Analysis of a War about Nazis and how we fit in

This is my final action project for my class, Policy and for my junior year. This unit was split into two unit those being Execute and Judge. Through this unit, we did a lot of research into what each branch does in congress and the impact that they have on us. We first looked into how each branch uses their power in certain ways and how the constitution serves as the field they can make a impact. This led to us looking into The Cabinet and understanding how each role is different from one another. Once understanding these principles, we went to the Dirksen Federal Courthouse to see how some of these polices are put into action. For this last action project for this class, we were assigned to take a deep dive into a war of our choice and see if it was just or not. Not only this, but to see how it got influenced by different levels of government. I decided to choose WWII and here's my analysis below:

 

"Public Domain: Normandy Dead, WWII (NARA)" by pingnews.com is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

WWII was one of the biggest global events in our recent history and is one that I believe was justified for our country . The WWII database states that the war took place in“Europe, East Asia, and islands in the Pacific Ocean, but others were seen in places as far away as Madagascar and the Aleutian Islands''. This war took place from June of 1939 and ended in September of 1945. It wasn’t until the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 that the United States were compelled to join. The countries fighting in this war were the Axis Powers being Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the Allied Powers being France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States. One of the tactics used during this war was the Blitzkrieg tactic used by Germany. This tactic was enforced by Germany in the early stages of WW2. Blitzkrieg is a German word which means lighting war and was used to run through many different countries in the first few years of the war by overpowering them with offensive power. This tactic led to Germany taking over Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugosilvia, and Greece. Some of the main reasons the United States fought in this war were because they got attacked by Japan and were already aiding other countries with resources. This war was just for the United States based on the Supreme Court appeals. These appeals allowed for any bill related to a war being prioritized by it. The decision in Arver v. The United States which was an act that helped to uphold military services and how certain drafts would go. A grant for certiorari means to ask for a review on a certain case and the court allowing for a relook. Grants for certiorari were put into place with this war because of how the United States was dealing with this bill. This led to an understanding of The United State’s compulsory military service and wouldn’t be seen as any form of slavery by the Thirteenth or Fourteenth Amendment. In my opinion, I think this war was just because it would allow for the United States to gain a new following for working with other countries.

"Today in 1941 - Pearl Harbor Attack" by KurtClark is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

When the United States joined the war, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President when Japan invaded Pearl Harbor. Shortly after they invaded Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt began to orient the country’s resources towards fighting the war. He also stated “We well know that we cannot escape danger, or the fear of danger, by crawling into bed and pulling the covers over our heads” (nationalww2museum.org). With this message, it helped to sway the United States into joining the war. Congress’ main role was deciding on whether we should’ve or shouldn’t have participated in the war. Congress decided to approve the decision to participate in the war. The vote for it ended up with 82-0 in the Senate, and 388-1 in the House of Representatives with both having concurring opinions. This means that both parts of Congress would vote for the same thing, but both being for different reasons. They also made sure that they limited waste among contractors and made sure that their money was used effectively in fighting in the war. They did these things with action to prioritize our victory in the war.

"No Known Restrictions: WWII: U.S. War Cabinet, 1941 (LOC)" by pingnews.com is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

The War Powers Act HR 6233 was signed into law on December 18th of 1941. This act was proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt before the United States decided to join the war. He put this policy into place and received many different opinions from Congress. The act itself gave a lot of power to the Executive Branch by allowing them to make direct changes to how the United States would wage a war. It also allows the United States to have a bigger role in the war rather than just providing resources towards certain countries. The act was intended to give the President more direct power on how the United States would deal with WWII. It would proceed to give direct orders to those on the front lines to what happens with the war. The main intent of this was to give the President a direct impact on what happened during WWII and give them the powers that Congress usually has. Wherever the war ends, the power that the President would gain would end up going back to Congress.



