Last Weekly Post

The End

Share one final summary post. Use it to tell us whatever you want about the work of the class, your final project, and The End.

Overall

What a semester it has been! DS 106 has been a wonderful experience and a wonderful course to take in my last semester as a student at the University of Mary Washington. I was able to learn a variety of things; from the apocalyptic genre to how to properly use iMovie. I have been able to expand my skill set, as well as earn new skills throughout the semester.

My Final Project

The final assignment made me both giggle and get a huge headache. I immediately thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” Searching through the evidence that my classmates have already discovered was interesting, it really showed the creative nature of this course. I was able to manipulate the work from my peers and make it into something entirely of its own. I concluded that The End was caused by a mysterious placement of “ground beef” around the Fredericksburg, Va area and more specifically on the campus of the University of Mary Washington. It turns out that this beef product was not beef at all, but brains. In combination with tainted meat and the weakened immune systems of students due to final exam stress, this population was perfect to breed an infection.

The end

I would personally like to thank my classmates, specifically those who I worked with on the “Girls Guide to the Apocalypse” DS106 radio show: Morgan Burke, Elizabeth Finto, Taylor Malone, Emily Sanborn. Additionally, I would like to thank Professor Martha Burtis for a great semester!

 

Following Evidence: Part 3

Following Liz

To finalize all of the evidence that I have looked at thus far, I wanted to wrap up with this radio broadcast found by Liz. The broadcast announces an emergency across the local area of an “infection.” After reading the discoveries from Shannon and Lauren regarding the bloody, ground beef they have been exposed to I theorized a link between this “beef” and the unusual behavior around the University of Mary Washington campus and more generally, the Fredericksburg, Va area. This broadcast confirms that this unusual behavior isn’t just stress-related due to the upcoming final exams. This is something bigger.

Emergency Broadcast

I have come to the final conclusion that “The End” is coming thanks to an infection stemming from unusual amounts of ground beef. After my investigation, I discovered that this ground beef was no beef at all, but instead, it is brains. How they were placed around Fredericksburg, Va is beyond me. It is possible that someone is plotting or planning an apocalyptic end? That is definitely something to continue researching. For now, it is important to narrow down zombie behavior or stressed student behavior.

Buzzfeed Quiz

This assignment portrays various questions to discover if you are either an infected zombie, a stressed-out student, or safe from the end. To make this quiz, first I had to create an account with Buzzfeed and then open a personality quiz template. The first step in making a Buzzfeed quiz is putting in your results, this includes the result title, a short description, and a thumbnail image. Next, you input the questions you would like to ask. You can change the font and color and text size, it was really cool! After the results and the questions are completed, I then gave my quiz a title and a description and another thumbnail. Overall it was a really fun project to work on. I have always wondered how Buzzfeed quizzes got made and now I know! Below is a link to the quiz:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachrachmel/are-you-a-zombie-or-just-a-stressed-out-student-r-3f6k2?utm_term=.mxB5JMP55#.pgdk4aNkk

Following Evidence: Part 2

Following Lauren

Lauren’s discovery of food remnants in the University Center (UC) dining hall is definitely something to cringe away from… the images that she has provided to back up her research portray raw beef and bloody napkins left on tables. First of all, gross. Second of all, this sounds oddly familiar.

Two Infections?!

In a blog post I posted last week, I considered a theory of the raw beef product left on the doorstep of another classmate. This theme of raw, bloody beef is something to note. There is a trend going on here people. Between the beef in the UC and the beef on Shannon’s doorstep, I think it is fair to assume this product is being used for consumption (GROSS, again). It doesn’t matter if it raw beef or brains, either one is foul and will make you sick! Additionally, to follow up this statement, we have to note the infection of students. People on campus are feeling funky and acting weird. Maybe it’s the stress of the end of the semester, but I think it is more likely to be attributed to our mystery meat product. There is a correlation between “beef” and infection.

Visual Assignment

This Visual Assignment portrays a Post-it note of a UMW student’s final to-do list for the end of the school year. To complete this assignment I used Canva.com. I used an Instagram template to get a nice “square” effect for my Post-it note. First I picked the perfect shade of Post-it note yellow as my background and then continued to the add a triangle shape in the corner, and manipulated the colors of the shape, to imitate a fold on the note. Then I added text! I made nine separate text boxes to get the exact look that I wanted. Then I added mark boxes and check marks and a line to scratch off an item, just little things to complete the look and give the feel of a real to-do list.

Daily Creates (Week Fourteen)

Let’s give @NetKidHorse a name. Name this horse!

This horse has no name. This horse is not a horse. Give this horse a name. It needs a name!

To give this horse a proper name, I really looked at him. You know how people all the time say, “She really looks like a Brittany” or “He looks like an Austin.” We always give things a name based on how they look. I gave this no-named horse the name Spee because of the curls in his/her mane. I thought it was fitting!

Draw the most important person in your life

In order to celebrate and thank those that get us through the hard times, draw the most important person (or people) in your life. This can be family, friends, a teacher, or you could even draw your pet! Show us how much you love them, and show them too!

To complete this assignment I chose to draw a picture of my boyfriend, Tucker. Though the term “boyfriend” sounds so juvenile and potentially fleeting, I wanted to portray him because at this point in my life he deserves to be celebrated. This year has been particularly rough for me on several different aspects, but Tucker has always been right by my side.He is my best friend, my therapist, my supporter, AND my boyfriend. For all that he has done for me, he deserves this mini portrait to show how much I appreciate him.

