Singapore American School senior projects, December 2014

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

SeniorProjects December 2014

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There is plenty that sets an SAS high school education apart from that of other international schools, and certainly, from that of other American high schools. One of the most notable is the senior project, an in-depth inquiry-based culminating course. According to the latest research in education, learning is at its greatest, most relevant, and most meaningful when it is student initiated and student-led. Ask adults today what they remember learning in high school, and their answer will often involve a learning opportunity where they were able to dive deep into an area of interest; often applying what they were learning in an authentic context. Colleges also recognize students who have had the opportunity to dive deep, overcome challenges, and find meaning in their learning as stronger candidates for admission and success in college.This reality is the foundation and rationale for the senior project course. This innovative and engaging approach to education challenges high school seniors to embark upon a culminating final project in an area of their particular passion and interest. The Center of Innovation presents the perfect launch pad for this, with its able staff and its hubs of information, innovation, and impact operating to assist and support the students’ various projects. Similar to other academic offerings, the senior project course includes a set of desired learning outcomes. The objective of the course is to harness students’ core knowledge,

develop their character, and hone their skills in collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, critical thinking, and cultural competence. All these values will help ensure success when they go on to pursue bachelor degrees at colleges and universities all over the world and in life beyond.

The senior project give students the opportunity to pursue their own paths of exploration in an academic setting, while demonstrating their readiness for university learning, to the fullest extent of their enthusiasm, autonomy, capacity, and complexity. A student may write a novel with an accompanying critical introduction or develop a thesis on the new medium of Internet television, or carry out an analysis of the animated situation-comedy for adults. He might want to conduct an extended service learning project, or perhaps spend a semester as an intern, learning the nitty-gritty of investment banking. There are no limits to what a student taking these courses can do. At present, seniors can opt to take the senior project course, reap the benefits, and distinguish themselves. However for the class of 2018 onward, the course will be required, a rite of passing for every SAS senior. Ultimately, the course represents a formidable feature of the SAS high school education, one that sets an SAS high school graduate apart, differentiates him from his peers across the globe, and proves his unique abilities, his capacity for excellence, and his readiness for achievement at the university level.INT

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December 2, 2014

Venue Venue Venue

Time6:00 p.m.

-6:25 p.m.

6:30 p.m.-

6:55 p.m.

7:00 p.m.-

7:25 p.m.

7:30 p.m.-

7:55 p.m.

8:00 p.m.-

8:25 p.m.

8:30 p.m.-

8:55 p.m.

Watch MakingBryce Uehling

Identity BookAmalia Lee

Social Entrepreneurs

Linda Sun

Historical FictionMoriah Stuart

BrandingMartin Davalos

Exercise PhysiologyCallum Nesbitt

Athletics InternKaitlyn Han

Short FilmBrett Moody

Video Journalism Jihan Chung

Rugby InternKatie Devins

Real Madrid InternshipIan Stuart

Planktonic Foraminifera

Abigail Birdsell

Coaching BasketballLisa Hussey

Teach PeaceOlivia Whittaker

Hospitality IntSarah Tanizar

Advanced Sports Medicine

Isabelle Tan

Magazine Area(2nd floor lib.)

5:30 - 5:50 p.m. General Introductions and Kick-off Venue: 1st Floor Library

9:00 - 9:30 p.m. Post-Presentation Celebration Venue: 1st Floor Library

Media Theater(2nd floor lib.)

HS Office(2nd floor)

Venue Venue Venue Venue Venue

Makerspace(1st floor lib.)

Red Cove(1st floor lib.)

Quiet Room(1st floor lib.)

Art Room(1st floor art)

Photo Studio(1st floor art)

Embassy ImmersionDaniel Brundage

Hockey InternshipJack Devins

Chemical Engineering

Justin Peterson

BalletRobert (Colton) West

Fairy TalesEmma Gammons

Communications Internship

Sarah Hoffmann

Novel WritingSamantha Daynes

Music AlbumDanny Hong

Sign LanguageChanlynn Liao

Photo PoetryAshna Lalwani

Novel EditingAudrey Tjandra

Song CompositionAthena Zecha

Green VillageBianca Antonio

Service NetworksKaelan Cuozzo

Vertical GardenNadia Kim

Eco PondNicholas Lee

Medical TechnologyArushi Suri

WebcomicJessica Allen

Visual ArtsGabriel Goh

Live vs FilmJustin Smith

Disaster ShelterGabriel Zink

Health SpotAndrew Choo

Shoe BizCheyenne Reeves

ExoskeletonChirag Hegde

Art ProductionHong Bin Jeong

Business Competitions

Sang Hyun Park

Hinduism AppJayendra

Minakshisundar

PhotographyHayley Sparrow

Sea TurtlesEmma Park

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Jessica AllenMy senior project is a webcomic series, and therefore, its a must that I get familiar with certain essential tools such as photoshop and any digital art design software. The environment that I’ve set up for myself so far is just me alone at home focused with my tablet, and I could spend hours drawing on it, but I want to be able to bring it out of that little space and more involved with school.

Work with my mentor on this project will focus more on the actual graphic of the illustration. Of course my art skill depends on me, but what I’m more likely to learn will encompass digital backgrounds and more softer images with the blend of the pixelated brush strokes, which is something I’m completely new to. Although I have connected with a mentor, I have been learning through individual practice and video tutorials.

Overall I am excited to make this concept into something more concrete, and I’m happy with how I’ve progressed so far, recognizing that I still have a long way to go.

