As you might recall, an important component of the ARCC Gap Semester is the Capstone Passion Project that each student develops over the duration of the semester. The Capstone Passion Project is a way for each student to channel their own curiosity into a specific project. Each week, the group has been delving into the Course Reader and learning more about each place we go. Many students have been completing interviews to get more information about their topic. Below is each student’s initial Capstone proposal. Each project is a unique reflection of the student, and we are so excited to share the projects that they have been exploring this semester. Students will present their final products to the group in their method of choice at the end of the semester. These presentations will be recorded so that each student has something tangible to take with them after the semester concludes.

Sienna:

I was thinking of making a short story – a young woman from Vietnam, a young woman from Cambodia, and a young woman from Thailand meeting and discussing their roles in society.  I will focus on what similarities and differences are there in the roles of women in Southeast Asian society. To present, I will probably do a popcorn read aloud, but I’m not sure what mode will make the most sense. I’ve talked with one of our guides, Ru, in Sapa, and I am excited to learn from other partners!

Noelle:

For my project I will learn about water conservation/usage/access. I will focus on how water is used in day to day life, and what efforts are being made to sustain the water that is here.  I will probably present with either a presentation or a drawing. I talked to our boat guide in Vietnam, Minh, and I am excited to learn from Vey in Cambodia and our SCUBA partners in Thailand!

Johnny:

I am taking on a personal photography project where I will explore how the unique cultural identities of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam influence storytelling through photography. I will be creating a slideshow with the photos I’ve taken so far and will be taking in the future! For resources, I am using our partner in Cambodia, Vey, and our partners in Thailand!

Wade:

My project topic is Public Health/Medicine.

I hope to ask and answer: how does healthcare and medicine back home compare to the countries we have visited?

I will try to present what I learn in a matching game for the group. I have been interviewing all of our partners as the trip has gone on and am excited to continue!

Simon:

My topic is activism and government within the different countries. I hope to answer how much free speech and activism differs from what we perceive as normal, but more importantly how they compare to each other. I am planning to create a video composed of different interviews. I have conducted some interviews with Minh, our kayak guide in Vietnam, and hope to interview Vey, our partner in Cambodia, as well as our Thai partners.

August:

For my project, I am curious about the different types of transportation in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Specifically, I am wondering what is the most common/least common mode of transportation, why is this mode of transportation so popular/unpopular, how good is public transport, how has the country infrastructure for public transport changed over the last 20 years? I will put this information into a google slides presentation and plan to interview our guides in Cambodia and Thailand.