The Process and Preparation
By Norah Laughter
There are four service projects currently in the works, all of which are very different from one another in medium and in message. Some are artistic, relying on the blending of unobstructed creativity and scientific knowledge, while some are more blunt and active.
In an unused and off-limits study room of the CHA dormitory, one group works on creating a stop motion video that explores the basics of DNA, RNA, Coronavirus, and CRISPR-Cas9.
To create this video, the students are using Play-Doh to form the double helix structure of DNA and painted wood blocks to represent DNA base pairs. Because the video is stop motion, it is imperative that the camera remains in a fixed position when capturing the individual still pictures. The students, innovative as ever, decided to place their phone in the ceiling tile to prevent movement and get the best angle for the shot. To capture each picture, Ashley Kendall uses her Apple watch to control her phone.
There is an additional phone in the ceiling to capture a time lapse of the process. “The process is painstaking,” Ashley says as Siya tactfully moves individual pieces of the overall picture.
“I am excited to see how this turns out,” says Teresa Curry, another member of the group, when asked about how the feels the final product will turn out.
The stop motion will be available on this blog upon completion.
In another room of Franklin College, students Eliza Heinrich and Jennifer Wilkerson work on creating a pamphlet for distribution to the local community.
“ The goal is to spread awareness on the facts of Covid-19 vaccine and convince people to get the vaccine and disregard myths,” says Eliza. The two girls are using Canva, and online editing program, to design their pamphlet. The two aim to limit vaccine hesitancy by passively spreading information.
Previously, Eliza and Jennifer had planned to bring signs and stand in the streets, dropping one sign at a time to reveal a message about Covid-19 vaccines to the cars in front of them. However, due to logistics concerns, the class decided it would be best to focus on a more passive form of spreading information to the public.
The pamphlet will be available digitally on this blog upon the completion of the project.
After being inspired by Samuel “Snacks” Hawkins, a local slam poet who came to speak to the CHA students, a group was formed with the intention of creating a spoken word poem highlighting the role of women in science. One of the most important takeaways from the book The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson was that women are often unfairly treated in the scientific community, even in modern times. Jennifer Doudna, a Nobel Prize winner and overall awesome scientists, was the subject of the novel, and as a women, there were plenty of instances where she dealt with unfair, sexist treatment by her peers. The poem this group is writing mentions Doudna, as well as other female scientists. The poem will be performed and posted on this blog upon completion.
Across the hall, another group focuses on creating a PSA that is more direct in distribution. The goal is to spread information about how vaccines work and validate the science; one of the largest barriers to receiving vaccines is lack of understanding, which this group aims to treat. The students want to go out “Mormon-style” and hand out fliers to community members. They plan to wear posters to draw attention to themselves to reach a larger audience.
