Just to make it a bit easier:

My working bib is here and my towers is here.

2014 interview

1.  Who did you interview and what house are they in? I interviewed North house's Regina Ongowarsito.
2.  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why? Regina has no ideas what she wants to do with her senior project because she expressed that she is not interested in anything and won't commit to something that she is not passionate about. 
3.  What do you plan to do for your summer 10 hour mentorship experience? For 10 hour mentorship experience, Regina has no idea what she is going to do either. She explained she has the motivation to do something, but is waiting for the right moment and opportunity to do anything with it. 
4.  What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations? Regina doesn't expect anything for the two hour presentations which is her take on most things. She mentioned how she didn't even know that presentations were coming up, and from what she has heard from previous classes and other juniors, they all sound so different thus hard to expect anything. 
5A.  What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project (or what additional information did you tell them about senior year or senior project)? 
5B. How hard is senior year? At first, I explained to her that every year at iPoly is hard, just in different ways obviously. And, so for senior year, you're pretty much on your own in a lot of ways, while at the same time able to be there for others for their projects. I gave her a brief summary of each and every component, first explaining model assembly and the difficulties of making a bill and working with a group (a thing that I had the most difficulty with this year). I told her that a lot of the difficulty that people have for senior year is procrastination and missing deadlines, and in reality, sometimes even the senior topic itself. But, if you have a passion for it, then doing research checks, independent components, and mentorship will be an enjoyable experience. Overall, to finish my answer, I said "Senior year is what you make it, if you want it to be hard, then you make it hard on yourself and nothing else." 
5C. What should I do for my project? This one was the hardest question to answer because I genuinely wanted to help Regina since I was in the same position as she was last year. So, instead of answering, I asked her a question back: Even if you say you have no passion, what do you enjoy doing anyway? We all like something. I brought up how she's a good singer, since she is in my music class, and gave her ideas off of that. After we discussed taking a path in music, she confessed that music probably wouldn't be something she would like doing for a whole year and, if she did, it would have to have a psychological spin to it. Changing the topic then, I gave her examples of corky senior projects since I knew she would like something outside of the box. The final point I made about the selection of her project was to decide on a project you can get mentorship in, since that was a huge weak area in my project. 
5D. What exactly is mentorship? To answer this question, I gave her a short, but to the point, definition of mentorship. I explained to her that mentorship is a type of job shadowing that is required by the project that brings life to your answers and a deeper understanding of whatever topic you select. I also brought up the point on how essential it is for a project, that if it does not go good for you, you only have your research to rely on. I shared with her my difficulty of finding mentorship, and urged her to find her contacts as soon as she could before it was too late since 50 hours is required for the project.
5E. Can you talk to Cris Hernandez for me? While I talked about senior projects that my class is doing this year, Regina was immediately interested in Cris Hernandez's topic involving video games. Because Regina plays a lot of video games, she would be interested in pursuing a topic about her favorite way to spend her free time. At first, she didn't know that a topic could be about video games, so if I could get her and Cris talking, then she may get started early with her project and produce something great. 

Final 3-Column Chart

Final 3-Column Chart

Blog 21: Independent Component 2

LITERAL

(a) I, Mariah Caputo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) "Catfish: The TV Show › Watch Video." Catfish: The TV Show Full Episodes. MTV, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. http://www.mtv.com/shows/catfish/video.jhtml?filter=fulleps

(c) IC Hour Log

(d) I have completed interviewing people who have had online connections, while creating a blog on a popular blog site, Tumblr, and networking in order to post their stories once I reach a particular follower count.  

INTERPRETIVE

My work demonstrates 30 hours of work primarily the significant parts of interviewing, maintaining the blog, and watching other people's stories via the MTV television show Catfish. 

Interviewing I used my iPhone to record interviews I did with people. Two of the three interviews I was able to conduct were face-to-face and people I knew, while the third interview was via skype with a person who I recently met through networking on tumblr. Despite only had been capable of interviewing three people, it was time consuming to transcript 15-20 minute interviews. 

Interview 1

Interview 2

Interview 3

Blog maintenance I used the popular social network site for teen blogs, Tumblr, to execute my project. I created it and put my efforts to make it aesthetically pleasing and fit what a "tumblr famous" blog would be like. I spent a large amount of time customizing and writing the appropriate sections, while contacting fellow seniors to help me with promoting my blog and designing a logo for it. Aside from aesthetics, I was dedicated to networking. I took the time to explore the tags on Tumblr to follow blogs and send a greeting to every LDR, follow4follow, promo4promo, etc. blog and gained followers that introduced myself and asked if they would be willing to help with my project. I did not reblog or create many original posts, due to the fact I was concerned with putting my name out there first by communicating with people to make friends in this unfamiliar community versus reblogging pictures that did not promise follower counts.
California Chocolate
Scripted asks 

Background research Aside from interviewing, I looked towards already existing projects to find inspiration on what types of questions I should ask people as well as how to present myself. This step was critical to my IC because if I had not watched the MTV series of Catfish then my understanding of the subject would not be as in depth as it is now. Of the 11 episodes, I watched 7 episodes and took notes and reaction observations.
MTV Catfish
Previous blogs

APPLIED

My independent component made my answer, that Americans' identities have been the most affected of the three effects social media has had on us. real. This independent component allowed me to see my project in a journalistic angle and conduct interviews with real people, not articles. I feel that the most expert people in the field, are the ones whose lives have been changed by social media and the ones who are an expert in its use, not anything less or more. 