Bianca AntonioCan we better the lives of people living in coastal communities by planning their villages and making them more environmentally and economically friendly?

Coastal villages are the most vulnerable to natural disasters. By working with non-governmental organizations based in south-east Asia, I want to create a plan for an ideal coastal village, keeping the values of sustainability, locality, community, and resiliency in mind. Locality and community are especially important to my project because I want to ensure that the peoples’ culture and traditions are protected even if we bring development to their villages.

I am interested in architecture, urban design, and structural engineering, and I wanted to tie this into my work with service, which I have been heavily involved in since I was in the eighth grade. With the 2D and 3D models of my plan, I hope to present to possible sponsors of future coastal communities who can ultimately make this model a reality.

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Abigail BirdsellMy project is an independent scientifi c research project conducted along with NTU professors and students. We aim to develop a research question that can be answered by studying different types of foraminifera on the Kusu Island reef.

By the end of this course, the goal is to present not only research fi ndings, but the process of research - a process completely novel and exciting to me. The research is going to be driven almost solely by me. I am given the benefi t of using NTU professors as a resource, in hopes of providing a product that will enthuse the common human about science by highlighting how such a simple, small species can tell a story far beyond their miniscule selves.

Daniel BrundageEvery embassy and consulate all over the world serves a special purpose to United States foreign policy, along with their respective agencies. When certain situations arise, how do these agencies work together? How do they work separately? Do any issues arise between agencies, and is there any overlap?

For my senior project, I am learning about specifi c agencies within the United States Embassy and how they interact and coincide in an evolving world of issues and politics. Some of these agencies include the Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Commerce Regional Export Control, the Consular Division, the Treasury Department, and the FBI.

I will be highlighting and going into deeper detail on how each agency works together, what their role is with other embassies in the region, what specifi c issues they face and how it affects that cohesion between agencies, and any overlap that is present with these agencies.

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Andrew ChooWill my health food business be something that will attract investors and allow for me to build and grow a fl ourishing business from the ground up?

Singapore is a rising nation with many of its residents and citizens becoming more aware of the need to maintain a balanced lifestyle to live a longer life. My project is to build a business plan and fi nancial presentation for my health food company to present to venture capitalists who may be interested in investing in my company.

The business plan will include the information that I will be researching throughout the school year, and the fi nancial presentation will display the a layout of how I plan to manage costs and expected profi ts based on an assumed sales records. My project will display how I want to start up and manage this company through its primary stages.

Ji han ChungStop. Take a moment. Look around you.

Often times, we are so absorbed in what we are doing as individuals that we tend to disregard and ignore the people around us. For my senior project, I aim to create a documentary that will shine light on individuals that are often overlooked by society, such as hawker stall uncles/aunties and cleaners. This 10-minute documentary will center around the theme of “everyone has a story to tell.”

Through this project, I hope to put my three years of journalism experience at SAS to use in the outside world, further enhancing my skills as a video journalist. Consisting of several minutes of B-roll and interviews, my documentary will focus on one individual that will be willing to open up and share his/her story with the viewers and me. I wish to open people up to bigger perspectives of society and look at it as a community of people with each of them having a story to tell.

I want to encourage people to stop, listen in to the stories of others, and recognize that there are always things to appreciate or learn from the lives of other people.

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Kaelan CuozzoAll of my work with Executive Service Council, an organization that manages all of the service in the high school, and the Global Issues Network, an organization that works to empower young people to collaborate locally and globally to create solutions for pressing global issues, inspired me to take on a senior project.

Given the chance to look at service through a wider lens, I can see both redundancies and gaps. My driving question was how could an innovative networking platform make service more effi cient. Therefore, I am working to build a social platform where both clubs and individuals can form global service networks, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects through targeted focus areas via location or by specifi c issue.

By uniting individuals and clubs all around the world, the benefi ts of service will be realized on a much greater scale.

Martin DavalosHow does marketing, communication, and graphic design come together as its own business fi eld?

I designed a marketing campaign for an independent antique Persian carpet company seeking to change their image. I wanted to pursue a hobby further in a more meaningful fashion, like a real job opportunity. I also wanted to see what components in graphic design entail business and marketing.

My project is unique because the company I worked with was in the process of changing its name. This means that I was literally designing a new company’s face. Many of the things I created will actually be put into use, so in essence I took part in a real graphic design job.

I will present a powerpoint depicting all the different steps I undertook in completing my fi nal product. I will also present the business cards and the vouchers, along with the fi nalized logo designs. I will talk about the different kinds of feedback I received from my employer and how that feedback will change my approach in the way I communicate in future interactions.

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Samantha DaynesFiction is a tool we use to escape reality and to fi nd ourselves through stories. Since I was ten years old, I have wanted to create my own world of fi ction and write a novel. For my senior project I decided to fi nally sit down and work toward that goal, despite how daunting it seemed.

Tentatively called The Mantelpiece, the novel is a historical fi ction/fantasy piece that explores the concept of time. The modern day characters are young adults who navigate through some of the different time periods that have shaped the world’s history.

Although a fi nished product is far from completion, I have come a long way since the start of the year. New light has been shed on the tools of the craft and the writing process, giving me insight into what needs to be done in the future to achieve my goal.

Jack DevinsFor a country that hasn’t seen snow since the last ice age, it is understandable that hockey is not prevalent in Singapore. How could a sport that is so foreign to every aspect of Singapore culture become prominent?

