Projects
2023-2024
Business & Finance
- Using Large Language AI to Make Accurate Market Predictions
- Canvas LMS's Competitive Advantage and Customer Acquisition
- Creating a Business Strategy Unique to Laguna Beach - a Tourist-Centric City
- Creating a Location-based Music Sharing App
Using Large Language AI to Make Accurate Market Predictions
By dylan newburry
AI is the most significant, rapidly developing technology due to its vast array of uses and benefits it can offer individuals and corporations. In this project, I sought how AI can respond to and analyze something as complex as the US financial markets. Many politicians are concerned about AI's potential to replace many jobs in the workforce, and I will test this hypothesis. AI is not a technology to be concerned about but a tool we must learn to utilize to the fullest extent. It is undeniable that AI will substantially impact society and the economy in the following years, and getting ahead of the curve is the best action to take currently.
Canvas LMS's Competitive Advantage and Customer Acquisition
Creating a Business Strategy Unique to Laguna Beach - a Tourist-Centric City
By Kevin Hua
Restaurants today span a wide spectrum of various cuisines and dining experiences. In the dynamic hospitality industry, the COVID-19 pandemic increased operational costs through stricter health and safety regulations and required restaurants to integrate technology into their service models. I’m addressing this by crafting a comprehensive business plan tailored to a tourist hub like Laguna Beach which includes updated information needed to succeed in the hospitality industry in the 21st century. My approach involves job shadowing at Cary Redfearn’s establishments and collaborating with industry experts to gain hands-on insights into restaurant and hotel operations. This research not only benefits the hospitality sector but also offers transferable knowledge for other industries as technology must be used to its maximum potential to succeed in such a competitive field. Join me on this journey as I explore the unique dynamics of entrepreneurship in our vibrant city.
Creating a Location-based Music Sharing App
by Lucas Silverman
I will be researching the logistics that would go into creating an app that would make shared playlists between friends. Some of the topics that I plan to research are music licensing, app development, and bluetooth/location services. After my research, I will put together a business plan on how this app could be marketed, built, and turn a potential profit. This app would generally be used in a car with friends. Somebody who wanted to add a song to a queue would be able to easily do this from their own phone.
Design & Entertainment
- How To Clearly Convey Various Musical Concepts Through A Book?
- How Will Past Concert Ticketing Trends Affect Future Sales?
- Decreasing the Environmental Impact of Concertgoers' Transportation
- Testing AI’s Ability to Generate A Complex Hollywood Script
How To Clearly Convey Various Musical Concepts Through A Book?
By Arend Hekma
How do you clearly convey various musical concepts through a book? When I began exploring the theory behind music, it seemed incredibly daunting. In my experience, it was difficult and frustrating trying to find sources where I could learn since none of it ever made sense to me. Since then, I have learned a lot from many different professors, and I want to retain that information and show people what I have learned if they are inclined. I want to research this topic to help others in the same position I was in many years ago. With my finished product, I hope to create more informed musicians that will contribute to good music.
How Will Past Concert Ticketing Trends Affect Future Sales?
By Gavin O'Neill
In my research project, I going to be studying the world of concert ticketing trends, aiming to see why prices have soared recently. I plan to study historical patterns related to economics, technology, government policies, and demographics, seeking answers about the ticketing economy's future. Additionally, I'll look at the impact of current events and technological advancements, along with innovative approaches by ticketing companies. My ultimate goal is to anticipate what the future holds for concert ticketing, especially concerning general and resale ticket prices. Over the past few decades, concert prices have significantly increased, posing financial challenges for many fans of live music. Through this study, I hope to offer insights into how we can continue enjoying live music without financial strain.
Decreasing the Environmental Impact of Concertgoers' Transportation
By Molly Riehle
Travel by fans makes up 70-90% or more of a concert or festival’s massive carbon footprint. It’s estimated that cars emit around 400 grams of CO2 per mile, and when many concert goers are traveling miles and miles to see their favorite artists live, the impact is massive; however, a Live Nation global sustainability study in 2021 found that 82% of live musicgoers strive to maintain an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. This desire unfortunately is not reflected in their actions, but they may not be entirely at fault. Many concerts and festivals do not have reliable transit systems, especially in LA, making it difficult to do anything other than drive. My action project will consist of researching the best options for festival transit and implementing my system in collaboration with Frank Arellano and Wyland at their upcoming festival in Dana Point.
