(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, May 5, 2021)
The James E. Bazzell Middle School (JEBMS) is home to a pair of state championship projects prepared by STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program) students. Last week, projects by eighth-graders Emma Gammons and Emma Brown were chosen as best in the state in the annual STLP state convention championships.
Bazzell Middle School STLP sponsor Cynthia Stovall is quick to note that Gammons and Brown’s achievement comes as no surprise given the talents of the pair.
“Emma Gammons loves to draw and sketch,” Stovall added. “Emma created this piece because she was concerned about the choices that the American people were making with all the turmoil that we have seen across our country. The image really speaks for itself. Emma’s work is really amazing, and we are so proud of her accomplishments and the patriotic message that she addressed with her work.”
“Emma Brown loves to make animated videos in her spare time,” explainedStovall. “Emma has so many talents and is an amazing animator. We are so proud of her and her digital animations. They really do tell a story.”
Gammon’s winning entry (https://www.allen.kyschools.us/GraphicDesign2.aspx) was in Graphic Design with her finished project revolving around the question, “Where is My Liberty: If She Could Speak.”
In her project reflection, the youngster explained her thought process in composing the design.
“America has been a symbol of hope,” Gammons wrote. “People throughout history have always wanted to come to our great country for this hope, for the American Dream, for freedom. Are people still going to think of our country the same way based on the choices that some Americans are making? Lady Liberty questions our future and our forever. This is why I created a digital Forever stamp with a drawing that I sketched and digitized for my graphic design project.”
Gammons adds that the project also led her to ponder many questions on what liberty means and if we should be proud of America.
“This is what I wondered when making this piece,” Gammons noted. “I drew the Statue of Liberty hiding her face around the time that American citizens broke into the Capitol. I wanted to encourage Americans and people around the world to be their best selves. I wanted to create a piece that speaks to the audience. What would Lady Liberty be saying about the country she symbolizes if she could speak? I wanted to create a work of art that would speak for her. Can you
hear it? Can you see it? Can you feel it? I did not mean any disrespect to Lady Liberty or what she stands for, but instead I wanted to bring awareness to the ‘real’ America. I wanted to create a visual that would represent how many Americans feel. Will we still have the same hope, liberty, and freedom that our country once had? I know Lady Liberty has doubt and may be questioning our ‘Forever.’ Are liberty and justice really represented in America? How can we be better as Americans? Should we be proud of America? Of course, we should. America is a country that we should love and be proud of, but the choices that some Americans are making are quite embarrassing and scary? This is why I had the Statue of Liberty positioned with her head down and her hand over her face. It is as if she can’t bear to watch. The Statue of Liberty represents freedom but is freedom really represented in the United States? Do all people share the same freedoms? Recently the answer has been clear. People of color are being discriminated against and women all over the country do not have the same rights as men. These are things I care greatly about, and I wanted to represent that in my piece.”
Not only did Gammons consider what liberty means but also what liberty will look like going forward into forever.
“Does forever really mean forever?” Gammons asked herself. “Where will our country be if we continue down the same path we have for the past few years with riots and aggression toward one another? Will our country forever be recognized as a country with liberty and justice? We must ask ourselves these questions in order to evaluate what is going on and where the future of our country is headed. Lady Liberty is waiting. It is like she is saying “Forever? I am yours if you still want me.”
To complete the process and thus create the final design, Gammons explained that several steps had to be taken.
“I created a pencil drawing of the Statue of Liberty on a piece of mixed media paper and then I scanned my drawing on a copying machine,” Gammons explained. “I used the editing software on pixlr.com/editor/. I transferred my drawing there and removed the background by adding a transparent layer behind my image and then using a combination of the wand select tool and an eraser to erase the paper from my scanned image. I saved my edited image as a png file so as to save the transparency. I opened up the PicMonkey website and added the png file of my transparent drawing to PicMonkey. I then added red as the background color and added a faded stone texture to the background. Next, I added the words, liberty and justice. I created a stamp graphic by layering multiple circle graphics. I added a USA circle graphic and changed the transparency so that together they formed a watermark. I changed the blending mode to "difference" to match the color of the watermark to the color of the fonts. I added the text ¨forever¨ vertically on the side to represent a forever stamp.”
Gammons also placed in the top 10 in the state for an Infographic project entitled “Giving Back and Changing the World.” Her process and the finished project can be viewed at https://www.allen.kyschools.us/Infographic.aspx.
Brown’s automated PSA project (https://www.allen.kyschools.us/PSA2.aspx) was selected as the state’s best in the Animated Public Service category.
“The point of this project was to design a PSA that markets a product or idea,” Stovall explained. “The PSA had to be either 15, 30 or 60 seconds. The time had to be exact. Next, Emma had to think of an idea or message that she wanted to market with this video. Then all of the ideas were combined to create the final product.”
Brown points out that selecting a topic was easy. From there, using Flipaclip, she started to create.