That is the challenge I face promoting ice hockey in Singapore. Working together with the Singapore Ice Hockey Association, I am currently an advocate for a program here in Singapore called Learn to Play: Advanced Ice Hockey. The purpose of this program is to give young Singaporeans an opportunity to play ice hockey. Starting with the Learn to Play program and ending with the National Ice Hockey Team, the long term goal of this program is the development of the entire ice hockey system.

My role in this program is to pursue various promotional angles including creating fl yers, giving presentations, and creating advertisement videos. My passion for hockey has led me on this journey to give everyone an opportunity to experience the sport that I sometimes take for granted. Throughout this project with no defi nitive end, I will be presenting all of the work that I have accomplished with the Singapore Ice Hockey Association. The countless new faces, who take their fi rst steps on the ice surface as hockey players, motivate me to continue to explore new mediums of advertising this program.

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Katie DevinsStarting in Australia in 1963 as a social game, to the Touch Rugby World Championships in 2015, the unique sport of touch rugby has rapidly spread throughout the globe. From Singapore to Europe to the US, the Touch World Cups now attract over 50 nations. It is a dynamic sport for people of all ages and genders who are interested in a non-contact and fun game.

For my senior project, I am interning with Touch Football Singapore to learn and experience behind the scenes league organization and tournaments. Touch is a passion for me, a game that I love playing and teaching. For me, the senior project was an opportunity to see what efforts go into organizing and planning leagues and tournaments. I am involved in running the offi cial draws, planning game times for the Winter Touch League, and organizing referees and fees. I took the knowledge I gathered in the fi rst month to run the referee scheduling for the middle school ACSIS (Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools) league in which four SAS teams are involved.

My goal is to learn the ins and outs of this sports organization so I can bring touch rugby to North America and start a foundation for this sport to rest on. For my fi nal product, I am presenting my learning and experiences from the behind the scenes production, as well as my experiences reffi ng this game.

Emma GammonsHave you ever wanted to be a princess? I know I have. But, since Prince George is a little young for me, I settled for working with princesses: Disney princess to be specifi c. For my senior project I am working with a company to bring special Disney events - specifi cally Three Classic Fairy Tales - to Asia.

Ever since I was younger I’ve loved planning things: tea parties, birthday parties, so I was interested in exploring exactly what it took to create a much larger event. My driving question was how do companies create, promote, and execute international events for specifi c brands? As an intern at FELD (a company that organizes Disney events), I have had opportunities to be exposed to different aspects of organizing and planning for Three Classic Fairy Tales, as well as actually creating a performance. I had to review stacks of marketing statistics to ascertain which characters were most profi table in certain markets. I’ve loved my time being an intern because I have never done the same thing twice; my project is 100 different projects combined into one. I’ve worked on everything from promoting social media to analyzing statistics, to organizing merchandise to sitting in on company video conferences. I must say that working with princesses is much harder than I thought.

I have been fi lming my experiences and all the work that will lead up to the fi nal performance of Three Classic Fairy Tales. To present, I will compound all that footage into a movie, one that I’m sure will capture the magic of Disney.

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Gabriel GohHow can photography be used to evoke emotions and showcase untold stories? And is photography a gift or a curse to modern society? Has photography been used as a tool to inspire creativity and emotion or has it limited the scope of our human imagination to a single, still frame? At the start of this year I embarked on a personal journey seeking experience and further knowledge in the art of photography. I consider myself an amateur photographer because of my lack of experience, but I enjoy photography because it is a very powerful tool in storytelling. Taking a picture is very different from capturing a moment, and I wanted to develop this skill in drawing out the emotions in humans and places. My mentor, Sher Iqbal, and I have worked on several projects together such our dark room photography photo shoot, my personal daily photo of the day, and more recently, the Swiber Oil and Gas Offshore Construction company employee photo book. All my projects captured not only a moment in time, but also an emotion.

Although I’ve been given several internships, which gave me a plethora of experience, I believe that the most unique aspect of my project is that I am delving into the realm of the ethics of photography. Since people change but pictures are frozen in time, is photography a truly beautiful art form, or does it constrain our thinking to a singular, non-movable point in time?

I will present my three main projects, along with my side projects, and how they have helped me question the ethics of photography.

Kaitlyn HanWhat steps does it take to create a successful event? It’s one thing to participate in an event, it’s another to organize one. For my senior project, I’m working in the Eagles offi ce with Ms. Molchan and Mr. Criens to learn more about event management.

I chose this topic because my mom has always worked on and planned events during my childhood. As I grew older, I began to volunteer at and watch many of them. Watching my mom work, I became interested in the process and organization it takes to create a successful project.

During the year, I’ll be helping with events such as IASAS and Exchange. I’ll also be helping them during the seasons to prepare for games and making sure the players are all sorted throughout the season with things such as uniforms. To do this, Ms. Molchan has coached me for different tasks such as the Exchange housing and let me sit in on meetings such as the meeting with the athletic directors. This project has taught me a great deal in the importance of communication and time management.

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Sarah HoffmannToday, there are international schools all over the world competing with SAS, but what’s one thing they don’t have? History. SAS’s history truly makes it unique, and in 2016 we will celebrate 60 years of it. It’s hard to believe that the modern school I attend today began with such humble beginnings. Starting with a modest opening in 1956, to the current sprawling school, there are lots of stories to be told. Collaborating with my mentor, Vanessa Spier, SAS Director of Communications, we decided to use photography to display 60 years of rich memories.