Testing AI’s Ability to Generate A Complex Hollywood Script
Government & Public Policy
- Excessive Sentencing and Its Impact on Young Women
- Comparing Fascism and Neo-Fascism within Its Resonation to the Proletariat
- Developing Anti-Bullying Teacher Education Through Legal Perspectives
Excessive Sentencing and Its Impact on Young Women
by julianna franconi Krychman
My paper hopes to analyze how sentencing, especially how unjust or excessive sentencing, affects young women offenders. My paper seeks to evaluate the general effectiveness of sentencing on recidivism and their ability to re-enter society. Research will involve understanding the impact of excessive sentencing on these women's personal, familial, and professional lives. Consequently, this research will explore how sentencing reform will affect or change these aspects and the overall experience of the criminal justice system. Women within the criminal justice system are often overlooked in the larger discussion of women’s rights and issues. Examining the effects of the sentencing system on young women is more an analysis of how the criminal justice treats young women as a whole, with sentencing being a specific issue of a larger problem. Developing a deeper understanding of its impact on young women is the first step in creating a more equitable system of criminal justice and a more inclusive conversation involving women’s rights.
Comparing Fascism and Neo-Fascism within Its Resonation to the Proletariat
By Carter McKinzie
In this analytical research project, the objective is to analyze and compare the permutations of Fascism and Neo-Facism within their strong resonation with the working class. In many European countries today, fascist groups have begun gaining traction due to the mythic reasonation it promises. While many academics have deeply analyzed the foundation of this ideology, a comparison brings a new perspective as to why fascism resonation still maintains a powerful position in contemporary society. Understanding the devices that this ideology use and the dangers that it hides allows citizens to make more informed decisions when they are at the voting booth, more informed decision when joining a party, and more informed decisions when supporting a movement.
Developing Anti-Bullying Teacher Education Through Legal Perspectives
By Miwako Miki
School Bullying, specifically during middle school is declared to be a crisis across the United States. When teachers are put into situations where they witness bullying, many are unsure of how to stop it in their classrooms. My research will test the efficacy of middle school teacher workshops on bullying prevention, from both a legal perspective using case studies and through an emotional perspective by sharing student stories of bullying and what they need from their teachers in certain situations. The research data will be collected through surveying teachers and their students about their classroom environments, before, during, and after, the workshops.
Health & Wellness
- How Psychology of Shopping Shapes A Store's Marketing Techniques
- How Does One’s Environment Impact the Mind of Violent Offenders?
- How Insurance and Politics Affect the Diagnosis of Psychological Patients
- How Proper Nuitrition Can Help Prevent High School Athletic Injuries
How Psychology of Shopping Shapes A Store's Marketing Techniques
by Luna Alonso
The paper will focus on studying what specific parts of a shopping experience trigger psychological responses. I hope to draw conclusions between shopping environments/ the psychological responses they produce and the overall success of a store. Answering my question is important because the topic itself pertains to lots of people. Everyone (to some extent) is a shopper/consumer. Understanding what happens psychologically when one shops and how different environments affect this is interesting to me and I think other people as well.
How Does One’s Environment Impact the Mind of Violent Offenders?
By Lila golden
The development of one’s personality is a combination of their environment and genetic makeup, and certain people’s development is interrupted by the formation of destructive, abnormal personality traits. Some people qualify for the diagnosis of a personality disorder, and these disorders are categorized into three clusters with cluster B containing the personalities that are typically correlated with violence: anti-social, histrionic, borderline, and narcissistic. Not all people that are eligible for the diagnosis of these disorders participate in acts of criminal violence. However, there are individuals who engage in criminal behavior and people who sublimate their symptoms into positive behaviors. How does an individual’s formative years and their environment impact whether and how they perpetrate acts of violence and what makes those people different from the psychopaths and narcissists we see in everyday life?
How Insurance and Politics Affect the Diagnosis of Psychological Patients
By Mia Levins
It personally interests me why more general labels may be given to a patient when it comes to a diagnosis. I'd like to learn about why certain diagnostic labeling may be helpful for insurance and also how politics and social views will affect the insurance and processing of the diagnostic labels used.
How Proper Nuitrition Can Help Prevent High School Athletic Injuries
By Vanessa Kirstein
More often than not an athlete will experience some sort of injury whether it’s a broken bone, torn ligament, or strained muscle. I am focusing my research on High School Level Football athletes and the effects of malnourishment leading to the increased number of injuries. Lots of factors can contribute to athletic related injuries and my goal is too significantly drop those numbers by recommending and implementing a meal plan for the team that provides them with the proper vitamins, fats, protein, fiber, carbs, minerals, and water. Deficiencies in any of these categories puts the athlete at risk and the plan is to limit as many injuries as possible to ensure maximal athletic performance and to play and practice the entire duration of the season. This is and should be relevant to anyone with a child who’s an athlete, loved one, our even yourself.
Science & Technology
- The Effects of Altitude on Cosmic Ray Muon Counts
- Using JST Data to Analyze the Future of Humanity in Outer Space
- Creating a Guide for Designing a 3D Printed Radio Controlled Airplane
- What Is the Most Optimal Neonatal Heart Stent Design?
The Effects of Altitude on Cosmic Ray Muon Counts
by Kellen Dyer
Cosmic rays hold vital information about the chemical evolution of the universe, and their interaction with Earth’s atmosphere provides strong insight into the behavior of many fundamental particles of matter. I will be constructing two small cosmic ray muon detectors to obtain muon counts at sea level and at 10,000 feet on Mount Baldy. Analyzing the effects of altitude on muon flux can shed light on where in the atmosphere muons are produced and even other cosmic ray species passing through the detectors. Discrepancies between muon counts will also be explained through special relativity to determine the speed of muons.
