The project I chose to do for Brackenridge had many moving parts. It included building a video game demo, interviewing people, creating a website, and writing essays connecting abandoned malls to Gothic Horror and Spatial Theory. Having these different research areas gave me the benefit of productive procrastination. Whenever I grew tired of one part of my project, I could procrastinate by jumping into a different area of scholarly work. Another upside of the multifaceted nature of my project was being able to connect different parts. One example of this was using audio from the interviews to create content for the game. So, when one person brought up the Century III alien, I made sure to put an alien blow-up doll with that audio attached. When I was planning out my project last semester, all of my research on the Century III Mall came from Youtube Videos, news articles, pictures, etc. After completing several interviews, I quickly learned that interviews were the best way to learn about the Century III Mall. These interviews helped me understand how people remember the space, what the atmosphere was, etc.
The most valuable part of the Brackenridge experience for me was the opportunity to work on my project during the summer with no distractions. Being able to focus on a personal research project with no classes, job, etc. is a luxury that I probably will not have again for the rest of my time as an undergrad. Another part of Brackenridge I found valuable was having my research mentor and other students in Brackenridge giving feedback and giving their undivided attention to my project. As an artist who posts art online, it is difficult to get honest feedback and attention on my different art projects.
Before I finish my undergraduate degree, I hope to continue working on the game, conducting more interviews, and working on the website through an independent study. Academically, my goal is to earn a degree in Digital Narrative and Interactive Design with minors in Computer Science and Studio Art. Professionally, I would like to work as a game developer/designer or as a full-stack web developer.
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