"I'm Rue Maghreb"

 For our final unit of Computer Science, we dove into using "if-statements" in python code. An If-statement can be used in the scenario of there being different answers a user could put in a code. We worked on our skills through trinket.io where we were able to work on some practice problems, and solve some "spot the error" python codes. As the world of AI software is constantly evolving and changing, we decided to take a look at some out there now. As we checked a "chatbot" out , it peaked out curiosity as coding students to create our own. For this AP, we were asked to design a chatbot that uses the concepts that we had discussed this entire term. I decided to develop a chatbot that works with my brand, Rue Maghreb, to educate others on the Maghreb region and its people. The bot can be a useful tool for my site that I am currently developing to be launched on November 20th! I am interested in using my coding on the welcome page to interact with my users as they enter a virtual reality of what it's like to live in the Maghreb! Check out my bot to learn more! 

Overall, I was content with the formatting of this AP. I thought it was much easier being able to recollect everything that we had learned throughout the term like using random functions, inequalities, Booleans, and more into a finished chatbot. I would say some concepts I struggled with a bit were the "El-if" statements due to formatting, including the random function. I wasn't so sure if the formatting was completely clear on the code, but the cool thing about trinket.io is that there is a sort of feedback provided if there is a wrong input! I ended up learning more from my mistakes at the end which made the rest of the code move a lot smoother. I am definitely going to use this chatbot for the introduction page of my new site on ruemaghreb,com! It's an effective chatbot that can create some form of connection with users.

The Meaning of Life in 1000 Words

For this unit, Photojournalism, we took a deep dive into the art of photography. Not just photography itself, but the way it's used to convey a message in journalism. We looked into different historical images that changed the way we as a society see the world today. From times of war to times of victory, photography has been a way for observers to visualize history in one simple picture. We also looked into the technical bits that goes into photography itself like aperture, focus, shutter speed, and the rule of thirds. For this AP, we were asked to sit down and simply have a conversation with someone about their interpretation of the meaning of life. Although it's quite a complex question, it was nice being able to hold a conversation with someone and reflect on life itself. Read my photojournalism piece below to see how my interview went!

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“What is the meaning of life?” This is the question that we have all pondered in our minds and leaves us stationary when asked. The question itself has many different meanings and interpretations to it, but it’s special being able to listen to the interpretations of others on this conceptual question. It was special for me to get the interpretation and perspective of my dear friend, Sohaib. Although he is far from me, Tangier, Morocco to be exact, I was able to set up a call with him to talk to our meanings of life earlier this week. His response had even left me feeling more inspired than ever to work towards the things I love.


“So you asked me what’s my meaning of life...I would say the meaning of life is to love what you do. Any contribution that you have made to this world should be because you were in love with the idea and thought it was the right thing to pursue.” As an economics major himself, he knows a thing or two about negotiating. It was interesting to get his perspective on intention. “If I know what I am doing for myself is going to benefit me in the long run, of course I’m going to do it,” he says. I asked, “What if the person you love is stopping you from doing what you want?” He simply responded with, “I don’t care” and continued his idea, “I know what I want in my life, and I am not having anyone stop me from what I have been working on for a while. If I end up making a decision that isn’t right, that’s my problem. I am my own person to blame. I would rather make a bad decision myself than have someone else make it for me. Why am I going to live my life dealing with the mistakes that someone else made for me?”


It hit me at that moment that I made decisions for myself that were influenced by others, even family. Getting the perspective of someone abroad, although we’re both Moroccan, was interesting. I will be a first generation college student , so many decisions regarding my career and education have been influenced by some members of my family. As Sohaib begins the next chapter of his life in university, he has started planning on making a possible move abroad for the benefit of his career and personal life. Thinking about his intention and doing what he loves is crucial at this time. It’s admirable knowing that he’s confident in the path that he is taking because he’s doing what he loves. His plan was not influenced by others, but himself. He won’t let anyone stop him from what he’s doing because he knows who it’s benefitting at the end, himself.



As Covid-19 cases are on the rise, virtual communication platforms have been the essential part of what has kept us all so connected during these pressing times. Sohaib and I managed to maintain a strong friendship during these times through platforms like FaceTime which makes us question how people could possibly communicate with one another beforehand. Taking advantage of these virtual platforms at a time like this has been essential to lead us to questions like these: “What is the meaning of life?” “Why are we here?” “What will life be like for us post-pandemic?” I’m sure everyone has questioned this some time during quarantine, but sometimes it’s nice to have the opportunity to sit down and reflect.