Using JST Data to Analyze the Future of Humanity in Outer Space
By Russell Franconi Krychman
Using the James Webb telescope, where does the future of humanity in outer space most likely lie? Earth is hardly the limit for our species, eventually, humans will expand. Where? How? What implications will the discovery of life or a liveable exoplanet bring? Through the use of both old and new information and technologies, maintaining a large focus on the incredible findings of James Webb, I aim to answer those questions, in the end formulating the most likely course for the future of space travel and colonization. Since I can remember, I have been completely fascinated with the mind-bending facts of outer space. The sheer scale and endlessness is difficult to comprehend, making it even more interesting to research.
Creating a Guide for Designing a 3D Printed Radio Controlled Airplane
By Logan Teeple
My project will serve as a guide for others wanting to design and 3D print their own remote-controlled airplane. I will follow a simplified design process of an actual aircraft. The design will all be done with CAD with simulations done in AVL, an aerodynamics tool. This includes picking an airfoil design for the wing and then running simulations to find the lift and drag forces on the wing. This same process will be repeated with the tail to guarantee that the airplane is controllable. Then, I will design the fuselage to connect the wing and tail as well as hold the electronics. This will all be 3D printed using a special light-weight filament. Finally, the airplane will be brought to life with an electric motor and servos to control the plane. Then tests will be completed and any iterations will be made. This will all be well documented so someone else could follow in their own process or use my files to print their own plane.
What Is the Most Optimal Neonatal Heart Stent Design?
By Jonathan Kiannasr
Although the need for stents in children is relatively low, there are cases where children suffer from congenital heart defects and would need a stent placed. I will be comparing two possible solutions for stents in neonates. By researching both the Renata Minima Stent and the current off-label solution, I will come up with the drawbacks of both an expanding vs. biodegradable stent. I will make a compare and contrast model on both the effectiveness and financial implications of both.
2022-2023
Business/Marketing
- Making a Business Plan for a Hawaiian Chocolate Company
- Creating a Sustainable Swimsuit Company
- Helping a High-end Restaurant Chef Plan his Next Menu
Making a Business Plan for a Hawaiian Chocolate Company
By Aryana Mohajerian
How does effective cash flow management impact the success of a local Hawaiian chocolate business? The financial plan while trying to scale a business is what eventually will make or break the company. Having the capital to level up the business is crucial for long-term success. Lonohana is a local, natural, and ethical Hawaiian chocolate company. I will be involved in the process of creating a solid strategic financial plan so that Lonohana can scale the business with the right capital, financing, and budgets to put them in a good position for systematic efficiency.
Creating a Sustainable Swimsuit Company
by Hana Hagen
As a "sustainable" business owner, I found myself labeling my company, Hana Hagen Swimwear, as an eco-friendly, sustainable business. I recently discovered that almost nothing is sustainable, and it made me question whether sustainability is just a marketing ploy. I want to know how I can improve my business and make my eco-friendly label legitimate. Fast fashion has thrived in our consumer society, and its effects on the environment are beginning to reveal themselves, which tears me up. I am passionate about putting a product out into the world that I am proud of, which means it needs to fit my criteria of being environmentally friendly.
Helping a High-end Restaurant Chef Plan his Next Menu
By Auston Hutcheon
I am the first student in AER to take the Business Challenge plan. This entails that I job shadow Jeremy Samson, the general manager of Big Canyon Country Club. I will also shadow other members of the club including chef Craig Strong. Chef Strong recently released a brand new dinner menu. This menu will last for around 3-4 months. During that time every 2 weeks I will be collecting data to find a trend in certain dishes on the menu; this will help chef better understand what the members of the club like and dislike on the menu. With this information Chef Strong will have a solid understanding of what he should and should not keep on the menu when he alters it again.
Design/Entertainment
- How Has Socio-economics Historically Affected Car Design?
- CGI and its Impacts on Cinematography
- How Set Design Helps High Fashion Brands Achieve Status
- How has Social Media Affected The Fashion Industry?
- How Science and Technology Can Be Used in Interior Design
How Has Socio-economics Historically Affected Car Design?
By Carter Ghere
My project will be to find a correlation between socioeconomic periods and changes in car design during those times. As the car-buying public has lived through economic recessions, wars, and major cultural events in the last century, I want to see how car design has been influenced by its consumer base and lifestyles rather than a car's design team or brand.
CGI and its Impacts on Cinematography
by OSCAR JACQUEZ
CGI and Cinematography are fairly recent concepts originating in the 20th century which are fundamental in every blockbuster today. My goal and project is to find out the relationship between cinematography and CGI as well as how they impact each other in the creative process of filming. I hope to do this through a mix of diving into literature and sources as well as using other students to help my project through several procedures that I hope to implement into my work by the end of the year.
