#original compositions mean I have to keep my brain engaged the whole time to work out proportions and shadows and flow and whatever

[practically-an-x-man]

For the random asks. I know you're a traditional artist and draw mostly animals as far as I know. But do you think you'd ever draw something based off your fics? I'm not sure what but plenty of people design covers for their fanfics. Would you ever attempt small edits? Like maybe using photopea (free browser photoshop) or are you perfectly fine just sticking with traditional? /gen

oh interesting! let me think on this one...

So yes, you're right that I'm a traditional artist, and you're right that I mostly use animals as reference for my realism pieces. I've done a teeny tiny bit of digital art too (namely, I did a cool Venom wallpaper for my old laptop, and sadly I do not still have a picture unless I scroll wayyy down my Facebook or something) but overall I find traditional art more comfortable

I've drawn my fair share of fanart too (hell, my banner is fanart, and in terms of original compositions I've done a few tattoo designs and at least one Good Omens piece), and when I was younger I would draw some of my characters. In my old sketchbook I believe I have drawings of a few old OCs - funny enough, the OCs survived (though they're ones I haven't written about yet), but they've gone through a bit of refinement. I've even done a picture of one of my OC's pets, since he's a species I completely made up and I figured a visual would be useful. I'd like to redraw that one, actually.

I suppose if I needed to, I'd be comfortable with little edits. I've used Photoshop before and I know the basics, but I'd definitely feel more comfortable sticking to traditional art. I don't think I'd necessarily make covers for my fics, but idk, if I ever need inspiration or art references you might see drawings of my OCs' faceclaims or canon characters in the movie or show.

The biggest hurdle for me drawing content from my fics is that I can only draw human beings effectively if they're full realism with a reference.... which means I can't really draw a scene from a fic I made up, especially without faceclaims for most of my characters.

And idk, I feel like whatever I draw isn't going to match up to the imagination of the scene from the writing itself, so I don't want to risk that and taint the image in my mind. If I spend hours drawing a scene, the drawing is then always going to be associated with that scene, and it's never going to have the same realism in my head again. it's hard to explain.

[inkyvulture]

Some TF lore I read through the lines.

Because I don't always read through the lines, but when I do, it's about science.

So I like thinking about the small bits and bobs of TF lore that are put out there but not quite explored. Specifically the scientific ones, I love them. And I have realized one just now.

For example, there is no mention, that is, to my knowledge, of Cybertron being made out of one single, specific metal. But we have hints that different types of metal are specific to one region or at least encountered there in bigger than usual amounts. Which means different mecha will have different elemental compositions in their bodies. Another thing that isn't mentioned at all probably, yet I find it incredibly cool is that the planet is literally buzzing with life and that the planet's core might feel like it's covered in ants. Why is that? Because, for instance, take Earth. Due to high electrical, human, etc. activity, Earth is vibrating. It always did, but now more than ever. Cybertron is a huge, electrical, robotic planet with inhabitants that are constantly engaged in different activities. The planet literally vibrates, so, when the war started, the vibrations were really intense. When the war moved offworld, I assume the living part of the planet would have felt like a parent relieved of their parental duties for the while their kid is on a school trip so they probably went to sleep. Hence the idea that Primus, the Primes themselves and such other powerful entities could contact Cybertronians through guiding visions, yet did it so rarely. They were asleep, enjoying the silence and would occasionally check in with the inhabitants to make sure they aren't bullying each other too hard. Which didn't work but that's another story, for another time because my rambling is getting too long. Putting this aside, we're back on the different metals thing.

Rodion is a play on the metal named Rhodium, which is magnetic. Most likely all natives from Rodion can be picked up with giant magnets. But since there are metals that are not magnetic and are even repelled by magnets (silver) you can stick some magnets on some mecha while others might get flung out of the orbit by really powerful ones. We do know that Cybertron, while not looking like it has an actual atmosphere, it does have a magnetic field strong enough to capture and keep around two moons.