My vision was to create a piece of art that would capture the history of SAS in a way that everyone could enjoy. Hoping to share the emotions, the energy, and the amazing innovation this school has enjoyed the last six decades, I began digging into the school’s photo archives. Starting from 1958, when the fi rst yearbook was made, I resurfaced reams of images, taking me on a journey from the roots of the fi rst school, to the SAS of today.

The original school logo was an SAS shield. We enhanced the color of the photos to include an overlying image of the SAS shield, honoring this original and historic symbol of our school. I hope that this artwork is enjoyed by students and alumni for years to come, as we exhibit this tribute to six decades of memories that are the foundation of this great school.

Chirag HedgeWhen I started my project, I asked myself: how can I test my limits and make an impact on the world at large? The Force Augmentation Lifting System Exoskeleton (F.A.L.S.E.) is my answer to this question.

It is a device designed to augment the lifting force that a person can apply, allowing the user an extra 1500 N of lifting force, allowing one to lift up to 150kg more than they normally can. I have always been interested in pushing my limits; two years ago I built an AR system, and this year I will see how far I can progress on a pure engineering level.

The F.A.L.S.E. system is also my fi rst attempt at changing the world. I hope that I will be able to provide my system to aid relief agencies to provide a cheap and effective way to move heavy rubble in areas where cranes and other such devices would take too long to reach.

The main selling point of my system comes from its fast construction time and its durability, that it can easily be used in nearly any situation, and any damaged parts can be replaced with little issue. I will present my completed working prototype, the F.A.L.S.E. MK I.

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Danny HongWhat does it take to produce a song? What kind of knowledge do you need to produce an album? A musically talented prodigy? A specifi c instrument?

For my senior project, I decided to create around fi ve original songs and produce a mini-album. I will go from learning how to create a simple song to creating a song that sounds like it was off the top Beatport 100 list. Creating a melody can be done by anyone who has had basic music study. It’s something our brain can generate without an effort; when we’re day dreaming or when we’re in the shower, a melody will come by. But what really makes the difference between a professional production and an amateur production is the mix down of the song. In my senior project, I would like to specifi cally focus on the mixing side as it is an essential part of producing.

I will train my ears with proper studio monitor speakers and receive great advice from my mentor, who mixes really well, to achieve my goal.

Lisa HusseyTrying to get fourteen screaming and energetic 11 year olds running around an open gym to play basketball is not an easy task. Their questioning and wild personalities can be tough to work with, but it’s one of my favourite things about coaching young kids. Having played basketball for many years and having a passion for teaching kids, I decided to put my two passions together to coach younger kids and teach them how to play basketball. I started off by meeting with my mentor, a former professional basketball player and personal coach, Bernard Williams, where we talked about the techniques he uses to coach kids. I started my project by observing his basketball program and later applied his techniques to my own style of coaching, which gives students more of a say when picking what skills to work on.

The reason that I have wanted to get into coaching is that I have always looked up to my coaches. When I was younger, I was coached by older kids and admired how much they cared about me as a player. I wanted to experience what it was like to be in their shoes and give back to the basketball community. I know that I treasured my coaches and I hope these energetic kids enjoy having me as a coach. I continue to coach these kids one to two times a week and refl ect with the driving question of: how do you learn teaching principles and apply it to coaching children, especially in basketball?

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Hong Bin JeongIs art purely used for entertainment and attraction or can it serve a higher purpose? Will I be able to produce art that can entertain but also raise awareness?

With technology advancing, our nature is slowly dying away - more and more animals are becoming extinct, the number of trees slowly decreasing, and our trash piling up. In my opinion, people are losing more and more appreciation of nature.

For my senior project, I want to raise awareness, but I want to raise it in a different way. Since creating art is my favorite thing to do, I want to use art to express our dying nature and hopefully spread awareness about our disappearing world. During this process, I will create pieces that try different techniques and skills that I’ve never tried before.

This project will challenge me in several ways, trying new techniques and incorporating meaning to an artwork. This project will make use of my skill of communication by fi nding a location and getting different materials to clearly display my artworks in an appropriate manner. This project will test my skills of creativity, communication, and raising awareness.

Nadia KimHow can art and design be combined with sustainability to create a product that will better the SAS community? For my senior project, I’m combining these two passions to create and propose a design for an SAS green wall, or vertical garden.

This green wall will be designed specifi cally around the rooftop tennis courts, taking into account climate, durability, aesthetic appeal, as well as how it will benefi t and help the specifi c needs of the tennis court area. My project challenges me to use a wide range of skills: creativity in the design itself, communication with experts and professionals, as well as awareness of the area I am impacting and how I can best serve it.

I’ve always been passionate about making change locally, and there’s nothing closer to home than our very own SAS campus. The fi nal product of my project will be a completed design proposal that outlines the specifi c aspects - both technical and aesthetic - of my project and the steps I took to get there.

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Ashna LalwaniHow can I form an instant connection with the audience through multimedia so that they understand the trials of another person’s perspective through a fi rst person perspective?

For my senior project, I created three separate photosets with poems and thoughts in place of captions. The fi rst of the three photosets will work to help increase awareness about poverty and illness (specifi cally cancer) in Jaipur, India.

The second photoset will focus on the aesthetic distinctions between several separate cultures. I have emphasized, in particular, the emotional journey and toll that these circumstances take on the subjects through poems and close-up shots.

The fi nal product of my senior project will be three-ply in the form of an online blog, an exhibition, and a book. My goal is to create a link of empathy between the subjects of the photographs or poems and the audience.

Amalia LeeWhat are your fi rst thoughts when you think of Singapore? Its cleanliness? The food? Usually, our fi rst impressions of communities stem from their cultures, but what about the people of which a culture is comprised?