Ice-cream Extravaganza! Sometimes the freezer section just doesn’t have what suits your craving. Create your own delicious concoction!

Add all your favorite things to an ice-cream tub to create your own ice-cream flavor.

Like several other submissions, I did not “create” this ice cream. I got this small cone at a cart in Paris, France outside of the entrance to the Luxemburg Gardens. It was a wonderful experience and a wonderful ice cream, or gelato to be technical. It flavor? White chocolate.

Use a GIF describing your experience within DS 106.

I completed this assignment by going to Twitter and choosing a GIF directly from the textbox. I searched “hard working,” and this was the option that I thought most accurately fit my experience within DS106.

Daily Creates (Week Thirteen)

Tweet your mood today in a GIF!

What is your mood today? Find a GIF that relates to your mood for the day and tweet it!

I completed this assignment by going directly to Twitter and searching through “stressed” GIF options within the text box provided to compose a tweet. Very simple, very fun!

Don’t Dream It, Vine It: Use videos from your phone to make an aesthetic video.

Use random videos from your phone and to make a short aesthetic video (vine). You can set your video to music or use the raw audio from your videos.

I completed this assignment using my iPhone 7. I used the application Snapchat to film and had filters/effects. Then I saved it to my Camera Roll and trimmed it to it was at the traditional 6 seconds of a Vine (RIP). Finally, I uploaded it to Instagram, because Twitter does not support videos on their application yet.

A random word poem

Use this random word generator and write a haiku (5, 7, 5 syllables) about the first word you generate!

To complete this assignment I went to the random word generator provided in the prompt. I selected the number of words I wanted (1) and said I wanted the first letter to be an “O” and the last letter to be a “D.” Finally, I said I wanted my number of syllables to equal 2. The word I got was “opposed.”

Following Evidence: Part 1

Following Shannon

Shannon’s discovery of beef on her front porch is definitely disturbing. On top of that, it’s so unusual. My mother has always said if something doesn’t feel right or if something doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t right. So essentially, trust your gut!

Evidence…?

In regards to beef on the porch, this isn’t right. People don’t leave ground beef, in a plastic bag, on someone’s porch? Well, unless it’s a prank, but still that’s weird. There has to be a motive. Is someone hinting towards The End? Did someone drop their dinner plans in passing? With all of these potential possibilities, it’s hard to sift through the information. BUT I have a hunch… what if it wasn’t beef at all? What if it was brains? Stay tuned to my blog posts as I continue my research.

Design Assignment

I completed this assignment on Canva.com. I opened the Card template and then proceeded to Elements to use a solid, black square. I moved the square over to my template to create a “split effect.” Next, I opened two text boxes one for BEEF and the other for BRAINS. Then I changed the text to match the theme for both sides of the image. Finally, I went to Google Images and searched for a PNG of both objects and put them onto the template.


Week Twelve

Week Twelve

Week twelve was a blast for me. I loved being able to go through and pick out which assignments I wanted to do! Additionally, I loved that the demands for DS106 were not as great as they have been in past weeks. At this point in the semester/school year coursework is becoming extremely demanding, so I appreciated what we had to do in the class.

Question of the Week

Look to your right. The thing you see is the only weapon you’ll have during the End. How will you use it to survive?

My black vest. Oh good… this should turn out well for me! Um… I could wrap it around someone’s neck and choke them out? Seems a little dark, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Share Your Evidence

My Evidence

Write a blog post in which you share your found evidence. Tell us the story behind your finding of it. Share the post on Twitter using #theend106 #evidence.

I have recently been in contact with my old radio show group, and we all had something to say about the current state of our classmates. Week after week we have noticed a lack of motivation in the blogs of our peers. We noted that at the beginning of the semester, blog posts and Twitter post were enthusiastic and engaged, but now… not so much. Additionally, we’ve noted stress-related illnesses. Student’s all across the campus of Mary Washington have been missing from classrooms and from campus walk. You can occasionally find masses of students in the Hurley Convergence center or in Blackstone.

This odd behavior can be attributed to a plague-like disease. Nothing here will be declared today, not before we have more evidence, but this is a public service announcement for all members of the UMW Community: Be aware and stay sane.

#theend106 #ds106 #evidence #senioritis

 

 

@offreds_tale

Create Finsta Instagram (4 Stars)

Create an alternate Instagram page that depicts you as another character unlike yourself! Post an intro post that describes the character you have described to be.

I completed this assignment on Instagram. First, I had to create a new Gmail account because the email accounts I currently have are being used for my personal account and for my DS106 account. After the Gmail was made then I could make Offred’s Instagram! I had her follow some actors from “The Handmaid’s Tale” HULU series, just to top some things off. The account becoming more and more complete. Next, I went to Google Images to pull some content for her page. I found four images I wanted to use and created a post for each of them.

Her Instagram account is super hip. If you want to follow her go to the link: https://www.instagram.com/offreds_tale/

Minimalist Travel Poster: “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Minimalist Travel Posters Based In Movies (3 Stars)

Create a minimalistic travel poster for a location in film, TV series, etc.

I completed this assignment at Canva.com. I personally have been using this website for years and I am absolutely in love with it; there is so much you can do! Before I even opened Canva, I did a little research on both minimalistic movie covers and previous book covers for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Once I had some inspiration under my belt, I went to Canva and picked the “Poster” template. Then, I went under “Bkground” and handpicked a shade of red. Next, I added two text boxes and changed the font to complete my headings and finally, I simply added two shapes to imitate the image of a handmaid facing the ground. The assignment asked for minimal and I produced minimally!