How Set Design Helps High Fashion Brands Achieve Status
by Chanel Goddard
Going into the design field, I am researching on the wonders and interests I have about set design. To challenge this interest, I decided to dig deeper into the benefits and status that set design gives. Questioning how largely known high fashion brands use set design/production in their seasonal fashion shows to gain popularity and status is main focus which will lead into researching statistics between different brands and possibly different current events that were incorporated into the fashion industry.
How has Social Media Affected The Fashion Industry?
by Samantha Flores CarRillo
Social Media has made a big change to fashion in many ways, but most importantly it has promoted fast fashion and made it more popular. In my research, I want to analyze the factors that social media has done to make this possible and the far-reaching effects on our society
How Science and Technology Can Be Used in Interior Design
by Alexandra swellen
In recent years, several technologies have been developed to use artificial intelligence in order to aid interior designers in predicting client preferences. GSR is a wearable technology that measures a user's skin responses to predict emotional responses to certain interior environments. VAS is a technology that predicts points of interest and attention in interior designs. Working with an interior designer, I will try to verify the accuracy of these technologies by replicating their results among real humans.
Education/Journalism
- Education Program for Senior Citizens about Online Scam Prevention
- Creating a Student-Run Journal on International Affairs
- Zine Workshop for Disadvantaged Youth
Education Program for Senior Citizens about Online Scam Prevention
By tyler palino
I will be researching what is the best way to educate older adults in Orange County to defend themselves against common online scams. I see that there is a lack of educators for older adults that live either alone or in facilities as the responsibility for educating older family members falls onto the family. With online scams, older adults are the most preyed upon. Due to their usually more trusting nature and lack of technology skills, they are the most taken advantage of demographic. I plan to research the most common scams, create lessons that will be presented at facilities, connect with local facilities, and create helpful pamphlets for older adults to take and utilize in the future.
Creating a Student-Run Journal on International Affairs
by Kirra Moore
I will be creating an online and in paper journal on international relations. The purpose of my product is to measure how social media has shaped journalism in today's world. I found that social media has had a large impact on the world around me from attention spans to how we as a society view the news. This pushed my curiosity on the topic and I wanted to learn more. I will collect data on how well each version of my journal statistically and draw conclusions about how journalism has changed over the past decade in the digital age.
Zine Workshop for Disadvantaged Youth
by oliver behunin
Zines are homemade, low-cost publications that have historically served disadvantaged or marginalized groups. By circulating zines in their subcultures, many groups and individuals have found outlets for their voices that would otherwise have been silenced. I plan to create zine workshops of my own among various random groups in order to measure the impact of zines on the participants' self-image, confidence, and feeling of empowerment.
Government/Public Policy
- Sharing Natural Resource Wealth Between National and Sub-national Governments and its Effect on Stability
- Has Financial Digitization Lifted Indians out of Poverty And Minimized Government Waste?
- How Has Government Policies Affected Trust in the Medical Field?
Sharing Natural Resource Wealth Between National and Sub-national Governments and its Effect on Stability
By Jackson Lawsky
Many internal conflicts around the world start or continue because of disputes over natural resources. Often times, sub-national groups have disputes with central governments over the control of these natural resources and where the wealth from them will go. I will seek to determine if sharing these natural resources between the central and sub-national governments is effective in creating stability. The reason conflicts start has always sparked interest in me and I want to gain a deeper understanding of potential solutions along my research process.
Has Financial Digitization Lifted Indians out of Poverty And Minimized Government Waste?
by Sai machiraju
My AER project will determine how successful digital banking services and welfare systems have been in lifting large swaths of the Indian population from poverty. The majority of Indian workers labor in the informal sector, receiving non-taxable cash payments (instead of bank deposits) and minimal government protections. My paper makes policy recommendations based on data from India's initiatives, and I hope that my research will inform anti-poverty efforts in other developing nations. I believe that the large informal economy prevents India from mimicking the rapid growth of East Asian economies.
How Has Government Policies Affected Trust in the Medical Field?
By nicholai grombchevsky
I will research correlations between government response to pandemics and other viral outbreaks. Throughout history, there has been opposition to government involvement in the health sector, ranging from disregarding health regulations to conspiracy theories. When making these decisions, it is challenging to balance logical thinking and the response, mostly emotional, of the people. By finding and presenting these correlations in a simple and effective formal, I hope to create a tool that can help health policymakers get to the best possible balance between health and peoples’ view and trust in the institution.
Health/Wellness
- Effects of Legislation on High School Athletic Training
- Phone Camera Distortion and Its Psychological Effect on Young Adults
- Psychedelics ‘Potential’ to Beneficially Treat PTSD Victims
Effects of Legislation on High School Athletic Training
By Alexandra grombchevsky
Legislation has contributed to advances within the athletic training profession to create a safer environment for student-athletes. However, there has been little research regarding the qualifications that coincide with the athletic training profession. California is the only state that does not have certification requirements such as an athletic training license. Therefore it is necessary to research the effects this has on the athletes. The purpose of this project is to bring attention to the effects the lack of legislation has on high school athletic trainers and the safety of the athletes.