“I was inspired by my love of animation and my love for animals,” Brown wrote in her project reflection. “I begin by thinking about a topic I want to sketch. For this animation, I decided to sketch out a girl that got a dog. The dog was wanting to play, but she was on her phone. This is a connection that will not last, but if you make a connection with a pet, the love and friendship is a connection that will last. So, my message is to make that connection with your pet or adopt a pet and make a connection that will last.”
To complete the project, Brown turned to one of her favorite activities.
“Then I sketched out all of my own characters on the scene,” Brown continued. “I love to draw so that is what makes this animation more personal. Once I draw an animation, I go ahead and color it so I don’t have to color over the animation. However, in this animation, I waited and colored everything after I put it in my animation. Then I went back and added the text. After I was finished, I added the movie to an iMovie. Since it was a playful situation with the dog, I wanted to add playful music. So, I added “Why” by Freckland from within the iMovie app. Then I added black backgrounds and put them in title screens. All of this combined made a 30-second PSA.”
Brown was quick to note that creating animations is something she really enjoys doing weekly.
“It was a great experience putting my animation in a PSA,” Brown added. “I love making animations. I usually create two or so a week, but it depends on how long it takes me to make one. Sometimes I spend several hours for two or three days. Sometimes, I can finish one in a day. It truly depends on my motivation for doing the animation. I hope my work with animation in this PSA can make a difference.”
In addition to the first-place achievements for Gammons and Brown, four Bazzell students were considered semifinalists in various categories.
Jaylynne Hinton placed in the state top seven in Graphic Design. Hinton created a design around the theme “Pease Save our Home” ---a project exploring the subject of pollution.
“I originally started thinking about social, racial, and environmental problems I wished to address,” Hinton said. “I used these ideas to drive a mixed media project earlier this year. That project was a tryptic. One image showed the problem with ocean pollution and how it kills many sea creatures. I thought that I could incorporate that idea and expand on it to make another piece showing what ocean pollution does.”
Hinton’s design can be viewed at https://www.allen.kyschools.us/GraphicDesign21.aspx
Ellie Pearson and Aubrie Naiser also submitted original photo projects that were in the state’s top 19. Both photo project stemmed from a look into yesteryear without leaving the school campus.
“There are a few times during the day when our teachers take us outside for a mask break,” Pearson explained. “It was during this time that I noticed an old white building. It sort of looked like a little white one room church. It was really neat to see it. Because of my interest in it, my teacher took a few of us over and showed us around.”
Pearson is referencing the Davasher one-room school that, years ago, was moved to the District campus and sits adjacent to the middle school. Her picture and additional thoughts can be found at https://www.allen.kyschools.us/OriginalPhoto.aspx
For Naiser, looking at the one-room school led to a thought of a simpler time in our country.
“I titled my photo project ‘Free’ because it just seems like going to school in a little one schoolhouse would provide freedom,” Naiser said, adding “Freedom to come and learn. The simplistic life at this school would not have had to deal with all the things that we have seen in our schools in the last year. The reason being is that only a few people were enrolled at each of these old one-room schools in our county.”
Naiser reflection and photo can be seen at https://www.allen.kyschools.us/OriginalPhoto2.aspx.
A Digital Art project using Blender project from Joshwa LaVigne were among the top 23 in state competition as well.
“I got my inspiration to make this model from the original character made by Scott Cawthon,” LaVigne wrote in his reflection. “My version of the original character is broken down, ready to be scrapped, but still seeking resolution. I was going to use the model to do an animation, but when I learned that I could submit it as a Digital Art project, I decided to use the model for a scene and submit it.”
His project can be viewed at https://www.allen.kyschools.us/DigitalArt3.aspx.
Tristan McQuern also represented the school with his digital art piece but did not reach semifinal status.
The students’ achievements cap a different-looking STLP year given the ongoing pandemic. Unlike non-COVID years when presentations are made in person at both regional and state levels, this year, the students were asked to showcase their skills through online and virtual presentations---this bringing the technology embraced by the club to the forefront in a new way.
“The STLP projects that were submitted this year were digital projects that were judged digitally,” explained Stovall. “Digital Product Online Judging was utilized to honor the restrictions for social distancing. While it is rewarding to present in person, this was a very close substitution. In addition, the scoring process was the same as before COVID, which has always been rather tough. I am very proud of our students for working so diligently. I think it helped the students to present virtually since on the days the students weren’t here, we communicated virtually. They grew accustomed to it.”
This year’s achievements is another accomplishment in a long list of success for the Bazzell STLP program.
“We have had several state champions over the years,” Stovall added. “I have been a STLP coach for over 20 years. Each year is always different and exciting with all the different possibilities that the STLP program offers. To say that I enjoy working with the students is an understatement. I am very proud of those that participated.”
The accomplishment list over the years includes state championships for Heritage Council Video (twice), Cinemania---48 hour Video Competition. (three times), Sphero Hero (coding & storytelling), Book Trailer, Best in Group Showcase Projects (four years), Photo on Demand, Graphic Design, (twice), Manipulated Photo, Public Service Announcement -(PSA and Feature Video (twice). Several more individual products have also won at the state level. In 2012, Bazzell won a Best in Showcase Project.