Journal Update #5 - 9/26/19
This would be the first week in my practicum experience without any meetings, scheduling, or logistics planning; I had time alone to work on my end-of-the-year deliverable. At this point, I the only direct expectation for this project was for it to share a list of best practices (that I will also be collecting). I had no idea regarding the vehicle and format for the message, but I was interested in building an art piece using available resources. My biggest grips at this time was funding as I had not made it clear to Rebecca, Roel, or Sareen about any monetary implication of the project. It was too late to apply for the McBride Practicum Scholarship, and Rebecca mentioned that the budget for Every Oredigger was limited for the time-being. As a result, my biggest constraint was producing a high quality public art piece for Mines that would also be cost efficient (for a college student). This implied that I could not hire any professionals, use any costly services, or buy expensive art materials. My first inclination related to using the Maker Space Blaster Design Factory in Brown Building. However, this prototyping space offered services in 3D Printing, vinyl cutting, and heat pressing, and I didn't think that these would be practical for my project. So far, this brainstorming hurdle has proved to be the first roadblock in my practicum despite my progress last week.
The lull in my motivation was relinquished in the evening of September 25 as I was walking home from my last afternoon class. I saw a man walking his dog, and its breed reminded me of a similar dog from a church in my hometown. I spent most of that walk admiring the nostalgia of my hometown church until my mind came upon The Ten Commandments. In this particular church, the commandments were displayed on a massive wooden board which was hung up near the building's entrance. I always marveled at how aesthetically pleasing this list was and how it gave justice to the meaning behind the words. As one would think, my practicum final project finally clicked; I would make these Ten Commandments. I have certification in laser engraving and a good friend of mine works in the laser engraving shop in the basement of Brown Building. I would purchase three wooden boards, which was relatively inexpensive, and I could laser engrave a list onto each of them. With the help of the building managers of the library and/or student center, I can then proceed to display these three boards to the public. It was all coming together. While the idea was still fresh in my mind, I drafted a proposal form that included a CAD prototype image of the three wooden boards. I plan to share this idea in the next Every Oredigger meeting or whenever I get the chance. I was finally back on track to fulfilling this practicum.