Phone Camera Distortion and Its Psychological Effect on Young Adults
by hailey weng
My project dives into how camera distortion can affect teenage mental health. As images teenagers portray on social media directly impacts their self-image and self-confidence, I hope to shed light on this issue. Also, as phone camera technology differs somewhat from dedicated photographic cameras, I want to make it known that not all photos that one takes are how they appears on a screen.
Psychedelics ‘Potential’ to Beneficially Treat PTSD Victims
by coleman judd
In the modern world, mental health is becoming increasingly prevalent as new diagnoses and illnesses arise. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a leading cause of suicide and general decline of well-being in trauma victims. Treatment to these issues is becoming harder to achieve with hard to access pharmaceuticals and substances with high drawbacks. A leading potential change to this roadblock is the institutionalization of psychedelics in the medical field. Due to their recent stigma with Nixon’s “War on Drugs” these substances were classified as Schedule 1 Drugs, the most restricted classification of drugs. This halted research and use not only in the United States, but globally as other countries followed suit. Here my interest originated as this propaganda against hallucinogens spread misinformation to follow the government's agenda. With careful study and regulation, psychedelics contain the potential to save lives against seemingly invisible illnesses in the brain.
STEM
- Evaluating the Future of Passenger Aircraft Design
- What Are the Benefits of Composting to Grow One's Own Food?
Evaluating the Future of Passenger Aircraft Design
by logan teeple
My research will explore the future of passenger aircraft design. It will show what are the driving forces of innovation and what the current stage of aircraft design looks like. The importance of efficiency will be explored. The project will focus on three major technologies that the future could hold. These technologies will be analyzed to decide which one will most likely prevail. This research is important as the world relies on commercial aviation to interact with people across the globe. The importance of efficiency is more important than ever as our climate crisis and the imposed sanctions on carbon emissions grow.
What Are the Benefits of Composting to Grow One's Own Food?
by ranen seeck
All I knew coming into this class was that I wanted to learn about something cool, something unique. Once I heard about the opportunity to go to a farm, I was in. I didn't know why, but there was something about working with natural resources that made me feel a comforting pureness. So sustainability came into mind, but sustainability can be done through many things, and it is impossible to be fully sustainable in this day in age. But through guidance and consideration, I chose to undertake composting food waste to save more money in order to grow your own food. In the end, I hope to use my experiences to create a guide book that will encourage other families to compost as well. I believe this effort can drive our thinking further to create a more sustainable future, that is a lot more cool.
2021-2022
Business/Marketing
- The Effects of COVID on Restaurant Prices
- Analyzing Legal Methods to Fight Chinese Patent Infringement in the US
- Creating a Digital Boat Buying Aide
- The Most Efficient Way Social Media Can Promote Lifestyle Brands
The Effects of COVID on Restaurant Prices
By Maxim Bernik
How has Covid-19 affected the prices of meals differently in restaurants in different cities of the Central Region of Orange county? With coronavirus affecting so many restaurant businesses with some closing for good or struggling to keep open it has created a huge roadblock for restaurants. With so many people losing jobs, with transportation of goods being much more difficult it has affected restaurants to have to create a change to the way they run. They need to fluctuate their prices, to what the supply and demand of their meals are, to how they have such a small staff, or to the restrictions coronavirus has created for restaurants. There has been so many things changed in the restaurant business, so then how has the coronavirus affected the prices of meals.
Analyzing Legal Methods to Fight Chinese Patent Infringement in the US
by kate madigan
Especially due to modern ways of obtaining or selling products, it is extremely important for lawyers and businesses to fight Intellectual Property infringement. For my project, I will be researching and drawing conclusions about the best way lawyers can prevent Chinese IP infringement specifically, due to the immense amount of infringement that occurs from there already. The purpose of this project is to expand my knowledge of Intellectual Property law and obtain data that could help inform others as well.
Creating a Digital Boat Buying Aide
by logan teeple
For my project, I will be creating a digital program/platform for filtering and selling boats. My mentor works for Sun Country Marine Group which is a large motor yacht retailer. They sell boats ranging from thirteen feet to 65 foot yachts. I am looking to create a platform that can filter through this range depending on what a buyer is looking for. It will take into consideration many aspects such as speed, range, cost, and length. We will survey yacht owners to find out what was appealing to them when buying their boat and use this qualitative data to create the platform.
The Most Efficient Way Social Media Can Promote Lifestyle Brands
by hailey weng
My project is all about discovering how brands can maximize their sales through social media. I will follow user trends to understand what is deemed popular in the public's eye, and will discover different ways I can maximize the reach of a brands content. The purpose of my project is to gain a better understanding of what businesses can do to manipulate the media's algorithm in a way that benefits their company. I am partnering up with a local lifestyle brand, and will be running experiments on their behalf. Questions like what app is the most efficient when trying to sell product, and tactics a business can do to sell more product will be answered in my paper!