Moving to Singapore in the summer of 2013, I thought I knew what to expect, having gone through statistics and travel reviews I found online. I thought I understood this city-state, but I was missing one key piece of the puzzle.

For my senior project, I am creating a book that will take a closer look at the people that make up Singapore and shape its unique culture. The fi rst half of my book examines the broader aspect of Singaporean culture through infographics showing the results of recent censuses.

The second half will focus on the individuals who make up these numbers, through interviews with and photos of people around Singapore. Through this transition, I hope to focus on the source of Singapore’s diversity: the people.

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Nicholas LeeHow can I remodel the school’s pond to create an effective, clean, and minimal maintenance system that can support life?

I have always maintained an interest in aquariums and marine life. When I was little, I watched as my father maintained freshwater aquariums and impossibly nurtured a little world within a glass case. That interest and passion for aquariums and fi sh has led me to my senior project now.

At SAS, we have a pond located in the middle of the science block. A lush garden surrounds the pond, and stepping stones allow anyone to cross the water. However, this pond is biologically out of sync. The pond’s ecosystem is disoriented, due to many confounding variables that are released into the pond (like pet turtles that owners thought were too large to handle and nutrient runoff from the surrounding garden).

My project goal is to create a detailed plan that will - when implemented - lead to a low maintenance, and successful environment for fi sh to thrive.

Chanlynn LiaoWhen I was given the freedom to initiate my own project, I asked myself: how can I help unite such a diverse community? I created two goals for my project: to join a new community and to unite the new community with my old one. I took an online course to learn American Sign Language, and translated my favorite childhood stories into American Sign Language. I united my new deaf community with my own school community by teaching sign language to fi fth graders at SAS.

I wanted to reach out to a demographic group that people often ignore because of fear, ignorance, and communication barriers. Last summer, I interned at an inclusive school where disabled and non-disabled children were placed in the same class to teach children how to accept those who are different. I wanted to bring this awareness and acceptance into the real world.

My fi nal products are ASL translation videos of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Green Eggs and Ham, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly. My fi nal presentation will be an overview of the steps I took to unite the deaf and Singapore American School communities.

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Jayendra MinakshisundarWhat makes an interesting educational experience? How can a game be used to teach concepts? How can content for this game be created in a crowd-based method? How can such a game be monetized? Can these concepts be extended to teaching religion?

For my senior project, I investigated how a mobile game platform can be used to build a teaching app to introduce people to the basics of Hinduism. I wanted to see how educational apps perform, what educational apps currently do, and what can be done to expand the educational app market into a new space. This is an expression of my passion for Hinduism, technology, and mobile apps.

I have developed the framework for an app that would present the basic ideas of Hinduism in an easy-to-consume manner, with games, videos, activities, and social media. This presents many basic features for this app, a sample module, and a proposed method to allow content producers to work with a developer to develop new lessons.

Brett MoodyWhy do people hurt others? Ambition? Jealousy? Hatred? Does the world pay back evil individuals for their deeds? Where do moral compasses come from? When they disappear, what makes them resurface?

For my senior project, I have created Pennyroyal, a fi ve minute fi lm that raises some of the questions above through the story of a super student that “deals with” the pregnancy of his girlfriend to better his chances of getting into a top tier school.

My primary concern, however, is entertaining my audience, so I have put all my energy into writing a story that’s exciting, casting appropriate actors, designing realistic but visually compelling sets, and using the best possible shots to show, not tell, my characters’ inner worlds.

Once the fi lm is published, I will be researching how I can use new technologies (such as hyper-syndication) to share my fi lm with the widest possible online audience.

Should Pennyroyal’s production continue on time, it is possible I will have another short fi lm completed by December.

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Callum NesbittAt least once in their high school career students will fi nd themselves sitting in class, listening to a teacher lecture, and ask themselves: why am I learning this? The point of this course is to incorporate real life experiences and hands on opportunities to a wide array of students.

Exercise Physiology is the topic of my course. We will utilize the space provided by APEx, a fi tness and education facility at school, and incorporate it into our daily schedules. By spending half the time in the gym, and the other half in a lab, students will study different components to fi tness. What are the long-term effects of protein on the body? What’s the difference between high impact training and low impact training on my body? What metabolic pathway is most effective for my type of body? For the fi tness enthusiast, or even the scientifi cally inclined, these questions are major areas of interest. Alternating between the gym and lab targets multiple perspectives and learning aspects of the topic. Students will be fully immersed in the effects that physical activity has on the human body and mind.

During the presentation I will go in-depth into my project, giving the audience a clear idea of the process I went through, and highlighting key aspects to the course.

Emma ParkHow have the sea turtle populations in Indonesia been affected by developing climates (i.e. rising sea temperatures, loss of habitat, increase in shipping traffi c, etc.)? How have turtle populations and breeding been affected by local populations?

My research project on sea turtles in the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia explores these topics. I’ve always loved the ocean, and the animals found within, so this project seemed like a natural extension of that. I’m also planning to create some kind of informational poster that could be displayed not only around sea turtle sanctuaries, but also possibly around Singapore to promote awareness of the endangered species.

My end product will be a research paper, where I will be focus on climate change, salinity levels, and water temperature and how these abiotic factors infl uence migration and the overall population of the different species of turtles in Indonesia. Similarly, I will be analyzing how local populations harvest turtles and their eggs for certain religious and social traditions.

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Sang Hyun ParkAs high school students, it is imperative that we have fi rst-hand experience with real work to avoid being misled by false information and rumors.

