The C.O.O.L Lopper

For this course, Design & Engineering. My partner and I were to choose a tool at home depot that most stood out to us. We brainstormed ideas to redesign our tool in a less stressful, painful and simpler way for the elderly. We chose to research the Lopper, a cutting tool. The most challenging thing was thinking of a way to upgrade your chosen tool and making it better. What I learned from this action project was the different ways designers think and how they have to make prototypes to see if the consumer like what they created. What I am most proud of is our redesigned tool, I actually thought the lopper was already simpler. Making it simpler was the hardest but you learn so much and get very creative.

My partner and I decided to give The C.o.o.l Lopper wheels, there's actually three because we thought that having two wheels was just going to be unbalanced and not still. So it's actually easier to move around. The wheels also are water resistance so it can be in water and it won't slip and has lots of rubber. We added a height adjustable stick to change the height of the lopper any way you want it to be, it's also rotatable. The stepper attached to the bottom is to open the blade when is pushed down and when you let it go it will cut and will also close the blade. On the side of the lopper we have firm jelly handles for the elderly's hands. We made it that way so that it wouldn't put so much stress on the hands when trying to push down the stepper. Inside the legs and stepper we have a pulley system which is connected to the lopper whenever it's opening and closing.  On the bottom of the blade, when the stepper is pushed and release to cut there's a bumper that stops the blade from going too far.  We made it so that it's light and the elderly won't have to make so much effort and strength to drag the tool around the garden. The legs and handles are foldable for storage too. The other Loppers that have been upgraded were very different. Some had bent handles for better comfort and leverage. Some were smaller to carry around and easier to cut.

Everything has been redesigned is for the elderly, so they can feel comfortable and not left out, because they're older. Even though they have made plenty upgrades we thought this lopper will be more effect-able and more usable since it has more gear and it's not that heavy and it can be moved around easily. The existing examples of the original lopper is

• The handles are designed to give the person more leverage, a better grip.
• The lopper has a bumper that is used when doing force in, when cutting which prevents you from crushing your fingers together.
• The maximum cutting capacity is 1.5 & the blade is curved to make the cutting more efficient and smooth.

The C.o.o.l Lopper demonstrates empathy by making people feel an emotion of the experience and putting themselves in someone else's shoes. Knowing that the tool is made for the elderly, they get a better understanding of why the tool is designed the way it's designed. This quote “I love to cut branches, weeds and grass” is relevant to this tool because the lopper is used to cut branches and small things.

J.R, NVA (2015). The C.o.o.l Lopper

J.R, NVA (2015). The C.o.o.l Lopper

J.R, NVA (2015). The C.o.o.l Lopper

Summer Day Camp With ICI

On my summer break, I attended Inner City Impact known as ICI which provided me the place to do my community service hours for school. Inner City Impact is a Christian organization/program located in the Logan Square area, where I have been going since the third grade. Inner City Impact is a place of bringing hope to inner city kids and impacting lives to impact generations. I can say ICI is my second home, I go there probably 4-5 times a week. Every summer, ICI does a day camp event for kids in grades K-5th. What they do is group the kids by grade and they rotate after every 30 minutes. Each group is either in a bible lesson, having snacks, crafting or playing a game.

When day camp started, I was very nervous and scared. I was not prepared to handle with parents and so many kids. They had me in charge of signing up kids to attend day camp. The most challenging thing was signing kids up, I was not being prepared to deal with so many children and speak with parents all at the same time. Day camp lasted for a whole month. Every day 100-120 came to have fun and learn about the word of god. I learned to be very patient and understanding with these kids. They got very attached to me very quick and so did I. I got to talk to so many kids and know them pretty well. It made me sad that I had to go because it was done. If I ever have to do more hours I'll definitely do it with Inner City Impact.

D.W (2015). Inner City Impact

D.W (2015). Inner City Impact 

Flamin' Hot Cheetos En La Isla

In this course, Rhetoric, I was to choose a topic of what will be to write a speech about what I considered important. I chose to speak about my favorite chips, Flamin' Hot Cheetos being and the need for these tasty snacks to be sold in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this project is to know about your topic, apply rhetorical techniques to your speech, and convince the audience. The most challenging thing about this action project was conducting my research in order to boost my logos, but mainly finding the bad things Flamin' Hot Cheetos do to young kids. On the good side, my research makes me want to change the way I eat sometimes (they're so addictive!). What I am most proud of is producing an action project about my favorite chips and a place I love to be sold in Puerto Rico, which is where my blood comes from. I chose to speak about Flamin' Hot Cheetos because they’re one of the most purchased snacks in Chicago. These (not-so-healthy) chips are very addictive and have a unique taste- different. This is why I would like to have Flamin' Hot Cheetos sold in Puerto Rico, since all the stores sell currently are cheese Cheetos.

                       

Flamin' Hot Cheetos En La Isla by JR from GCE Lab School on Vimeo.

Flamin' Hot Cheetos were introduced to the U.S in 1992 being some of the most tastiest, most addictive and mouth-watering chips. Right now, they are the top selling chips in the U.S. These chips are everywhere in the states, which with virtually every teen consuming them multiple times a week. Flamin' Hot Cheetos are my favorite because they're spicy enough without burning up your whole mouth and throat, salty and enjoyable. I had just assumed these chips were sold everywhere in the world, until I went to Puerto Rico.

The first time I went to this beautiful island, Puerto Rico was in 2014 with the mindset of it being pretty similar to parts of Chicago. Puerto Rico is extremely different from the states however, it’s very hot, humid and overly GREEN--nothing like the city. Nobody had told me about hot chips not being sold in Puerto Rico before my first trip there. I naturally, brought a bag on with me to snack on during my flight there, which I ate immediately on that first day being there. I went to the store on the island to restock my chips. Little did I know at the time, but I was looking in vain for Flamin' Hot Cheetos, browsing the snack aisle confident that I was going to be eating some hot chips in Puerto Rico. As, I looked around the snack section all I saw were Lay's, Doritos and other typical Puerto Rican chips. The only flavors they had for Cheetos was cheese. I'm not a big fan. I even asked one of the workers, but she just looked highly confused by my request for the spicy chips. The one thing that I had in my mind all that day was those chips, and them not to exist in Puerto Rico literally broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I desired those chips so much, it made me want to go back home. I stayed in Puerto Rico for a whole month without them, making myself eat other, different chips to kick off the need from my body.

I feel like Flamin' Hot Cheetos should be sold in Puerto Rico because they're the most awesome snacks ever. They're sensationally good and spicy with a hint of salt and very crunchy. They're not so expensive either; they'll be bought quickly and could spread fast around Puerto Rico, depending on the types of taste that people favor. Some might not buy them at first because they’re already used to eating cheese-flavored chips. Flamin' Hot Cheetos might be very spicy but hey, once you eat and taste Hot Cheetos there's no going back. I'm confident, though, because of their delicious taste, these chips will win over the people of Puerto Rico over time. And for those who argue that this snack isn't healthy, my advice is to eat them in moderation. But at least have the chance to enjoy them sometimes!