because it is something that I see every day, but that the average viewer of a portrait might not necessarily see. I explored multiple ways of doing this and eventually decided on using both composition and medium/approach to show personality.
My Capstone project started with a weekly self-assignment of drawing one picture, writing a one-page narrative, and working with beads even if I was just planning out colors. In addition, I wanted to work through one scholarly source a week, and start outlining the main story. My advisor seemed to think I was packing in too many expectations, so to humor him I said I would front-end the artsy exploration and devote the last part of the semester to mainly writing.
NASA rests under the Executive Branch as 2005 NASA Authorization Act and Aeronautics and Space act of 1958 fund NASA. NASA Authorization Acts and The Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) signed by President Bush in 2004 signaled the end of space explorations. Both Congress and the President are trying to assert control over future human space flight programs as Congress wants an extension of Shuttle Program. Who has control?
The exchange rates (currency) have the power to change the economy around the world. By studying the relationship between the economy and the exchange rates, it can be concluded that economics provides an analytical framework for predicting the dynamics of markets and economies.
Is romanticism a historical fact or an overused label for compositions? Here we explore through various examples to determine whether romanticism is simply a label or not.
It is interesting to see the effects the spoken and written word have on cognition and culture. It helps to understand how words affect us by studying two characters in the literature.
The goal of the work was to learn about relevant political issues in American society through both modern and historical discussions through both modern and historical discussions in order to become a better informed citizen and voter. The work concentrated on the civil liberties in America, political thought, and crisis of the welfare state.
Barriers exist when providing effective mental health care to Asian Americans. The barriers are rooted in the cultural stigma as people believe that there is no such thing as mental illness in Asian culture and critically judge those who admit to their problems. Families often think of mental illness as a shame for the family and often have difficulty expressing the "shame" in English. The work's objective was to understand how mental health professionals who already work with Asian Americans address these barriers.
This paper examines how scientists can learn how to practice science, why it is important for scientists to learn how to do science well, and strategies for improving the education of scientists. The paper is chiefly based on scholarly works on various aspects of how science is done, including scientific methodology, experimental design, and the art of discovering. Interviews, limited in number and in scope, serve as illustrations of the literature.
The project's goal was to identify and analyze references made in The Producers. It would be possible to see how the references contribute to The Producers and what differences they make. As a final deliverable, a website with pictures, sound files, and videos that support the text will be uploaded onto a website.
Here's the captive to Kidnapped, an original film written and directed by Matthew Donahoe. Jon wakes up, bound and gagged, locked in a cell. The room is dark, but Jon can still see, due to light shining from under the door. Jon struggles with his hands for a few seconds, and then looks around the cell for something to free himself with. Spying the door handle, Jon stands himself up and walks over. He turns and first tries to open the door, but failing that he tries to use the handle to free himself. His attempts get more and more desperate, until finally the silence is interrupted with the loud sound of metal door opening. Jon freezes and listens. Commanding footsteps walk towards Jon's cell. Jon slowly backs into the wall opposite the door, not sure what to do. From under the door crack, he sees someone walk past, and then he hears the sound of keys. A door opens, and a prisoner calls out. Why are you doing this to me? Then the sound of bludgeoning and screaming, but eventually the screaming stops. Jon senses that he could be next, so he quickens his search for something to free himself with. He sits on the ground, rolls on his back and switches his arms to be in front of himself. He hears the agent dragging something. Jon opens the peep slide with his bound hands, and looks out. He can see a hallway. He sees the agent dragging a large black bag, and realizes that the bag is leaving a blood trail. He gasps and looks away in fear, when he looks back, the agent is gone. Jon frantically looks again, and is startled when the agent appears right at the his door, staring back. Jon falls to the ground, and can hear the sound of keys jingling as the agent begins to open the door. Jon is terrified, and looks around the room frantically for something to defend himself with, even though he is still bound. The agent unlocks the door and begins to turns the handle. Desperate, Jon charges the door at full strength A. knocking the agent down on the ground, and then beating him with his bound fists OR B. breaking the door hinges, landing ontop of the door, which is crushing the agent Panicked, and adrenaline fueled, Jon escapes the facility, disappearing into the woods.
Economic liberalization in India has affect audience attitudes towards movies. There have been changes in aesthetics and themes among Bollywood movies; however, Bollywood remains inherently conservative and converge to the same, safe, formulaic aesthetics and endings.