Fortunately, as a prospective business student, I had the opportunity of participating in and reaching the fi nals of the Wharton Korea Business Black Box competition. Business Black Box was not merely a competition; it was a learning experience which later became an important step in my decision in choosing what I wanted to pursue in college.

For my senior project, I wanted to recreate and share what I experienced last year with students in Singapore. I wanted to provide an opportunity for junior college students to experience hands-on what working in the business world entails by organizing a business strategy competition where students can work under educated mentors and compete against other junior college students with their very own solution to a real business world problem.

In my presentation, I will outline my journey through this entrepreneurial adventure as well as replicate a portion of business pitch to prospective sponsors.

Justin PetersonEngineering, one of the noblest pursuits. It gives our lives the convenience we need to work, sleep, and play. No more lighting candles or pitching fi res. In the commercial product industry, how does engineering tie in? The wikipedia answer, “Engineers develop products,” was far from satisfying. I needed hands on, visual experience to satisfy my question of how engineers are involved in making commercial products.

I’m creating a guide book of my fi ndings to show other prospective engineering high school students what kind of experience they may have if they go into the commercial engineering fi eld. This book will contain my fi ndings from my internship at the resins company Polymer Products and Procter & Gamble’s pilot lab, and will outline the problems engineers are trying to solve, how they solve them, and what role they play in the development of new products.

Through hands on experiences I hope to create a comprehensive guide of how chemical engineers thrive in the commercial product industry. Many high school students claim to be interested in engineering, yet have no idea what specifi c area they enjoy. Hopefully through my fi ndings, prospective engineering students will either be able to cross chemical engineering off their list or gain an interest and look into it.

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Cheyenne ReevesMy senior project is about painting old shoes, and working to market those shoes to the students at SAS. The question I was trying to answer with this project was: how can I prepare myself for college and life beyond college in a way that works for me?

I plan to go to college for fi ne arts, and this project was a way for me to learn how to navigate things like commissions and deadlines with specifi c requirements. My senior project was to restart a business that I had begun as a sophomore - to paint shoes for people who want to recycle or renew their old shoes. I chose this topic because it was something that was fun for me to do, it taught me about business, and it would help me prepare for college and the life of being an artist, where I would have to know how to market and sell my own art.

This project is unique to me because it is something that I create, and it is a project that started out as a Halloween costume and has grown into a business that I use to make others happy. Since starting this business, I’ve made over ten pairs of shoes, and I plan to make more this semester.

Justin SmithFor my capstone project I will create a miniature production of a small scene that I wrote. I am an actor, and ever since eighth grade at SAS I have enjoyed my time under the stage lights. In my freshman year I was approached by a peer, Brett Moody, to act in a short fi lm. I agreed, excited to sport my talent under the new medium of a camera. After shooting I reviewed the footage to fi nd a whole new type of acting. Everything was sharp and concise and the audience was forced to focus on minute details that moved the story along. Ever since my fi rst fi lm experience I have been acting in both worlds, the stage and screen. Personally I fi nd fi lm to be much more visually compelling to an audience because they don’t have to work as hard to notice key developments in the story. However theater’s live experience strikes the audience in a way the fi lm doesn’t just because the action is unfolding live.

My senior project aims to capture the reasoning behind why some people fi nd fi lm more interesting and others fi nd live theater more interesting. I will direct and act in a small production that I have written. I am going to have the production run live, as well as be shown on screen after being professionally fi lmed. The two will run back to back with the same audience seeing both. After both have run I will return to the stage and hold a short but concise oral survey with the audience, recording all the audience’s questions, comments, and reactions. I hope to dissect the reasoning behind people’s preference to theater or fi lm.

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Hayley SparrowWhat elements constitute a good photo? What makes it different from a selfi e or a snapshot? Is it the way in which a photographer edits? Or the way in which a photo is composed?

For my senior project, I am delving into different aspects of photography and analyzing the elements that make a good photo. Using professional photographers as references, I am learning to implement these skills into my own photography. Additionally, I am participating in an online course provided by the New York Institute of Photography.

Ian StuartHow do football clubs operate and manage their business across the world?

To understand the game of football isn’t very hard. I’ve spent many hours of my childhood and young adulthood in pursuit of the beautiful game. As I got older, I wanted to learn the ins and outs of the game, to go further than the pitch. I decided to follow my passion for football and have managed to secure an internship with Real Madrid Football Club.

Throughout my project I’ve been working to further my understanding of both sports business in Singapore and world business in general. I have focused a lot of my time discovering the importance of different communities for business in Singapore. I’ve brought together SAS and Real Madrid for a collaborative opportunity and have worked to help the club understand their competitive landscape. I’ll describe what I’ve been doing to help the Real Madrid team in Singapore with their growth and sustainability and also my personal journey of learning.

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Moriah StuartDuring my senior project I have decided to connect my thoughts and words into a novel. My goal is not to completely fi nish the piece over this short time, but it is to get situated in a concrete position for further expansion and learn as much as I can with the help of my mentors. With the limits of time as my primary concern I hope to achieve all that I can to develop my knowledge of my subject (American Revolution) and writing as an artform.

A small blurb of the novel: In revolutionary America, the protagonist, a young and cynical surgeon, struggles to obtain his identity in a war-torn state that is not his home. Following the campaigns in the North the surgeon’s beliefs are challenged when he begins to lose those closest to him.

Linda SunCan business truly impact the world?