For example, in my second interview, the interviewee had given the example of how they had experienced themselves a person they were romantically involved with not being who they said they were. This event in this person's life helped them explain to me better understand my research I have compiled up until this point about identity by clearly connecting the two together. 

Another example of how my IC helped was watching Catfish. This show was not entertainment for me, but a view of how far people can go to be someone they are not. By seeing the process the TV cast commits to each person on the show, it helped me prove my answer on how hugely social media has impacted us from how we use it to operate and create false personas. 

And finally, by creating a tumblr blog, it helped prove my answer that the way we interact with other Americans (or people, really) has changed because of social media. By actually doing the process that people who want to become "tumblr famous" (a blogger with more than 5,000 followers), I discovered that it takes time, but mostly luck to achieve it. I realized how essential it was to network with others through any possible forum of communication, thus why I spent so much more time messaging blogs instead of reblogging photos, another practice a person who is not there for a follower count but to express themselves. 

Catfish, the documentary.

This is the remarkable story of the raw reality of what it means to be human and the conflict it has as we enter into the new age media world.

Here is the basis plot and storyline as found on Wikipedia, while here's what I have to say about it:

"When we change the way we communicate, we change society," as my favorite social networker, Clay Shirky, says. I find this statement to hold absolute truth, one of the truest things that is essential for society of all times. Communication is the key of a functional society; whether it be through sound, word, image, or thought. Expression through any of these mediums conveys a message from person A to person B, a beautiful interaction that is what makes life life.

And, we are living in a world where we can do all of these expressions at once. This remarkable truth that we can now communicate with others with whatever medium, expression, message, or whatever you want to call it, makes this communication perfect. It helps perfects society in this small area, because now we are capable of doing the things never thought possible. Moving images associated with words, the ability to see a person you have no seen in a long time only inches away from you on a screen, the power you have to be you.

It's so perfect, that I feel we as a society do not yet fully know how to use it.

Catfish the strong story of a man who has been lied to, manipulated, and humiliated by the power of a single woman, only is the reminder of one thing: social media networking is perfect. It is. I will argue this not because of any technical media landscape models or features a website could offer, because that is minuscule and nothing compared to the human mind.

Because, social media networking is perfect in its way that it can convince the human mind it can be perfect, too. In an interview I conducted with CalPoly sociology professor, Dr. Loo, addressed this idea as well by saying that our DNA is not completely adjusted nor evolved to the fact that we can adopt so many identities.

In fact, identities are reeking from the social media landscape right now. As I type, I can become one person or another at my disposal. Nothing is stopping me, and Catfish, again, is a sole reminder of this fact. As unfortunate it is for the individuals on the other side of the screen who are being lied to, we can convince our minds that the picture we see on the screen is who we are talking to.

And, it is sad. I find it sad that as beautiful as the Internet is, it can cause so much pain and heartache to those victim to its perfection. I like to see it as this: we are human beings on perfect machines, not perfect human beings on machines.

This notion was only reconfirmed by the follow-up video that I found on YouTube while finding the trailer for readers on this blog. Take a look at it, cheers.

California Chocolate, California Chocolate, California Chocolate~

http://californiachocolate.tumblr.com/

"And as a part of a digital generation, this box of chocolate is more than what meets the eye. When we logon to our desired social network, we are a part of a whole new world that is filled with all types of mysteries and questions. We meet the most unexpected people, the ones that may or may not stay with us for the rest of our lives. We are real people on perfect machines, capable of finding love, finding the one who understands you the most as a best friend, or the creepiest person you ever met.

And, I want to hear your story. Your box of chocolate. You. This is a place where we can share each other’s adventures, one “box” at a time. A place where your long distance relationship, online best friend, or internet story can make it off your blog.

A place where we are all humans on perfect machines."

Today's interesting find:

Lost Generation.

I’m a part of Lost Generation

and I refuse to believe that

I can change the world

I realize this may be a shock but

“Happiness comes from within”

is a lie, and

“Money will make me happy”

So in thirty years I’ll tell my children

They are not the most important thing in my life

My employer will know that

I have my priority straight because

Work

Is more important than

Family

I tell you this

Once upon a time

Families stay together

But this will not be true in my era

This is a quick fix society

Experts tell me

Thirty years from now I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce

I do not concede that

I will live in a country of my own making

In the future

Environmental destruction will be the norm

No longer can it be said that

My peers and I care about this earth

It will be evident that

My generation is apathetic and lethargic

It is foolish to presume that

There is hope

And all of this will come true unless we reverse it.

found on did-you-kno.tumblr.com