As the subject for this exhibit is the grains themselves, object-based photography seemed most appropriate for the production of these images. The photographs are similar in composition to images widely produced by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Westonand Margaret Bourke-White, consisting of sharply focused object-based photography rich in texture, color and contrast. The average American knows very little about the origins of the foods we eat, as we become increasingly more detached from our food sources. The images serve as a way to reconnect us with the sources of the foods we eat and remind us of how these foods came to be in their present form.
The idea to combine drawing and sculpture is based in an experience most people can understand: pop-up books. It is my belief that a pop-up book can send a different message than a regular illustrated children’s book – a larger and stronger message. At least one journal article details the effectiveness of pop-ups at increasing the engagement of young readers. I hope and belief that this engagement and increased density of information holds when combining two and three dimensional work in ways other that pop-up books.
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, a popular computer game, gives players god-like powers over a civilization. They player can conquer the world through military obliteration, cultural dominance or clever diplomacy and peaceful means. Implicit in the game are theories of how civilizations function; these theories are implemented as game mechanics. The field of history seeks to document and interpret the major events of our world, but the complexity of these events often prevents historians from making conclusive statements about causality or patterns. Nonetheless, scholars are currently trying to form scientific theories about the patterns observed in history. This paper will consider several theories on the nature of history and compare them to the mechanics of Civilization IV.
There was gender stereotype against women in Israel. It existed since centuries ago and it still exists today. The capstone project especially focuses on the gender roles in the Hebrew literature- how were males and females portrayed in the literature? What were the differences? What was the norm?
The AHS capstone's goal was to learn about the Japanese history, language, and culture and distinguish the differences between the modern Japanese society and Japanese society in the past.
Gandalf and Dumbledore from The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, respectively, need to be brought back because they still have work left to do, need to rehabilitate their images, and need to include reunions with their protégés.
What is a good education? What is an educated person? Who is responsible for education? Each of these questions are fundamental to our thinking about education, guiding and shaping our thoughts and ultimately our educational practice and policy. In this work, I explore these fundamental questions and look to the thoughts of scholars throughout history to shape my analysis. I discovered that our thinking about education today is, in many ways, very different than the view that scholars have held for millenia. I argue that we have lost sight of what makes education a uniquely human enterprise, and as a result we often fail to truly educate our students.
Religion was such a fundamental component of life within ancient Greece that there was no word for it in the Greek language. In this project, I developed a board game targeted to help undergraduate-level students learn about Greek religion and the extent to which religion pervaded Greek society. By encouraging players to win by applying techniques used to gain the gods’ favor in ancient times, players will develop an improved understanding of ancient Greek religious practices.
Over the course of this project I immersed myself in the New England car scene by attending events, interview car owners, and researching scholarly literature. The goal of the project was to document and share the passion of automotive enthusiasts and better understand their values, how they define their relationship with technology, and what this means for car enthusiasts of tomorrow.
Compilation of six short stories ranging from just over 500 words, to just under 8,000 and an author’s note reflecting on some of my sources of inspiration. Stories and author’s note are reproduced below, in their recommended reading order. (Though there is no connection between any of the stories.) The titles of my six stories are: The Stars, They Spin, Reverberations, Requiem, Bushido, Wish Ravine, and Videography.
This research investigated first-year students' self-efficacy in introductory engineering design courses. I examined student interviews from two small technical undergraduate institutions. From this, I developed a framework to categorize different types of self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, I analyzed how different elements of course structure contribute to the development and growth of these self-efficacy beliefs.
I interned at Bikes Not Bombs, a nonprofit organization in Jamaica Plain that trains and hires youths as bike mechanics and donates bikes oversees. This project includes my work for the history webpage of the organization and my reflection on the organization’s key attributes that I have found through interviews with the founder and the employees of the organization.
In this paper, I attempt to assess the viability of a third-party presidential candidate in the current American two-party system. I first discuss the challenges facing third parties in the United States and the reasons for the American two-party system. I then investigate successful third-party campaigns in order to determine how these challenges can be overcome. I then use these examples to generate solutions to third-party obstacles, and incorporate those solutions into hypothetical campaign materials for a fictional third party candidate. I then collect and analyze the results of a survey of American voters in order to assess whether and how a third-party campaign might succeed in the current American political environment. Finally, I present a series of actionable suggestions for overcoming obstacles to third party success.