Mecha with silver frames might get sick or paranoid if they live around the planet's poles. Got a bit of silver in your head? Too bad, on the poles you'll have GPS troubles. Is your brain full of silver components? The poles are you malfunction areas, your Kryptonite. Is your whole head out of silver? Boy, what a headache you're in for. And this might mean that, while Cybertronians seem to adapt so well to their environment, some can never see the magnetic poles of planets without different problems being triggered by it.

On another topic imagine wanting to run away and hide from the police and your safest bet is at the poles. Except you have to have several surgeries and replace the repelled components.

Now, different metals also mean different melting points, colours, acid resistance and proprieties. We know, for example that Rodimus can swim through a small sun and be ok. I may or may not recall well when I say he's lived in the Dead End near Rodion, but since rhodium has a melting point of 1964°C, that might mean he's not originally from Rodion and, therefore, his body is made out of a yet-unknown-to-humans metal. Or, maybe, Cybertronian bodies produce a layer of heat protecting alloy, who knows. For miners, they were probably made out of higher density metals so they could survive mine collapsings over them. Cargo ships are made out of highly-tensile steel. The list of ideas goes on.

And since allergies can be to anything, I can imagine some mecha being allergic to one metal or a substance others produce. So imagine being literally allergic to an entire city's grounds or allergic to your crush.

Another bit of lore is that since they need to scan vehicles in order to get the hand of their soon-to-be-alt-mode and mimic their components, Cybertronian bodies can grow ceramic, leather, plastic, glass and many other things. Take keratin for example. Mesothulas became Tarantulas and, well, he became hairy. Or as close to a keratin wearing life form as possible. Cybertronians are ultra-adapted chameleons, more so than just imitating their surroundings via transformation. They are doing a bit of Kafka's Metamorphosis here.

There are so many more things I want to write, but it's getting too long and it might bore people lmao.

[zipgrowth]

This Teacher’s Uber-Style App Feeds Hungry College Students

Dispelling loneliness. Building community. Helping college students share extra meal swipes with hungry classmates. There’s an app for that!

Along the way, he developed tips that any educator—or student—can use to fulfill a hidden need in a university community.

When Jon Chin was a grad student at New York University in 2013, he happened upon a Facebook page where students anonymously posted their secrets. One post in particular caught his eye: A classmate wrote that he was having trouble obtaining food. Chin himself had faced food insecurity as a child, and the post made him nauseous. Piqued, Chin continued to follow the online chat and, after some weeks, he saw new posts from additional students admitting they were not getting enough to eat, either.

Then, something extraordinary happened. “Other students started to reply, saying, ‘I have extra meal swipes. Send me a message and I’ll [meet you to] swipe you to give you a meal,’” says Chin. “I saw that as an opportunity to really innovate and help build something bigger.”

Chin went on to do just that, using his software development skills to create an application that would connect hungry students with classmates who had extra meal swipes. Along the way, he developed tips that any educator—or student—can use to fulfill a hidden need in a university community.

Jon Chin discussing Share Meals, 2016. Source: TEDxMU.

Bringing Tech To the Cafeteria Table

Once Chin decided to build a digital platform with social impact, he promised himself he would not leave his desk until he had finished. Some 24 hours later, he’d built the prototype for Share Meals.

The initial response exceeded his expectations. “People loved it,” says Chin. “We launched in the last week of the school year, and in just seven days, we raised 800 meal swipes [for] 400 [requests].”

Since Share Meals first went live, Chin has been busy. He earned a master’s degree in creative writing and poetry from Brooklyn College, began a master’s degree program in English education at NYU, and is now an adjunct lecturer at CUNY. At the same time, he’s continued to refine both his app and his outreach to impact students.

Course Hero Faculty Club member, Jon Chin.

Chin says that some students have just $25 for two weeks’ worth of groceries, and when their funds run out, they skip meals—some even going a whole day without food. “[It] goes back to the larger issue of college affordability,” he says. In some cities, the high cost of living only compounds the problem. Share Meals, says Chin, “fills in a lot of gaps that universities have when it comes to serving students who are food insecure.”

To make it easy for students to find one another for shared meals, Chin modeled his app’s real-time map display after those used by Uber and Lyft: If a user wants to share meal swipes, she logs in, and her location will show up immediately. Spare meals can be offered all at once or one at a time. The platform also features a list of upcoming local events offering free food.

