QUESTION: How should technology evolve?

ACADEMIC SUBJECTS INVOLVED: English, History, Sociology, Computer Science

1700 Palmer Dr
Concord, CA 94521

January 26, 2021

Topic Approval Committee

Northgate High School
425 Castle Rock Road
Walnut Creek, CA 94598

To Whomever This May Concern:

For my Research Paper, I hope to assess technology’s positive and negative impacts on humanity, as well as to
take a closer look at how humanity shaped technology through various political, social, and cultural needs. As
someone who aspires to work in the technology industry, I believe that while technological advancements has
the potential to benefit humans, it can be just as detrimental. In order to counteract this, observing previous
historical trends may bring more consciousness to the direction technology is innovating in and whether or not it
advances and unifies humanity or further divides it.

My chosen experiential project will be to create a visual novel/Choose-Your-Own-Adventure video game, in

conjunction with two of my classmates, where we will attempt to explore themes of humanity, maturity, and the
development of both. I will be in charge of programming the project while the other members, Natasha Lee and
Caroline Wang, will head the narrative and artistic designs respectively. It is our hope that the game provides
solace to a diverse audience who can identify with the story and in turn develop empathy and heightened
awareness. The project requires online research, collaboration with other members done entirely online, learning
and using the game creation engine, as well as translating the narrative and artistic elements through code.

The project poses a challenge due to the scale of the game, the collaboration, and the hours of coding that will
go into it. I have created a visual novel game prior, however the game was smaller and less complex, and the
group consisted of more members and was done in person. The added challenge of distanced collaboration
though, may provide an insight on and prepare us for future work experiences, where similar safety or distance
constraints may come into play. Our game intends to explore the complex and universal themes of what it
means to be human and the challenges of growing up. We will attempt to present them in a school-appropriate
manner, yet deliver an experience that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. This will require a lot
of coding in order to fully flesh out the five different stories and their various pathways, as well as debugging
and troubleshooting, which is the bulk of the challenge. The estimated number of hours is 40-70.

I hope this meets with your approval.

Sincerely,

Sara Wu
English Teacher: Mrs. Eisner Period 3

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