Fashion/Entertainment
- Streaming Services' Impact on the Film Industry
- Surf Culture Represented in Women's Fashion from 1980 to Present Day
- Free-to-Play vs. Paid Video Games
Streaming Services' Impact on the Film Industry
By jackson flemming
The film industry has produced content in relatively the same way for over 100 years, however, the rise of the digital age has introduced a new method of producing content for consumers. This year I will be researching how the rise of digital streaming services, such as Netflix, has impacted the way production companies release their content. As this new medium for content distribution has been dominating the film industry in recent years, it has placed the film industry at a crossroads. While most production companies produced movies through a theatrical release, streaming services have introduced a subscription based system that values convenience over experience. Many people are now wondering: What is next for the film industry? I hope to answer this question by comparing these business models to see which model will survive this turning point in the industry.
Surf Culture Represented in Women's Fashion from 1980 to Present Day
by emma purdy
How has surf culture influenced high fashion from 1980 to 2021? Surf culture is ever so present in 2021 fashion trends from runway looks to day-to-day wear. My goal is to gain an understanding of how trends work so that I can fully explain how surf culture has influenced fashion trends since the 80s.
Free-to-Play vs. Paid Video Games
by gavin zaengle
This project dives into the publishing of a video game, and specifically will answer whether a game creator should publish their game as free-to-play or as paid. Nowadays, video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty have millions of players online and playing every day. With this comes a lot of profit through in game transactions and the actual purchasing of a game. The biggest question is, which business model is overall the most profitable. This will aid new and aspiring game creators in taking their next and possibly most important step to constructing a successful game.
Law/Political Science
- Integration of the European Union
- Socialism and Its Perception in the United States
- What Forms and Subjects of News Create Polarization?
Integration of the European Union
By owen dyer
This research paper seeks to determine if further integration can help solve the European Union's current political and economic problems. Since its founding, the European Union has been partially integrated, or half-built. The inherent incompleteness of the EU has resulted in inefficiency and has exastrubated several calamities. This project will analyze the role of partial integration on causing or worsening three recent European issues: the eurozone crisis, Brexit, and the European migrant crisis. In addition, I hope to determine whether or not these problems can be solved by further European integration. Ultimately, my project should provide reasoning for or against European integration.
Socialism and Its Perception in the United States
by isabela reichel
In my research, I seek to understand the past, present, and future perceptions of Socialism in the United States. Naturally, this has affected and been affected by the respective state of global politics. In my opinion, Socialism has been vastly misunderstood as an ideology, mainly because of extremist-communist dictatorships during the 20th century. Even many academics refuse to have a civil conversation on the merits and drawbacks of leftism because of the stigma associated with far left-wing politics. My AER project mainly serves to answer how people think of Socialism and how this affects the implementation of leftist policies in United States politics.
What Forms and Subjects of News Create Polarization?
by abigail roedersheimer
America has seen increasing polarization over the last decade, and the divide between parties becomes wider, more consequences are created. Studies have already found that Thanksgiving times have been found to be shortened due to political divide, polarization during elections leads to quality being less and less of a consideration, and polarization can make viewers distrust media with varying political views. Figuring out how political divide is created in the media and how it affects elections could play a crucial role in uniting the country and bringing trust back to the media.
STEM
How Extreme Cold Affects Coral Reefs
by peter durand
By now, it is well known that climate change is causing ocean temperatures to rise. This has led to the bleaching and death of many coral reefs around the world. Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and ecologically important ecosystems on Earth and their conservation is vital to our oceans. But, climate change is also causing more extreme weather, which can cause colder temperatures around coral reefs. For my project, I plan to research what the effects of extreme cold are on coral reefs. My experiment will include setting up tanks where I can model this extreme weather and observe how multiple coral species react to the change in temperature. My goal is to collect data that accurately reflects the effects of colder temperatures on coral reefs around the world and data that can be easily interpreted by anyone trying to understand the importance of conservation of coral reefs.
Stereotypes of Animals and Their Proper Care
by alexandra wyman
During my 4 years at LBHS I have taken a veterinarian tech classes and have heard many stories through my instructors about animals being turned away for getting proper care because of their species/breed. I plan to gather data from the general public and various doctors in clinics about their perceptions on these pets that have been turned away, and overcome these stereotypes for these pets and make sure they can all get the help they deserve.
2019-2020
Presentation videos for each project from the 2020 Virtual Symposium have been posted. Click on each project title to open the video viewer.
Business/Marketing
- How Beach Resorts Compete with AirBnB
- Effect of Business Leadership Styles on Success
- Analysis of Youth-centered Fashion Marketing Strategies
- Democratising Fashion through a Curated App
- Comparing Entrepreneurship in US and China
How Beach Resorts Compete with AirBnB
By Gabrielle Denny
As Airbnb continues to affect the amount of customers that choose beach resorts and hotels, the unanswered question still remains: What are they doing different that is making them so successful to the point where customers choose Airbnb over beach resorts? This project lays out the reasons for the rise of the Airbnb platform, the opinions of real customers and their preferences, and the ways beach resorts and hotels can alter their environment and personalities to further attract customers. Through surveying, interviews, and research collecting, this project seeks to answer the major questions.
Effect of Business Leadership Styles on Success
By Trent Ralston
The management styles used by different business most directly affects the employees work ethic in good ways and bad ways. To begin, there are hundreds of different management styles that result in a happy or unhappy employee. This paper will discuss the ways that managers treat their employees and how it most directly results in profits.
Analysis of Youth-centered Fashion Marketing Strategies
By Izzy Saunders
During my work, I plan on looking into the youth brands of fashion companies and how they attract audiences. My mentor, Iva Pawling will be connecting me with those youth brands and I will be gathering data on how they successfully develop an audience. Mostly, this data will be based on surveys from a list of youth companies I will be hand selecting. Collecting data on those will let me determine the successes and failures in fashion companies among the youth. These results could eventually help youth fashion companies around the world with their branding towards their specific audiences, speaking in a language that youth understands, and while also gaining inspiration from these examples and processes.
Democratising Fashion through a Curated App
By Aun Dabbas
Fashion has been developing and trending massively over the years which makes sense since it is the clothing that keeps one appropriate and protected. The vast industry of fashion made me realize that its importance on every individual is what makes it crucial to improve it in certain ways. I want to democratize fashion and revolutionize the whole procedure of clothing purchases. My plan is to tackle and improve this field of fashion; by creating an online platform that provides a unique system which enables easier accessibility to purchase desired clothing presented on the platform. I want to make “having good style” an easy task by making fashion choices and outfits more accessible to the ones who believe fashion and style is only possible with high end brands.
Comparing Entrepreneurship in US and China
By Luke Teeple
This paper compares and contrasts how businesses grow and develop differently in the US and China. The primary lens will be from a purely economist-based perspective; however, when necessary cultural and political perspectives will be discussed to add background and/or when relevant. The focus of this paper will be on two companies and how these companies have grown and developed differently as a result of the economic systems present in the US and China. This paper will also discuss how these companies are reacting to the trade war.
Education
- Promoting Student-Teacher Relationships
- Effect of School Funding on Student Success
- Decreasing the Stress of College Planning
Promoting Student-Teacher Relationships
By grace peterson
Studying the factors that prohibit teacher-student relationships from forming will greatly help educators and students understand what causes these bonds and what good comes from them. It is evident that students excel when they have a professional relationship with a teacher, but there are so many different things that prohibit these relationships to form. Many students say that a teacher-student relationship changes the student’s life forever, so the things that are stopping this must be significant. Researching the running thread between academic success and a friendship with a teacher is something that provides limitless information.
Effect of School Funding on Student Success
By nathan solomon
While modern American society has suggested to simply throw money at low performing schools, the country’s education system continues to remain in shambles as the educational disparity gap remains. The research conducted attempts to understand if the government's practices of issuing school grants has any effects on student outcomes and performances. The research project shall be carried out with the following strategy: 3 California districts given varying amounts of government-granted funding will be compared. Factors such as socioeconomic status, majority ethnicity, average household income, etc shall be controlled.
Decreasing the Stress of College Planning
By Cole Normandin Parker
The goal is to study where students apply each year, take the data and show the ranking of each college and how many students apply each year from each school. Also, add in common data and different schools to show how there are many schools to apply to, other than for example the UCs and Ivy Leagues.
Health/Wellness
- Using Technology to dispel the Stigma around Concussions
- Explaining the High Depression Rate of Veterinarians
- Commercialization of Music and Teenage Mental Health
Using Technology to dispel the Stigma around Concussions
By Madi Garwal
In this research paper I will be finding the effects and advantages of having new concussion testing technology on high school athletes. I will be using new concussion diagnosing technology to see if there are advantages to having a non-biased and quicker way to diagnose concussions in high school athletes. I will be trying to find if using this new test that uses eye-tracking effectively diagnoses concussions and if it works better than the current concussion testing and diagnosis process at my high school.
Explaining the High Depression Rate of Veterinarians
By Clara Becker
Veterinarians are at an increased risk for depression, veterinary offices are similar to an emergency rooms with the constant up and down of incoming patients. This experiment aims to prove that because of the extreme highs and lows of veterinary practices it puts the doctors at a higher risk of depression compared to the average citizen. To prove this the Vets will record how the feel after every visit on a one to five scale and also state the type of visit it was. The data will then prove that vets are at increased risk of depression because of the constant change of the severity of the animals being treated.
Commercialization of Music and Teenage Mental Health
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ
This question is important to understanding the rising depression rate among teenagers in the U.S. due to an increase in marketing strategies masked by the usage of mainstream social media. Researching these industries and how they work will contrast the culture between teenagers now vs. those from the 90’s. So far, there has been an increase of grunge aesthetic in modern teens as well as a high epidemic of drug use and decline in mental health. My research will find the answers as to how powerful the tools of commercialization are on teenagers today, leading to an unanswered question as to how dangerous the industry really is on younger generations.
Law/Public Policy
- Prison Rehabilitation Efforts and Recidivism
- Comparing Municipal vs. Non-Prof Homelessness Solutions
Prison Rehabilitation Efforts and Recidivism
By Abigail Amish and Julia Henry
Different types of prisons use many types of rehabilitation efforts for their prisoners. For example, private prisons are known for putting prisoners to work for below-minimum wage, and high-security prisons are less likely to have any sort of distinct rehabilitation efforts. Educational efforts and healthy living conditions in prisons have been shown to lower recidivism rates in low-security prisons, but this data could also be attributed to the lesser crimes committed by those prisoners.
Comparing Municipal vs. Non-Prof Homelessness Solutions
By Angelica Jorio
The research focuses on government operated homeless shelters versus non-profit operated homeless shelter. The city of Laguna Beach has had the first and longest city-run homeless shelter in Orange County, as well as a homeless shelter operated by Friendship Shelter NGO. Other cities in Orange County have shied away from the city or county operated homeless shelters because of high costs of running them. In substitution, cities leave it up to Nonprofits to help alleviate the problem. In some scenarios, non addressing the problem at all, dumbing their homeless in neighbouring cities. My research centers around the two types of homeless shelters, and, as a control, how cities without any type of alternative sleeping location have addressed homelessness.
STEM
- Virtual Reality Technology in Warehouse Safety Training
- Studying the Breakdown of Microplastics
- Microplastics Cleanup Using Electrokinetics
- Comparison of Kelp Habitats in Laguna Beach
- Protecting Ocean Species from Marine Noise Pollution
- Effect of Ocean Temperature Rise on Sea Stars
Virtual Reality Technology in Warehouse Safety Training
By Alex Coulolias
This paper articulates the ways in which the new coming of age virtual reality headsets are helping laborers working in factories or distribution centers are using virtual reality to learn how to operate machines. Through the use of devices such as the Oculus Rift, companies are now able to create a safer and faster work environment for the employees. By having workers train on machine simulations, stimulated through the use of virtual reality, companies are able to train their employees, and keep the cost of doing it low.
Studying the Breakdown of Microplastics
By Luke Gold-Sine and Weston Judd
This paper will explore the increasing problem of plastic waste in our oceans. More specifically, the process of how plastics break down in the ocean. Our research will attempt to provide a solution to prevent plastics from breaking down into microplastics. Microplastics should be considered a primary concern as they are harmful to zooplankton -- organisms that are necessary for a healthy food chain. Our research will include a controlled experiment involving plastic bags in several water tanks with various PH, salinity, and UV levels.
Microplastics Cleanup Using Electrokinetics
By Kian Trengove
I will be experimenting with different kinds of electrokinetic phenomena to see the differences in reliability, fidelity, and feasibility to manipulate different microplastics using electrokinetics. For example, it is known that some microplastics will aggregate with other particles such as sand in the ocean, which can be at least moved using electrophoresis, but not on a large enough scale to be feasibly implementable. The results of this research should also provide insight into the ability of electrokinetics to destroy or detect microplastics.
Comparison of Kelp Habitats in Laguna Beach
By Henry Stewart
For my experiment, I plan on researching the California kelp forests. There are tide pools close to my house, so I have access to kelp that I can work with. I hope to implement an experiment where I record the density of kelp in different environmental factors such as depth, temperature, and sunlight and how it develops depending on where it is. I’ll watch how it grows, seeing where it flourishes and where it struggles to survive. I hope to learn what environment kelp thrives in in Laguna Beach.
Protecting Ocean Species from Marine Noise Pollution
In my research I want to learn about submarine propeller cavitation and use that knowledge to apply to altering the way industrial ship propellers make noise. Submarine propellers are known to have much lower cavitation and are made to move quietly. If this technology was applied to the current vessels producing the most noise in our oceans it would make a great impact on reducing noise pollution affecting marine mammals.
Effect of Ocean Temperature Rise on Sea Stars
By Jeremy hayes and finn van der baan
Due to climate change, the ocean’s temperatures have been rising at alarming rates, so we want to figure out how these changing temperatures will affect species living in our oceans. For our experiment, we plan on creating a closed system to manipulate ocean temperatures to test the rate at which Brittle sea stars legs regenerate. Our goal is to discover if the sea stars will regenerate limbs faster or slower and what their physical state is after completing the experiment. After discovering our findings, we plan on expanding our thinking into how this would affect brittle Sea Stars in their natural ecosystems and how their loss will affect the ecosystem around it.