Only students who attend the same school get matched up by Share Meals. To participate in the program, students must register with their “.edu” email address to verify that they are enrolled in a university. However, the email is kept private, with students communicating via a chat feature embedded in the app. (Chin notes that this online chat has allowed students to connect in a more personal way, which has led to both friendships and romances.)

Jon Chin’s Share Meals app. Source: Course Hero.

Tattoo Time

Chin will discuss “Using Tattoos to Teach the Essay Writing Process” at SXSW EDU 2019. Participants will use live observation, interviewing, and research to learn more about Chin himself; they’ll then design a tattoo befitting his personality and interests. Chin will also explain how he gradually raises the stakes of the lesson—from pen on paper to permanent marker on skin—to maintain engagement for students as they strengthen composition skills.

Promoting Humanity Through Code

On a personal level, creating Share Meals has been a “huge, major event” in Chin’s life. He uses his experience as a reference point to teach software engineers to be more “socially minded.” He even piloted a class at The Cooper Union in the summer of 2018 called, Computer Science and Entrepreneurship for Social Good.

Currently, Share Meals serves students at NYU and Columbia University in New York and at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Chin says he plans to continue working to bring Share Meals to more colleges and universities. And he will soon attend a summit hosted by Universities Fighting World Hunger, where students, administrators, and faculty from all over the world will convene for two days to network and share best practices.

Join the Club: Educators interested in learning more about Faculty Club opportunities, or being featured in an interview such as this one with Jon Chin, are invited to reach out to us at educators@coursehero.com.

Sound Advice: Chin’s Algorithm for Launching a Charitable App

When solving the problem of student hunger, doing it via an online platform is arguably the most cost-effective approach. While maintaining a food pantry can cost upwards of $30,000 per year, Chin says, Share Meals required an outlay of about $250. The same may hold true for other charitable works.

For anyone seeking to fulfill a hidden need in a university community using technology, Chin offers these tips:

1. Keep costs low by doing your homework

Creating a clear list of requirements—such as user experience and functionality—can ensure that the project stays on budget.

2. Dispel social stigma by changing the language

To maintain and uphold the dignity of students who use the app, Chin and his team take great care with the language they use in and around the platform. The meals are not “donations” or “leftovers.” Rather, the experience is viewed as “two students meeting over lunch.”

3. Spread the news by forming partnerships

Students, food pantries, and social media administrators can help get the word out about a new program. Chin says faculty members play a critical role in raising awareness of Share Meals because they often have a good idea of who in their classroom is hungry.

4. Ensure continuity by keeping good records

Share Meals relies heavily on help from student ambassadors. To ensure seamless transfer of knowledge from one graduating class to the next, Chin recommends using Word or Google docs to keep track of all communication, key steps and processes, and contributions.

5. Branch out by considering tangential needs

Chin’s social impact extends beyond the app. Last year, he helped organize a large pack-athon of 10,000 shelf-stable meals and smaller events in which 100-plus sandwiches were placed in on-campus community refrigerators. Chin also helped establish The Open Kitchen community cooking classes, which teach students foundational food skills.

Currently, Chin is developing the Share Meals Smart Pantry, a specialized vending machine to give universities a low-cost entry point to establishing or expanding an on-campus food pantry. The prototype is planned for deployment at New York’s Hunter College in 2019.

Ink Me!

As an adjunct lecturer of English at City University of New York, Chin needed a way to light up the creative side of the brain for students in high-tech majors, nursing, and other non-humanities disciplines. By musing on the possible origins and meanings behind tattoos, he reasoned, these students might learn to tap into their own hidden inspiration and beat writer’s block.

“When I told them they were going to draw on my arm, they were so shocked,” Chin says. “They were, like, ‘Is this real life? Are you kidding me?’” To learn how Chin structures this body art exercise—and see examples of students’ work—visit Course Hero’s Faculty Club page to read, “Strengthen English Composition Skills with a Lesson in Tattoos.”

This Teacher’s Uber-Style App Feeds Hungry College Students published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness