Helping 2013

Interviewee: Jaime Plascencia
Interview: April 20, 2012, 12:50 [approx.]
[Note: Normal= Interviewee, Bold= Interviewer]

[1] What ideas do you have for your senior project?

Well right now I’m just brain storming- I don’t have any ideas. I do have a few interests though that I’d like to somehow turn into [a] senior project. I like soccer, [and] I’m also very interested in weapons mechanics and stuff like that. Other than that, I’m not really sure exactly what I want to do, but I’ll probably come up with something over the summer. 

I’ve been playing soccer since I was like, in the 6^th grade. I used to do baseball, but I kind of let that go, and then I got into soccer. I’ve played a lot since then, and it’s just something that I really like, and… it should be really fun to make a project out of something I really enjoy.

When I was little my dad had guns, and we’d always used to go hunting in Mexico. We’d go up in the sierras- they’re like mountains in Spanish- and we’d go hunting quails. I always had to carry my dad’s one chamber rifle. It wasn’t like the strongest in the world, but it was fun. From there I just started exploring different weapons and it’s something I’m really interested in too.

I think both of those ideas can work out really well… I feel like I haven’t heard many weapons senior projects but I have heard a lot more soccer projects. The weapon idea seems like you have a little bit more of a personal connection to it.

Yeah, it does. I’d like to do that, but my only problem would be finding somebody. We’re supposed to have like a mentor or a professional in the field, right?  I don’t know any professionals in the field. I don’t have any connections other than what I already know and looked up.  I probably have to look around over the summer to find someone who’s experienced in that field.

[2] Yeah, that was actually my next question. What do you plan to do to complete those ten hours [over the summer]?

I could probably choose like a workshop if they have something. I just have to see who knows about this and then see what they do and hopefully they’ll let me volunteer with them. Honestly, I have no idea [what to do for the weapons, but] I’m  going to start on that.

If I were to do soccer- I referee soccer and I also play. The referee one would be easier for me to do, as far as the academic portion of it goes. When you play, you can talk to your coach but you can only [learn] so much [from] him then somebody who’s already been playing soccer for a long time like myself. I already know a lot about the sport. But refereeing- there’s always something to learn. The rules are changing every year. We have professional referees in the league- [the one I know is] FIFA accredited and everything so he can probably be my instructor and mentor for that. That would be a lot easier for me instead of the weapons one.

Soccer sounds like a really good idea. Weapons- you could probably look around, because I know that there are some shooting ranges and gun stores around the area. You could probably look around there for someone who’s accredited. 

[3] What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

Well, I’ll go in hoping to learn something just [to get a] feel or just to see what to or not to do next year so that I don’t make the same mistakes. Or even better [if it was good], do the same thing they did. I actually want to see how effective it would be for them to grab people’s attention using very different methods- whether it be like a visual aid… or the activities. [I] just to see what grabs people’s attention; what are people interested in when the person or the teacher is up there doing their thing. I think [for the senior project] you can do all of the work in the world, but if you don’t grab people’s attention, [then] it’s pretty much all for nothing.

That’s pretty true. When you’re watching the two hour presentation, keep in mind that we’re presenting our research, so you should actually watch for if our sources are credible or not. That’s something you should use for your project too. Make sure that, whatever senior project you end up doing, all of your sources are credible enough because that’s what gives your project some value. Also, we have a thirty minute speaking requirement, so you could [try to] help us out by asking us a lot of questions. It might help us add something that we forgot to the information we planned to present.

[4] Do you have any questions for me about your senior project?

Well, not anything that comes to mind right now, but I guess while I’m watching these presentations, I’ll probably come up with something like because I have to see the presentation in order to understand it and in turn- be able to ask questions.

I see you have really good ideas right now, and you have a really good idea on what to do. The four interviews that you’re going to have to do are really, really valuable. Now, a lot of seniors are quoting them because of how useful they are, so make sure you take advantage of them and ask a lot of questions. Try and get your service learning person since you have to do ten hours over the summer, and you get that service learning done. Take advantage of whatever you do or learn in service learning. If there are any opportunities, take it.  Whatever happens, make sure you’ll be able to use whatever you learn throughout your entire life. I might not become a marketer, but at least I know how the process works and I now understand it. A lot of people use some of the stuff that they did now for future careers.

Yeah, that’s what I’m doing for this project. It’s stuff that I would be interested in doing all my life. It’s not just stuff to get me out of high school, but it’s actually something that I want to pursue.