NBE. "Virtual Reality." 2020. Chicago. 

                                                         

This image captures a “virtual reality” for us all. It simply emulates at least one time that we ventured out to video chat during our quarantine or even talking to people abroad. Long conversations and friendships have come together through these platforms just like Sohaib and I. Although you can’t be physically face to face with the person, genuine questions spark up from them with the time you have taken out your day in order to talk to the person. It’s the intention that counts. Doing what you love comes with intention, and an app like FaceTime or WhatsApp can show the true intention of your friendship with someone. “Life’s too short to be making decisions for yourself that you don’t know why you’re doing it.” says Sohaib.


Technically speaking, when thinking about conveying “virtual reality” for others, I thought about the positions of the camera itself. I wanted someone to gain a connection with the photo rather than just seeing any other photo they’ve ever stumbled upon. The observer should be able to capture the reality of a video chat call. I captured the closest perspective that I could of Sohaib and I on FaceTime during our interview on the meaning of life. I wanted to make sure to not have a high contrast on the photo itself because it would be taking away from the main subject, us, meaning my aperture was high in order to have less light enter the camera hole. The focus of the photo was not as precise as I would have liked it to have been due to the reality of WIFI connection. Following the rule of thirds, I decided to fill in the frame rather than cutting out any part of the photo because I realized that if I had cut something out, I wouldn’t be keeping that bond that I want the observer to be feeling.


Overall, the conversation’s that I have been able to hold with Sohaib during this quarantine experience has allowed me to reflect on the purpose of this reality we are currently living in. Encountering the question of the meaning of life is never an easy question to answer, but it sure does give you the opportunity to consider the world we are living in, and our purpose. For Sohaib, his purpose is to love what he does with a set intention on accomplishing his aspirations, and inspire others the same way he inspired me.

MOVING MY WAY TOWARDS THE WORLD OF ECONOMICS

 INTRO

MY PRESENTATION


To conclude, with the help of Chicago Scholars program, I was able to have onsite interviews with five different universities, one of them being Loyola University Chicago. I am happy to announce that I have actually been accepted to Loyola University, and can say that this AP allowed me to realize that Loyola might just be the university for me. I was also recommended by the admissions team to go through the double degree Europe program which would have me study here in the states for one year, then move out to Spain to work on my degree in economics through their sister school out in Andalucia. I would essentially be graduating with a Spanish degree and U.S. degree in economics which will grant me more opportunities in the field!

Welcome to Code.Nation

 For this unit in Computer Science we dove into python coding which is a programming language. We learned the ins and outs on how to code in python, and practiced using codeskulptor and trinket.io. These platforms were a great way for us to understand how we can use what we were learning in class into an actual coding function. For this AP, we were asked to develop a python code calculator with some equation that we are currently using in our Economics class. I decided to focus on creating a calculator that allows users to get compounding interest in seconds. The second part of this AP was to create a form of letter that could be used in our Journalism class that seniors are also taking. This journalism letter will make it easier for students from wherever to construct a letter in just a few minutes after filling out some information. Check out my codes to see how they turned out! 

Compounding interest calculator

Writing a letter to your alderman

Overall, this AP allowed me to apply what I have been working on in class to my own python code that could help me in the real world. It took me a while to figure out the formatting, especially with applying the compounding interest calculator which required me to do some more research on my own. Working on compounding interest in my STEAM class was an equation that took some time for me to comprehend. Once I got a hang of using the formula in class, I realized that the process was a bit repetitive and something like a calculator would really come in handy at a time that I needed a simple answer. I think this compounding interest calculator can come in great use for time of my action project for my STEAM class, and for others as well. Writing a letter for someone like an alderman at times can seem quite repetitive or too hard to format,  but with this mad libs inspired letter, the formatting is just right. It's easier to type out some information rather than having to construct an entire message on your own. I think both of these codes can come in handy for every user, including myself. I really enjoyed this AP, and would like to push my limits further to use python code for newsletters for my clothing brand, Rue Maghreb, some time in the future.

Femicide in my America

 Hello! Welcome to the first action project for the first term of my humanities class, Journalism. Throughout this unit we covered the differentiation between fake news and real news, biased or unbiased, and more. We dove into the structure of how news articles are written by looking into inverted pyramids which give an idea of where specific information can be found. We were able to virtually participate in some classes held by Northwestern University which gave us tips on how to interview people for our action projects, and what to look into. We were also able to speak with journalist Lealan Jones, the author of Our America, which we had read in class. Our America is a book that gives you a closer look into the housing projects in Chicago. This was the inspiration behind our AP. For this action project we were asked to either ask members within our community about the issues that need to be confronted on or choose a current event to report on. I decided to tailor my report on the femicides that are increasing daily in Mexico which have led to protests due to inaction by government. Read my report to learn more!

Since March of 2020, protesters have been blocking the streets of Mexico City, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has refused to speak on the rise of femicides the country has faced since the presidential election in 2018. “They say we destroy and paint things, but it’s the only way to get the government to turn to look at us,” said one woman. “What a shame that the government wants us to destroy things” According to an article published in the The Guardian, Mexican women's patience snaps at Amlo's inaction on femicide. President AMLO and his administration's inaction to this human right situation has taken a toll on the daily lives of women in Mexico. AMLO has not found it necessary to speak on behalf of the abuse of women due to the administration being male dominated, and having “machista” idealisms.

 

Thayne Tuason,File:Femicide Protest Zocalo- protester with sign.jpg, 29 November 2019,https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Femicide_Protest_Zocalo-_protester_with_sign.jpg

 

 Back in March, a photo was released that appeared to look like a woman’s corpse throughout social media platforms which caused discussion for Mexican citizens. The photo was published by the boyfriend who killed Ingrid Escamilla after an argument. The “machista” (male dominated) presidential administration in Mexico has always overlooked sexual harassment towards women, but it’s the fact that AMLO promised possible solutions throughout his campaign that have not been met that caused an uprise, the neglecting of the safety of women.

 Although others may dispute and make the claim that Mr. Lopez Obrador “won the presidency...by promising to transform Mexico into a more equal society, and...appointed the first cabinet with gender parity in Mexico’s history, giving prominent feminists top posts” as also mentioned in article by the New York Times, these actions have clearly not changed the violent actions aimed towards women for the past year. I had the opportunity to interview a member of GirlUp, an organization development program all throughout Mexico advocating for women’s rights. “President Obrador has not kept any promises when it comes to the safety of women and protecting the rights due to the administration and police protection.” says Sara, co-founder of GirlsUp.

Recently, the administration has decided to emphasize on Mexican infrastructure by creating a $14 billion dollar plan while “Ten women die on average each day as a result of violence, with 1,932 victims last year alone” mentioned by America’s Quarterly. The infrastructure plan was made to create job opportunities throughout the country, and around the world as private sector’s in Spain have also decided to contribute. How is the plan meant to function without the support of Mexico’s citizens?

Once the photos of Ingrid Escamilla’s body were released, on March 8th, 2020 which marks International Women’s day, women in Mexico took the day to not go to work, roam around the streets, etc. in order for different industries to understand the much needed contribution of women throughout the entire country. This time not only marked history for Mexico, but also brought both males and females in male dominated industries together during this time. I also spoke to a close friend in Mexico City to get their perspective on the day in which she stated, “I could see outside my window, it was like a ghost town. All you could see were men walking, waiting for the bus, etc. to head to work for the day. I’m sure it was an eye opening experience for many with the machismo mentality.”

These underlying issues by previous administrations have caused women in Mexico to go missing, being raped, and even murdered. AMLO’s promises have now turned into lies leaving many women today worried for their lives. It’s led up to women and men uniting by taking the streets of Mexico to protest for the thousands of lives that have been lost for the past years.

 

 

Is Social Media the New Way to Execute Power in the United States?

For our last unit of Policy we dove into the three branches of U.S. government. We looked into the legislative branch, executive, and now judicial. We looked into the supreme court and the way it functions. The people who are currently in office, and the history of the branch itself. The way that the branch used to run compared to how it does today, and has impacted the lives of many here in the U.S. This term was a bit different. It took a turn at the end of the term after the death of George Floyd which lead to protests around the U.S. and riots. This is history right in front of us. I wanted to take advantage of this moment in time, and acknowledge the way the U.S. government is choosing to take this issue into account. I specifically wanted to look into our President, Donald Trump, and what he finds more important than what is going on in the streets. Take a look to my essay below that takes a deeper dive into the way the executive branch chose to change their system after riots struck in their country compared to the U.S.