As my AHS Capstone project, I directed a production of Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. I set the show in 1830s Corsica, with appropriate costumes, sets, music, and script changes. We performed in the Crescent Room in a three-quarters configuration (i.e., with the audience on three sides of the performance area). A video of the performance is available here.
This project is an exploration of elections, voting, and politics as viewed by Indian and American youth. Interviews were conducted with youth from both countries and synthesized into a paper. To continue these conversations post project, a prototype iPhone app was built as the vehicle. This app enables a user to share their opinion and learn how youth from other parts of the world feel about the same issues. The goal is to provide a holistic sharing and learning experience for youth worldwide.
Over the course of this project, i arranged, recorded and edited an a capella arrangement of Led Zeppelin's The Rain Song. The arrangement is based upon both the original studio recording of The Rain Song and a version played by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Individual vocalists' parts were recorded and mixed using a variety of software to create the linked recording.
This project is a compilation of summaries of educational initiatives active in developing regions. Each summary includes information including initiative goals and outcomes. The information provided was used to compare initiatives with similar goals or in similar geographical areas in order to understand attributes and techniques that can lead to successful or unsuccessful initiative outcomes.
The final deliverables for this AHS Capstone project are a final script and a recording of the play reading of the script. To create these deliverables, I had to learn about the process of playwriting, write my own play, and organize and direct a staged reading. My mentor for this project was Melinda Lopez, a theater professor at Wellesley, actor, and playwright.
For this project faculty perceptions of male/female students in their classroom were investigated. To do this grounded theory method was used to code and analyze 19 interviews with faculty members teaching introductory physics, mathematics, and engineering courses across three different small technical institutions. The results of our preliminary analysis found four groups of faculty members based on their gender related contingency, or how faculty members modified their teaching practices or classroom environment based on the differences they observe in male and female students. These four groups of faculty members were: Interventionists, Behavior Modifiers, Procedure Modifiers, and Non Modifiers. A preliminary investigation into the characteristics of these four groups was conducted and a deeper investigation of the characteristics is proposed.
I coached two girls at Needham High School for the Women of Science Competition put on by Bedford High School. This project includes ten detailed lesson plans and reflections on the efficacy of those lessons, as well as an overall reflection on the project.
The purpose of my AHS/E! hybrid capstone project was to create educational materials for practicing engineers that would increase their consideration of the social, environmental, and sustainability implications of their work. To make the materials effective, I chose to frame my content from the worldview of the audience (practicing engineers) rather than from my own worldview. The result is a 60‐minute workshop along with pre- and post-workshop activities on the topic of “Strategic Engineering”—arguing that being socially, environmentally, and sustainably responsible is a desirable business strategy
For our AHS Capstone Project, we wrote two debates to highlight the different perspectives on the US/Mexico immigration issue and its impact on the agricultural industry. We also created a digital story which introduces the topic. These both draw on economics and human rights perspectives.
I produced a short film, called The Space Between, about the stagnation of a couple’s relationship in a time when virtual reality technology is common. This film has both live-action and animated components, and starred a number of Olin students. It will “premiere” on May 8th at 8 PM in the Olin College auditorium, and is also available here.
This project is an exploration of environmental policy in the United States. Two info- graphics were created with the intent of communicating with the general public about how the US government deals with environmental problems. One graphic focuses on the EPA; the second graphic is a look at the Clean Air Act. Additional context and motivation for this project are included as part of an artist's statement.
The motivation for my AHS Capstone project is to provide to English-speaking chemical engineering undergraduate students an introduction to basic, fundamental Spanish chemical engineering terminology. My project includes a list (with accompanying audio) in Spanish and English of key words and phrases used in the chemical engineering world to provide a brief exposure to chemical engineering in Latin America to university students. In order to lessen the “fear of the unknown” for those venturing abroad to study or work in the field of chemical engineering, I examined three chemical engineering articles from a Mexican journal (Revista Mexicana de Ingeniería Química). It is an initial reference for English-speaking chemical engineering university students interested in studying abroad or chemical engineers working in industry in a Spanish-speaking country. I also created a concept map to visualize the concepts of each paper and some of their overlaps. With this concept map, those interested in studying or working in Latin America can get a general grasp of the papers I dissected and their context in the chemical engineering world.
My capstone project involved collecting student art, putting together a show for the Olin community, and then writing a reflection and how-to guide for students interested in setting up an exhibit in the future. In the first part of the semester, I sent out an email to the student body, and received a number of submissions, which I then reduced to a reasonable number for a show. The show was hung in the third floor of the academic center for two weeks, and feedback from observers and artists alike was collected. The show explored how engineers view and make art, and how that relates to their everyday work.