My two fi rm beliefs are that fi rstly, every student should have the opportunity to obtain their desired education, and that secondly, business can impact the world for the better. To combine these two beliefs, I created a social business that seeks to enhance education in Asia. Together with nine other students, I created “LCK Consulting,” a company that provides translation services from English to Chinese and Korean for school documents and American education workshops monthly in Singapore and biannually in Beijing, China.

The workshop will cover the different aspects of our education system and specifi cally the opportunities provided by SAS: some topics include extracurricular activities and academic opportunities and what “fi t” for a college is. During the presentation, I will show a video, taking footage from our brainstorming sessions and our essay workshop. I will also show my website and have an interactive activity, and end with a Question and Answer session. I will present the many components of a business, such as the business plan and the fi nancial projections. I’ll also present some of the challenges I was faced with - for example the potential legal issues. Through this project, I have come to realize that social entrepreneurship truly can impact the world for the better.

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Arushi SuriRobotic surgery, printing prosthetics, and growing organs from scratch: these are only some of the technologies being used at the forefront of medicine. The use of these technologies could change the face of medicine and health sciences but are they as benefi cial as they seem?

For my senior project I am researching different technologies used in medicine today and what their advantages and disadvantages are. During a summer internship with a cataract surgeon, the doctor had to stop using their usual suction machine because in that situation it was more harmful than benefi cial. As someone interested in medicine, this sparked my curiosity about the development of medicine through technology.

One of the more popular technologies on trial in different fi elds of medicine today is the 3D printer. With the help of my mentor, a dentist that utilizes the 3D printer in her clinic, I centered my project on the advantages and disadvantages of the 3D printer.

For my fi nal product I will incorporate all of my research and fi ndings, present a 3D printed model of something in relation to my project, and give a professional and personal view on the use of technology in medicine today. Through this project I hope to gain a deeper understanding of modern medicine and its constantly developing methods of treatment.

Isabelle TanReal-world skills. Cross-departmental courses. A world-class fi tness and learning environment. The Athletic Performance and Exercise Facility - the “APEx” Facility for short - aims to make these things a reality at SAS. Confi rmed for construction within the next one to four years, the new facility will likely open its doors long after I become an SAS alumna. But although I will not be utilizing the APEx Facility myself, through my participation in the APEx Committee and my senior project, I have worked to create dynamic new opportunities for future SAS students to learn.

My senior project is the development of a specialized course to kickstart the interdepartmental component of APEx. Hopefully implemented in the intermediary APEx facility within the next year, the Advanced Athletic Training course bridges the educational departments of science and PE. With after-school “lab” sessions assisting Tomo, SAS’s resident athletic trainer, and the possibility for external certifi cation in the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support, the course revolves around deep understanding of the human body’s mechanics as well as real-world application of that knowledge.

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Sarah TanizarBy taking a grasp at exactly how some parts of the hospitality industry run, the fundamentals are communication and relations, why is it so important to understand, not just the guest, but also the people you work with? What kinds of improvements can be created or made in such an industry?

The hospitality industry is all about the guest experience. A bad review from a customer can easily create a bad reputation. Throughout my project, I have been researching the different types of hospitality, working on a school production (Return to the Forbidden Planet), and interning at a reputable hotel. Starting with my research I have been able to understand a couple of the different fi elds where I did not get a chance to have a hands on experience.

In the school production I led a small group in learning about sound (mics, sound board, sound sheet, etc.) and making sure that the school musical went smoothly. The key aspect of this project, the internship, had me out of my comfort zone in many ways, but I learned how hard the hotel industry can really be. From coordinating events for guests, cleaning all the rooms in time, and making sure guests are treated in a certain manner, everyone has to work in unison.

This will showcase different parts of the hospitality industry that you would not understand unless you were a part of the process.

Audrey TjandraOriginally kicked out of their homes to become damsels in distress, two pampered princesses are somehow forced to go their separate ways to complete their heroic quests. One takes to heroics like a fi sh to water while the other takes questing like a fi sh to a nuclear warhead. As they go through their adventure, the princesses learn there’s something behind the world’s stage that has big plans for them.

The main goal of my project is to improve my work to make it fi t for publication. So I have been editing my previously fi nished novel, with the help of another novelist, to get it up to publication standards. The story I’ve written was something I’ve been planning for years, and the senior project was the perfect opportunity to polish what I’ve done. My novel is an over the top parody of medieval fantasy as well as general storytelling tropes. In the presentation, I will show the evolution of my works and the different aspects of professional writing I had to learn, such as scenes and said bookisms.

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Bryce UehlingWhat defi nes a true form of art? To me true art is something that despite the years never dies.

For my senior project I will present a timepiece movement while obtaining a minor knowledge of the craft. Much like a painter, a watchmaker’s knowledge can not be harnessed in six months; it will take years and years to even become adequate, but it is my hope of this project to give myself the introductory knowledge of this talent loved by many.

It is diffi cult to understand the beautiful movement that takes place just below the glass but for my fi nal project it is my hope to give people an example of how graceful these timepieces are by displaying two pieces which I have serviced, as well as taking photographs which can help a novice understand the intricacies of the basic watch and clock.

Robert (colton) WestWhat does it mean to be a pre-professional male ballet dancer?

This inquiry drives my project based on my experience at The International Concours du Grasse. The competition takes place in Grasse, France and is one of the most elite competitions in all of Europe, and this will be my second year competing.

During my preparation for this competition I will take videos and write journals in hopes of creating a multimedia presentation that will educate and inform viewers of what it means to be a ballet dancer and hopefully clear up many of the misconceptions people have about this art form.