Citations:
1. Bowers, John. “Trump's Executive Order Is the Most Futile Attack on 230 Yet.” Wired, Conde Nast, www.wired.com/story/opinion-trumps-executive-order-is-the-most-futile-attack-on-230-yet/.
2. Echenique, Sebastián Piñera. “Sebastián Piñera: A New Opportunity for Chile's Future.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Dec. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/opinion/pinera-chile.html.

PLANNING OUT THE NEW BUCKTOWN

As we wrap up our last unit of this term, Urban Planning, we're thinking about redesign in a new way. We started off the unit by reading part three of Devil in the White City which gave us a better idea of the turn out of the Chicago World's Fair. We got to look into the design process for architects, what they wanted the experience to turn out like, their struggles, etc. This gave us some inspiration for our AP. We also dove into other cities around the world to get their view of urban planning, how they protect their city, and sustainable ways to redesign. We watched TED Talks to look more into the complaints and/or ideas of people from communities all across the U.S. We saw what differentiates the U.S. from all other countries. We were able to take a virtual F.E. to the Chicago World's Fair and understand its history, and where it lies in Chicago today. For our AP, we were asked to redesign a block within our community or take it as far as a block in another city in the world. Look at my slideshow down below to learn more! 

To conclude, I really enjoyed this last AP of my junior year! I think it was a great way to wrap up, and I it got me thinking more about my community and where I lie in it. I think that a lot of changes could be made to my area, and it's all up to me to get those ideas out there. I think that looking into other cities for inspiration got me thinking more about the urban planning in the U.S. and how it could be changed! 

The Key to an Energy Efficient Home

For this unit of our STEAM course, Urban Planning, we took a deeper look into circuits, circuit boards, energy efficient products, Nikola Tesla, and more. We started off by learning about Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison with their participation in the War of the Currents.  We then continued on and learned about direct and alternating currents, created by these two, and understood how the devices we use today are powered by currents like these. We looked into circuit boards and diagrams. The symbols that electricians use make diagrams simple and easy to understand. We learned about these because we would need them in a bit for our action projects. We looked into what electricity is exactly and how it is created. We had a Zoom call with an FE guest, Jaclyn Marcus, an architectural designer. We were able to ask questions from how lighting can affect a person's mood to what inspired them to become a designer, etc. These answers would help us when it came to our AP. For this AP, we had to create a circuit board that would power energy efficient appliances throughout a home that we created. Look through my presentation to learn more!



To conclude, I think this project allowed me to test out how far I could go in regards to creativity and design. I saw myself trying to think of new ways to get my circuit to power more bulbs, and I finally got a hang of it. I think even during these times, using new materials around the house allowed me to explore and test things out. I am glad that this AP allowed me to do that, and I would like to do the same for the next one as well! 

Imagine the feeling of being watched?

In this first unit of our humanities course, Policy, we took a deeper look into what role legislators serve in the U.S. government. Understanding different roles played in the U.S. government gives us students a better understanding of who is representing us. Who is representing our views, values, and morals when it comes to the U.S. coalition coming together and creating policy. We were able to speak with public defender Connie Jordan, who joined us last term, to learn about how policy works in our city, state, and nation as a whole. We looked into different ordinances which helped us when it came to thinking about the issues we were passionate about seeing change on within our state, and seeing the progression these ordinances are making. For this AP, we were asked to choose a topic and ordinance that goes along with it that has yet to be passed. Our goal was to construct a letter to someone in legislation who we think represents us the best in order to get this ordinance passed. We as citizens of the U.S. have the right to our opinion and getting it out in the world because that is what democracy is. Without the opinion of the people, there would be no democracy. I chose to speak on behalf of online surveillance and cyberstalking within marginalized communities. I chose this topic after looking into Assia Boundaoui´s film, The Feeling of Being Watched, which takes a closer look into the FBI stalking the largest Islamic community in Illinois, Bridgeview. During the 1990s, Operation Vulgar Betrayal was launched by the U.S. to take a closer look into this certain community in Illinois with the perception that Islamic organizations and mosques were funding terrorist groups like Hamas. Take a closer look into my AP in order to get a better understanding of the person I am and how I want to see this state improve when it comes to online surveillance.

The Popsicle Bridge Challenge!