I grew up reading folk tales from all over the world. Storytelling is a fundamental component of many societies, especially in Africa, and because so many of the stories told have been translated into English, I’ve been exposed to these societies and their cultures. In my project, I returned the favor, translating two short folk tales from English into Swahili. I presented the stories in parallel so that a reader of either tongue might experience the other and enjoy the stories.
Countless 3-D art forms have persisted over the centuries such as pottery and sculpting and evolve as the artists do. Lampworking is an interesting exception as the art remains relatively unchanged since the Venetian masters of Murano in the 14th century first created the art form. While evidence of glass-making has existed since about the third millennium BC, the fourteenth-century Venetians were the artists that brought the material to the forefront of modern art. They invented many tools and pioneered countless techniques that are still used in the art form today. Here I will discuss the inspiration for my work and the Venetian context from which it grew.
Reflections is a documentary film that delves into the experiences the Class of 2013 has had in their time at Olin. Every member of the class has had unique experiences but we share a common thread of emotions and this film seeks to explore the similarities and differences of our paths through our education.
I examined a variety of short stories and explored the usage of characterization, conflict, and narrative voice in the form of literary analysis. Along with the analysis, I created original works based on my findings and produced author’s notes which tied my passages to those of the short stories.
My AHS Capstone project was a series of set and costume designs for two different versions of Rand H’s Cinderella. One of these versions is designed for North Shore Music Theatre [an arena theater] and is set in mid‐18th century Western Europe while the other, designed for Wheelock Family Theater [aproscenium theater], is set in 1950s Laos. The goal of the project was to determine whether the design process changes based upon the context of the show [whether it’s set in an arena theater in the roundor in a regular proscenium theater, whether there’s a difference in the chronologic and/or geographic location of the play, etc.]. The accompanying sketchbook details the process of going from a first read of the script through to simple costume sketches and scale models, covering script analysis, research, and preliminary working sketches.
Transformational-transactional leadership theory is one way in which the behaviors of leaders can be described and evaluated. Transformational leaders exhibit charisma and shared vision with their followers, stimulating others to produce exceptional work. Transactional leadership describes more of a “give and take” working relationship – rapport between leader and follower is established through exchange, such as a rewards system for meeting particular objectives. Meta-analyses reveal that transformational leadership is correlated to more positive outcomes than any other leadership style, and it also predicts better contextual performance, describing follower performance above and beyond what is delineated by job requirements alone. Finally, research has also shown that female managers typically outscore male managers on measures of transformational leadership, leading some to suggest the existence of a "female leadership advantage." However, stereotypes remain salient (since leadership is stereotypically a male domain) and give rise to pressures such as role incongruity and a double-bind effect that remain a challenge today.
How do we begin to uncover and address the root causes of unsustainability and of human suffering? Furthermore, is it possible to address both the well-being of people and the well-being of the environment, or must we sacrifice one for the sake of the other? This paper seeks to address these questions concerning the interconnections between issues of environmental sustainability and human well-being, through the lens of Zen Buddhism. Zen has much to offer regarding the fundamentally human experiences of suffering, compassion, and interconnectedness. Furthermore, it teaches that not only can we address the well-being of people and nature in tandem, but that we must, for they are inextricably linked.
For the capstone project, I explored the relationship between the nature (outdoors) and religion to create a concept of an outdoor retreat for Jewish people.
In early America, people with disabilities were often abandoned, sent to asylums, sold off to freak shows, and even sterilized. Such confinement and isolation of people with disabilities reflected the negative societal attitudes held toward human difference. People with disabilities were commonly feared, pitied, and neglected. Even today, people with disabilities are still often seen as “different” from “normal” people in society and are frequently attributed stereotypical characteristics such as weakness, dependency, and incapacity.
Imagine a world in which products were not assembled like inanimate objects, but born like living species. How would products adapt? What new forms and functions would evolve? Through manipulation of furniture, these sculptures serve as a means to explore relationships between biological systems and mass-produced goods. Each piece combines the results of evolution, as dictated by genetic mutation and natural selection, with simple, commonplace chairs. Using IKEA as a starting source, with a world wide spread and extreme proliferation that mirrors that of bacterial and insect colonies, each piece has been manipulated from its base form to illustrate different mechanisms that drive evolution in natural species.