Training for this competition will be extremely rigorous, consisting of two to three hour rehearsals seven days a week. This senior project production was greatly dependent on my experience at the competition as I wanted to accurately and decisively report on my performance, the connections I make, and the environment and pressure dancers are put under.

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Olivia WhittakerCan we make young people aware of the dangers of stereotyping before they form any negative preconceived notions about people, religions, races, or classes? Can we teach young people skills to resolve confl icts without escalation?

My senior project focuses on peace and diversity education for third, fourth, and fi fth graders at Singapore American School. I have created a peacebuilding curriculum specifi cally designed for elementary-aged students with two lessons in Confl ict Resolution and Embracing Diversity.

My passion to create peace drives my project and my ultimate goal is to equip young people with these vital peacemaking and confl ict resolution skills. The students will explore their common ground and shared humanity while simultaneously learning to accept and celebrate their differences.

My curriculum guide includes a detailed lesson plan, activity description, discussion questions, and all the materials necessary to teach these lessons. After working with the elementary school counselors, they have adopted my curriculum and are continuing to teach it in the third, fourth, and fi fth grades.

Gabriel ZinkIn times of disaster it is not only victims’ bodies that are at risk, but their mental well-being as well. Even when they are put in temporary shelters and are safe from the cold and the rain, their minds are still under an incredible amount of stress. This led me to ask the question: what aspects of a home can be put into a transitional shelter to calm the minds of displaced people?

For my senior project I am designing and producing a transitional shelter that aims to protect its inhabitants’ physical, emotional, and mental states. Living in Asia, I have seen the effects of natural disasters, from tsunamis to typhoons, up close. In relief efforts, hundreds of people are crammed into buildings that do nothing more than keep them dry.

This is where my shelter will be set apart, as it will truly calm the victims until they can fi gure out their next move. I will tackle every problem regarding structure, materials, cost, and any others that come up. I will present each step of the design process, and explain how I solved any problems that arose.

I hope to have a fi nal product by presentation time, but if not I will present the different aspects I have completed, and explain what my next steps would be.

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Athena ZechaMy senior project explores the world of music, and aims fi nd out the steps and processes that need to be taken in order to create a piece of music, or even an entire music album. What materials do you need? What knowledge do you need to have?

I am working with my mentor, Maya Nova, a professional jazz singer based in New York, to write and record a few of my own original pieces of music, as well as a few cover songs. My goal is to compile them and produce a mini-album. With her, I am going through the whole process of brainstorming a theme, writing lyrics, editing them, exploring different writing techniques and patterns, as well as coming up with the melody and transcribing the notes onto sheet music. It is a very long process, for the most diffi cult challenge is to come up with a melody that is appropriate to the theme, and making sure that the lyrics fl ow with the melody of the song. The second part of the project is the actual recording of the songs, which will have to take place in a studio with the proper equipment.

I am also developing my communication skills. This project has presented a need for several musicians who are able to commit to helping me produce the songs. It takes a lot of reaching out, following up, and liaising with people to work through and complete the steps to produce a completed music album.

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In the Khoo Tech Puat Library resides the Center of Innovation. Established early this year, it is a pioneering project borne of educational research and development that serves not only the students, faculty, and staff but also the SAS community and the public at large. Its mission? To help generate, support, and promote leading-edge ideas and projects in a multitude of forms throughout all disciplines using the process of design thinking and its principles of collaboration, empathy, strategy, and creativity. At its core are a spirit of exploration and the tenets of the scientific method. It fosters a culture of possibility through which people can pursue interests or learning, embracing new, flexible ways of thinking.

Should you wish to pursue specific learning, mount an inquiry, conduct research, and find the technology, resources, and networks for your project, whether professional or personal, you would come to the Center of Innovation.

It builds on traditional library resources yet ventures beyond them. To be sure, it is a physical space but also, it’s a conceptual, intellectual space spanning three hubs. The information hub covers literacy, development, and technology integration; the innovation hub involves prototyping, project testing, and implementation of programs, while the impact hub provides mentoring and networking as well as sourcing external partners for projects. Ultimately, it’s a venue for the use of web-based multi-disciplinary resources, information gathering, and research as well as a platform for technology integration, project evaluation, and development supported by mentorship and networking.

To date, the Center of Innovation already supports a number of the school’s research and educational initiatives. Foremost among them is the Advanced Placement Capstone Program. SAS was one of just 130 schools in the world chosen by the College Board to pilot the Advanced Placement Capstone Program that’s now hosted by the Center of Innovation. Thirty-eight high school students take the Year 1 AP Seminar Course taught by a team of five teachers who are backed by an international panel of 18 educators. The intensive inquiry-based course engages students in multi-disciplinary, cross-curricular dialogue regarding real-world topics and issues, honing their skills for examining these through various perspectives. The course culminates in Year 2 in which the student embarks on an individual research project, tackling a question that is their passion and interest.

Dennis Steigerwald, who is also Technology, Electives, and Capstone Department Chair and AP Coordinator is at the helm of the Center of Innovation as coordinator, and alongside him is school librarian, Bob Helmer, currently in his first year at SAS. An able staff is also ready to assist you as you pursue your particular endeavor.

Are you stay-at-home homemaker contemplating an entrepreneurial venture? Are you a professional ready to test out an invention that’s been percolating for decades? Or are you a student with an idea for a new product, service, or business, or one with a book manuscript that’s simmering? All these can take root, blossom, and grow in the Center of Innovation at SAS.

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ThankYou