Category: Creative Works

Translating The Work Of Carl Sagan Into Song

Presenter(s): Guthrie Stafford − Philosophy

Faculty Mentor(s): Barbra Mossberg

Creative Work Session 3

Research Area: Science, Philosophy, Performing Arts

Our tiny blue-green jewel of a planet may not be much in the unimaginable vastness of space, but if it matters to us then we’d better show it. At least that’s what Carl Sagan had in mind when he petitioned for the Voyager space probe to turn around and take one final photo of our planet before it left the solar system, traveling on into the dark, never to return. This picture shows the Earth, the totality of our history and the history of life itself, as a single, pale blue pixel suspended like a mote of dust in a sunbeam. For Sagan, this image underscored the painful absurdity of our treatment of each other and of our only home. In translating his words on the subject into song, my hope is to bring this message to my own generation. Our parents set out to save the world and somewhere along the way got distracted by mortgage payments. It now falls on us to sidestep tribalism and partisan myopia, and we are already struggling under the weight of this responsibility. We must step back, way back, and see the world as it really is. No one is coming to save us from ourselves. There’s nowhere we can run to if things don’t work out. We have only one chance, one planet, one home. It is a herculean task. That is why I’ve tried to convey its urgency in one of the most powerful ways I know how: song.

Our Silenced Voice: Nuestra Voz Silenciada

Presenter(s): Virginia-Rose Seagal − Undeclared

Co Presenter(s): Daniel Hernandez, Andres Erasto Rosales, Erik Garcia

Faculty Mentor(s): Heather Quarles

Creative Work Session 4

Research Area: Social Science

(English) The strong front of patriotism that unifies Americans today has been emboldened by our nationalist president. Uplifted through nationalism, patriotism has provided an excuse for racism and nativism – language discrimination being one of the ways the two interact. It’s likely that anyone who has spoken their native language in public has experienced discrimination while doing so. This brief documentary is about the treatment of Spanish speakers in the United States and the use of Spanish in public during a time of high tension and xenophobia. We spoke to those with “English only” opinions as well as Spanish speakers who had experienced discrimination for speaking their language. As Spanish speakers and second generation immigrants ourselves, we often became uncomfortable during the interview process and our project evolved. It became not only about the racism of language and the effect it has on our community, but also about the importance to speak our language with pride and to create an environment of inclusivity. (Español) El empuje del patriotismo que une a Americanos hoy ha sido animado por nuestro presidente nacionalista. Elevado por el nacionalismo, el patriotismo ha previsto una excusa para el racismo y nativismo – la discriminación del lenguaje es una de las maneras que ambos interactúan. Es probable que cualquiera que haya hablado una lengua nativa que no es inglés en público ha experimentado discriminación. Este documental trata sobre los hispanohablantes y el uso del español en público en un clima de alta tensión racial y xenófobico en los Estados Unidos. Hablamos con gente con opiniones de “sólo inglés” e hispanohablantes con una variedad de experiencias de discriminación. Como hispanos hablantes y segunda generación de inmigrantes nosotros mismos, durante el proceso de entrevistas nos sentimos incómodos. El proyecto se convirtió no sólo en el racismo del lenguaje pero también el efecto que tiene en nuestras comunidades, y de la importancia de poder hablar cualquier lenguaje con orgullo como una manera de conectar con nuestra herencia y crear un ambiente inclusivo.

The Body Electronic: Exploring the Permeability of the Self in the Age of Wearable Computing

Presenter(s): Aidan Grealish − Art & Technology, General Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Colin Ives

Creative Work Session 3

Research Area: Art & Technology

Funding: Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI) Undergraduate Fellowship

Steve Mann once said that the “goal of wearable computing is to position or contextualize the computer in such a way that the human and computer are inextricably intertwined.” My project will engage with the entanglement of body and technology through the production of a series of wearable computing accessories that explore the permeability of the self and the computer in the age of the internet. Specifically, I will ask 1) How has the development of portable computing and ubiquitous internet softened the borders of self-identity? 2) To what degree must technology interact with the physical body to become a meaningful part of it? 3) Since we use these technologies as extensions of ourselves, how does our engagement with them— both in their design and use—impart agency onto the technology itself? My research and practice contributes to the quickly- growing field of human-computer interaction design. Though rapid innovation in the tech sector has produced incredible breakthroughs in computing, there is a need for alternative perspectives from outside the discipline; as technology becomes part of our very identities we must engage it with a critical and humanitarian eye. Visual arts practice is the ideal methodology for this engagement because the artist participates in every step of the design, execution, and communication of their work, allowing for a self-reflective analysis of the decisions and methodologies that contribute to the production of objects. This project will result in three end products: a collection of wearable computing objects, a production journal documenting my design and fabrication process, and a final manuscript detailing my findings for dissemination. My research-based practice will provide insight into human engagement with technological tools and will inspire discussion about the conception of self and the place of visual arts in the high-tech future.

The Loss Of Native Hawaiian Culture Resulting from Migration to the Pacific Northwest

Presenter(s): Kris Galago − Ethnic Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Stephanie Lani Teves, Sharon Luk

Creative Work Session 4

Research Area: Ethnic Studies

In the past 20 years a significant number of pacific islanders have moved away from their pacific island homelands to the continental United States for perceived ‘better opportunities’. In that migration, some Native Hawaiian cultural traditions were not perpetuated. From a survey of discourse on colonialism in Hawaii in both literary studies and history, the erasure
of Native Hawaiian culture grounds much of the theory and analysis about Native Hawaiian migration to the mainland and the loss of culture when this occurs. I analyze general themes prominent in scholarly literature most grounded in Native Hawaiian colonial studies: experience of relocation, perpetuation of culture, loss of culture, connection to land and family and institutional racism.

I investigate the ways that the Pacific Islander cultures are being practiced and perpetuated in the continental United States. Participant interviews make up the majority of my research data along with insight gained from attending, observing and participating in various community event in the Pacific Northwest centered around the Native Hawaiian culture and arts.
A close examination of archival records obtained from two key archival sources: The Office of Hawaiian Affairs demographic data on diaspora of Native Hawaiians, and the U.S. Census information on Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders will also be key to understanding the rate and frequency of Native Hawaiian migration away from Hawaii. I conclude by sharing insight as to whether the decision to perpetuate the Native Hawaiian culture in the Pacific Northwest is a conscious one or not.

Dance and Camera

Presenter(s): Denae Brocksmith − Dance

Faculty Mentor(s): Shannon Mockli

Creative Work Session 4

Research Area: Performing arts, Film/Media

Funding: UROP Mini-grant

Screendance is an emergent medium that is the marriage between the arts of choreography and film. With support from a UROP mini-grant, I was able to attend a workshop presented by renown filmmaker and composer Thierry de Mey in Salt Lake City. The workshop focused on how the processes of capturing movement and editing film can add to the artistic process of choreography. With this fresh knowledge, I began creating a screendance with a local production team headed by Jake Reynolds of Reyn Photography and FPW Media. For this project, beyond the workshop, the research is in the practice and process. I have investigated what it is to create a film from a choreographic perspective, and the relationships between choreographer, camera man, director, sound engineer, editor, music composer, dancer, and costume designer/coordinator. Within the practice of choreographing and creating a screendance, I’ve created a piece with a subject that explores theories of how we accept our inevitable end, death. The research on this subject matter stems from being reawakened to these concepts and theories as dear elderly loved ones come near the end of their lives. For me, this project is not only practical research, but personal exploration as well.