The main groups of government that had an impact on my policy were President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Nixon after Roosevelt’s passing. The bill itself was passed by Congress and the Senate so it gave the president direct authority. Specifically this act was passed so the President could have the power of Congress during a state of war. This would make sure that the United States stays safe and can be purposeful during the war. It would also allow Roosevelt to configure the other branches of governments to work with the war in mind. This act was first put into effect December 15th of 1941. This was specifically passed in Congress because it would allow the United States to fight more effectively during WWII. One of the actions that eventually led to SCOTUS ruling this case was Arver v. United States. This case happened during 1918 which was close to the end of WWI. This court case imposed the 13th and 14th amendments that gave citizens protection from servitude during the draft for WWI. This also went along with the first Amendment which gave freedom to those who didn’t want to participate in the draft of WWI. It also gave the United States an idea of how to approach drafts in the future and allowed Congress to understand what they can and can’t oppose during a war. A quotation that gives context on the situation is, “The power of Congress to compel military service as in the Selective Draft Law, clearly sustained by the original Constitution, is even more manifest under the Fourteenth Amendment, which, as frequently has been pointed out, broadened the national scope of the government by causing citizenship of the United States to be paramount and dominant, instead of being subordinate and derivative, thus operating generally upon the powers conferred by the Constitution” (Draft Case, 245 U.S. 366 - 1918). In this case, they apply this policy really inconsistently. As far as they see it, the last time we’ve been at war with an outside country was WWII so it shows how big of a gap it’s been. Since then, we’ve gotten the Vietnam war, the Korean War, and many others that have not directly been declared by Congress or the president.


After inspecting these policies, this war was just for The United States because it would allow for them to gain a new following for working with other countries. The text I chose to analyze was “World War II, 365 Days”. This states that “On December 8th of 1941, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and other countries declared war on Japan”(World War II, 365 Days, April 29). This quote shows that the United States wasn’t the only country to declare war on that day. It also shows how much the United States would gain from fighting with these other countries politically. Today, we’re still gaining opportunities like being a part of The United Nations, having more jobs, and becoming one of the biggest industrial countries in the world. This also allowed communities of color to enter the workplace for the first time in our history. It also shows how much we’ve gained from other countries while taking actions in this war and in the future.

Sources: 

A&E Television Networks. (n.d.-a). World War II: Summary, combatants & facts. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history

Chen, C. P. (n.d.). World War II database. WW2DB RSS. https://ww2db.com/intro.php?q=2

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, June 6). World War II. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II

H.R. 6233, a bill to expedite the prosecution of the war effort (First War Powers Act), December 15, 1941:U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center. Show more. (n.d.). https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/hr-6233-bill-expedite-prosecution-war-effort-first-war-powers-act-december-15-1941

MarshallV. (2018, July 11). The great debate: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans. The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/great-debate

Selective draft law cases, 245 U.S. 366 (1918). Justia Law. (n.d.). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/245/366/

The four fronts of World War 2 Military Tactics. Pacific Atrocities Education. (n.d.). https://www.pacificatrocities.org/blog/the-four-fronts-of-world-war-2-military-tactics

Innovating, Ironic, Incredible, Integrals

Hello and welcome to my final action project for my Intro to Calculus class. This final unit was based around Integrals and understanding how they can be used in different ways. Integrals are similar to derivatives and can also be used to find the area of a function. One of the other things we used to find the area of a function was looking at Riemann sums. This is the process of drawing rectangles that align with the right, left, or middle of a function to find its area. Once learning how to use riemann sums, we learned how to integrate certain functions and apply the anti-derivative. For example, understanding how to find the antiderivative, and using that to find the area under a function. This all led to this final project which asked us to apply our knowledge using certain numbers given to us. 

"Fundamental theorem of calculus (animation)" by Кубриков is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Here are my numbers below and the process I took to solve each equation

Numbers: -9 and 2

Equation: f(x) =  -9 * 2x^2

Constant - The value with no change: -9

Coefficient - Placed before multiplying a variable: 2

Exponent - The number that shows how much a variable is changing: x^2

Here’s my equation visualized using Desmos:

“Equation on Display”,RBL, 2023

Rectangle area: L x W

Rectangle 1 area: 0.1 x -0.0018 = -0.00018

Rectangle 2 area: 0.1 x -0.72 = -0.072

Rectangle 3 area: 0.1 x -1.62 = -0.162

Rectangle 4 area: 0.1 x -2.88 = -0.288

Rectangle 5 area: 0.1 x -4.5 = -0.45

Total area:  -0.00018 + -0.072 + -0.162 + -0.288 + -0.45 = -0.97218

Riemann sums are the process that I went through above. This shows that I calculated a small part of the function and made each into rectangles. They can be analyzed from the right, middle, or left of a function and can even be shown with trapezoids. From there, it shows my process to calculate the area from each part of my function. I decided to make sure each rectangle was on a smaller scale because it would make calculating the area a simpler process.

