Passion Project Proposals
As you might recall, an important component of the ARCC Gap Semester is the Passion Project that each student develops over the duration of the semester. The 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 Passion Project 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. And, of course, please enjoy the fun photos they took to accompany their Passion Project Prpposals.

John
Topic: Remote working in Bali
Questions: What type of work do people do remotely? How is living in Bali as a foreigner? How do remote workers affect Balinese people? Is there significant gentrification happening? What type of work can remote workers do to help Bali?
I plan to interview Bali Institute staff as well as people I meet along our journey that are foreigners, maybe talking to people in restaurants we dine in. Right now my plan is a powerpoint presentation, but that may change with new ideas.

Cricket
I’m looking to create a video for my Passion Project. With my GoPro, I’m hoping to collect underwater footage in order to portray the coral reefs of the South Pacific. I would also like to additionally include a segment concerning awareness of our oceans, potentially through video interviews. I would want to speak with members of the Bali Institute to get their take on coral reef protection and how Balinese tourism has influenced that.

Jacob
For my Passion Project, I will be focusing on coral bleaching in Indonesia and how the effects of coral bleaching are pervasive and potentially devastating to ecosystems and the people who depend on them. I’m looking to do a slideshow presentation and interview our partners with snorkel and scuba in Bali.

Autumn
I plan to present pictures from Sumatra, Bali and Fiji:
– History
– People/community
– Traditions

I am thinking of taking one picture from each location and explaining the meaning behind it, why I took the picture, and what I liked and disliked. One photo from each location will be explained in depth. The other photos presented will be for viewing and questions
Presented in slideshow form

Gardner
For my Passion Project, I’m going to focus on art and how it is used to capture a moment in time. Since the beginning of mankind, different types of art/paintings have been used to save a moment in time. For this, I have been taking pictures, mostly landscapes, and recreating them in my notebook using my watercolors and colored pencils. Art has been a passion of mine for many years and this trip is full of so many beautiful places and experiences. I would love nothing more than to save those moments by hand and be able to carry around a notebook not only of memories but also of art! For my presentation, I will show the original photos alongside the notebook and walk through my process of deciding what to recreate and what different techniques went into it.

Oliver
Topic: High-speed rail in Sumatra
Question: How will high-speed rail help Sumatra?
Resources needed: Computer
Interviewees: Partners/people who would like to have a high-speed rail and general conversations about the high-speed rail
Format: A slideshow presentation

Mari
My Passion Project will look at holistic and natural medicine and healing from Indonesia and Fijian culture. I specifically want to focus on acupuncture and chakras. I will interview the Bumi Sehat, the Bali Institute staff, and anyone else I meet along the way (particularly in Fiji, also). I will also use the internet. I will present it by drawing different acupuncture points and chakras.

Aidan
Hello, my name is Aidan. My Passion Project topic would revolve around music. More specifically, I want to know how native Indonesians feel about music from their cultures, music from outside their cultures, and how they interact with one another. My main resources would be anecdotes from my experiences here, hopefully, the internet has anecdotes as well. So far, I want to interview Febroni, J, and Ruth. I’m hoping to meet more people who would be able to talk to me about their perspectives. The format I would present would likely be in a simple presentation form, though that may change as my ideas evolve. I might need an instrument to be able to play music, but possibly not. Generally speaking, this will be a human conversation, between humans.

Caroline
I’m Caroline, and for my Passion Project I’m going to focus on food and the role it plays in people’s memories. For me, many of my memories are based in the food I’ve eaten in different places. I will interview people about their favorite recipes to cook and what memories they associate with that food. I intend to take these recipes and stories and create a cookbook that encapsulates our travel through Indonesia and Fiji and all the amazing people we’ve met. My presentation will include excerpts of memories from the cookbook.