For Unit 1 of Urban Planning, we looked into bridges and how they can affect a neighborhood or city. We looked into different bridge and what keeps them sturdy. We learn the shape that is the most stable which is the triangle. We began to take a deeper dive into trigonometry and finding different ways to calculate the area of a triangle. For an FE, we had our STEAM teacher head out to Downtown Chicago where he was able to communicate to us via Google Meet chat and talk more about the architectural layout of the city. Get some of the ins and outs of what the city used to be compared to what it is now. We had time to research a bridge from any part of the world and look into how long it's been up for, materials used, etc. For This AP we were asked to build our own bridge solely out of popsicles and glue. This was quite the challenge, but click on my AP to learn more!

Rue Maghreb 2.0 : What steps can Rue Maghreb take in order to engage with communities around the world effectively and authentically?

Rue Maghreb has been something that I have been working hard on for the past year. This project that went from an independent study to a brand has brought me to many realizations about the world we live in, and I'm glad to be given the opportunity to work on this right at school. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, look at my AP from last year! 

Last year was packed with collaborations with street artists from Morocco, reaching out to organizations to donate to back in countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, but most importantly, I began forming the community that I wanted Rue Maghreb to be all along.  Social media interaction was beginning to happen!  Members of our community posting their latest purchases from our site, commenting on any photos we posted, sharing photos on their stories for their followers to see, direct messaging us about how our community has made them feel like they have a little outlet to go to when they miss being back home! This is what I wanted Rue Maghreb to be all along. Being able to see the power of social media right before my eyes, and how you can virtually take someone to nostalgia.

This year, Rue Maghreb announced a new member to the board, Meriem Sadoun. Meriem is someone who is motivated to continue and enhance the Rue Maghreb mission. A hard worker that only wants to best for our brand, and sees the same future as me. Rue Maghreb is not just a brand, but will eventually turn into an organization that gives job opportunities for people in El Maghreb. The problem in our countries currently, is that we have a lot of civilians with degrees in medicine, law, dentistry, etc. but there are no job opportunities available. My goal is to help with that process and spark job opportunities for the public, and a handful of other projects in potentially ten years from now. A question of mine has been, what steps can Rue Maghreb take now in order to eventually become an organization of our own? Community is something very important to us because without a community, there is no one truly backing us up on our mission and goals. We see that by launching these lines, it's not only getting people excited to purchase from us, but it's also educating the pubic on Maghreb culture and also starting up conversations with people who are misinformed. Meriem and I began working on a line for this year called 3ala Rasi which basically translates to "the crown over my head". 3ala Rasi is a metaphor we are using for our ancestors. We think of our ancestors as being something we are not only proud of, but something we share with the world everyday. We hold ancestry above others standards. Carrying out our ancestry to our future children, grandchildren, and future generations is our mission. This line will commemorate important activists in the Maghreb region, spark old traditions in a modern light, and more.

Authenticity is something we try to capture within our brand, and we want our website to translate that. My guiding question for this project was, What steps can Rue Maghreb take in order to engage with communities around the world effectively and authentically? If you want culture to reflect on your brand effectively, you have to be authentic about it. Our website will be a platform to share thoughts and ideas, blog about traditions, recipes, clothing, and so on. A place to shop, but feel nostalgia. Take you back to the souk (marketplace), roam through El Maghreb virtually while capturing the true meaning of our mission statement throughout the experience. Rue Maghreb is taking the steps it needs to take now in order to turn into something bigger. We are currently working with someone who will managing the way we choose to look at marketing on social media. We are partnering with artists from Jordan and Spain on this project in order to build relationships with others and share work others from both parts of the world. Something that we have added to Rue Maghreb is a section called "Rue Maghreb & Friends" which basically works with local or foreign artists who may be from the Maghreb diaspora or not, may be Women business owners, or anyone who is in line with our mission.

Click the link that will send you to a presentation I have created a presentation that goes more into the idea of Rue Maghreb 2.0 visually!

To conclude, I think that we are currently headed to the right direction in carrying out Rue Maghreb's mission. But most importantly, I think Rue Maghreb is taking the right steps in working towards becoming an organization in the future. Rue Maghreb is progressively becoming a platform that sparks community engagement, and this community can help create job opportunities for our countries back home. Sparking opportunities for both sides of the world, the Western & Maghreb world. 3ala Rasi will launch April 3rd, including our new site, and we are so excited to see what this year looks like for Rue Maghreb 2.0.

Website: Ruemaghreb.com
Instagram: @rue.maghreb