Reverse Power Rule: f(x) = -9 * 2x^2 --> (Multiply -9 * 2) -> -18x^2 

F(x) = ax^b+1/b+1

-18x^3/3 -> -6x^3

Reverse power rule shows how a function can be changed in one way or another. The process is similar to the power rule but can be seen in different ways. Not only this, but the rule can be applied differently depending on the set of numbers used.

 (Integral): 

0.5 : -6(0.5)^3 = -0.25
0 : -6(0)^3 = 0

-0.25 - 0 = -0.25

The -25  is the integral made from putting each side of a function into the derivative and finding a result. Once evaluating it on both sides, they had to be subtracted by each other to get a final answer. In comparison to the -0.97, it shows the change in how a function can change depending on applying the derivative or anti derivative. Each can be used in different ways and might show a different answer. 

This action project gave me an interesting look into how calculus can be used in different ways. I'd say that calculus is understanding how numbers can change over a given period of time and why. These changes can be measured over certain periods of time and depending on the numbers used it might lead to different results. Using my function for example, I used integration to calculate how to find the area under a specific function. Once I figured that out, it help me to understand that integrals and derivatives are both opposite to one another. Not only this, but both are fundamental to understanding calculus. When I figured out how to get the derivative, it wasn't difficult for me to figure out how to get the anti-derivative. This can't just applied to my equation, but to any equation or derivative that deals with these sets of skills.  gave me an outlook on how functions can change and why. It was challenging for me to figure out the integral though I did have the numbers I just needed the right equation. If I were to do this again I might want to see how using different numbers might affect my function.

Rebuilding Block By Block

This is the last action project for my class Urban Planning. The title of this unit being Flow, we looked at the different ways that certain cities function and what might go into them. We also looked at how Urban Planning itself can affect cities over a longer period of time and how it can be used effectively or ineffectively. For this, we looked at historical examples like Amsterdam’s growth as a city. TED talks were also a huge part of this unit because they allowed us to look into different perspectives of those who might want or have an effect on urban planning. This led us to talk to some professionals who use urban planning daily like Itay Porat and Whitney interior design. For this final action project, the purpose is to choose a certain section of a city and redesign it for the better.

"My City Park 1" by Bill Ward's Brickpile is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The area that I’m redesigning is 4008 S Michigan. It’s a part of the Bronzeville neighborhood and is currently an open lot and an abandoned building right next to it. It’s also right next to where I used to live for my freshman year at my school. Some of the strengths from this is that it does allow for bigger trucks and people to move through the neighborhood besides having the main streets. Because it’s an open lot, it does make me wish that it served a bigger purpose than just being an underutilized area. What could make this a better area is giving it more purpose for the people in the area.

“Screenshot of the Area being remodeled”,Google maps, 2023

The shape of my area is a rectangle:


Rectangle Length: 135.5ft
Rectangle Width: 95.88ft

Total Area (L * W): 135.5 * 95.88 = 12,991.74ft2

For my model the dimensions will be scaled by 1 in: 27 ft


When I asked one of my family members about the area this is what she said,“When we lived on 40th and Michigan Avenue, there was a lack of accessible resources in the area. There was a need for more local grocery stores with there only being one in the neighborhood. It might also be great to have more places for entertainment like a movie theater or Community Center. The neighborhood never had an open park space that allowed people to be outside which would’ve been nice to see”.

Based on an article from WTTE, Bronzeville is known for their nightclubs and dance halls that allowed people to go enjoy different environments in the neighborhood. Today, some of those same clubs and halls are abandoned and the area that I’ve chosen to redesign would have potentially been one of those places. ChicagoHistory.org even states that it was one of the first neighborhoods in the United States that was built entirely for and with black people in mind.


Here’s a screenshot of the current area and what I want to change:

“Current Screenshot of the Area”, RBL,2023

Here’s two things that inspired me when looking at remodeling this area:

The Ron Finley Project - Implementing gardening on a community basis. It also shows how sustainable gardening can be for a community and how many people could benefit from it.

"Garden of the phoenix" by jlodder is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Garden of the Phoenix - Visually having an area that serves as a garden and for the people. Not only this, but only using a small part of a park to make a nice place in the neighborhood.


Here’s an updated screenshot of the area that I’m redesigning:

"Area Redesign", RBL, 2023

Here’s a list of some of the improvements I’ve made:

• One of my ideas is turning part of the abandoned lot into a garden. This would allow for another space in Bronzeville for people to coordinate local events or just use as a way to give back.
• I would also make sure that the area itself is covered in community art and voices. This would be helpful to create a new focus on the area that would help to bring more people to enjoy the environment.
• There would also be a bench added to a side of the small garden. One of the biggest things with gardens is allowing for places for people to enjoy the environment if they might not want to walk through the graden’s trail.
• For the abandoned building, I’d turn it into a store for the garden. I decided to include this because it would allow for some community engagement towards the garden and have a store that can directly affect the garden in some way.
• I’d also add a 13x8in soccer court in the area. This is not just because I like soccer, but because there’s a lot of basketball courts in the areas nearby. With this in mind, soccer is often left to the side but this could allow for new opportunities for the community to play it with an open court. It could lead to open tournaments or just some casual games.

My design connects with SDG 11.4 which is to strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. Though it’s not directly on a global scale, it does contribute to how my neighborhood might grow and making sure that there’s a community space that’s safe for anyone. It would also allow for a point in funding that wouldn’t be hard for some to reach for a park allowing for a way to give back to the neighborhood. This design aligns with SDG 11.7.1 which is Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities. Parks themselves give an open and welcoming space for anyone who might need it and a step to getting more set up in the area. Because it’s public, it also doesn't discriminate against who can use the park and when they might be able to, which can give a lot of new opportunities for some people to live and possibly be a part of how it grows as a community space.

Here’s a 3D version of my redesign:

“Area Redesign in 3D”, RBL,2023

Plant prism on top of square (Block With Green Plants):

Area - 0.8in x 1.2in = Cubic 0.96cu. In = 25.92ft

Soccer Ball Radius - 0.25in = 6.75ft in real life 

Volume for Scaled Soccer Ball - (4/3) π0.25in3 = 0.0654 cu. In = 1.7658ft in real life

Triangle with square (Block with Purple and Blue Sections):

Area of Triangle - ½  x 0.5cm x 1cm = 0.25 sq. cm = 0.098sq. in = 2.646sq. ft in real life

Area of Rectangle  - 0.5cm x 1cm  = 0.5 sq. cm = 0.19sq. in = 5.13sq. ft in real life

Area of the Base: 0.5 x 1cm = 0.5 sq. cm =  0.19sq. in = 5.13sq. ft in real life

Volume of Full Pentagon (Model): 0.098sq. In + 0.19sq. In x 0.19sq. In = 0.1341sq. in

Volume of Full Pentagon (In Real Life): 5.13ft + 2.646ft x  5.13ft = 18.70398sq. ft

Some of the biggest challenges with this action project was deciding what to turn myspace into. For a while, I knew the space that I wanted to improve but wasn’t sure how to improve it. This took me a long time to set up but once I found the concept it made it simple to work off of. This taught me that the earlier decisions are made to work towards this project the easier it would be to finish later on. I also learned that scaling some of these designs out takes a lot of work and oftentimes is more difficult the less time someone would have to work on it. 

This Last Action Project this term taught me that our neighborhoods are constantly changing. In some cases they could be a good thing or a bad thing, but we all can have some type of voice in how they might change in the future. It also showed me that I can make some interesting changes myself if I think about it a little bit and look at how those changes might have an effect on my community in the future. Not only this, but how I might want to look at those things myself and have a bigger impact. If I were to do this project again I might want to see how choosing a different area mighy approach and what new improvements I’d want to see. 

• The Ron Finley Project. Ron Finley Project. (n.d.). https://ronfinley.com/

• United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 11 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/