Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2019
Capstone Advisor
Ken Harper
Capstone Major
Television-Radio-Film
Capstone College
Public Communications
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Creative
Subject Categories
Technology and Innovation | Television
Abstract
Wearing Two Hats is a 360, virtual reality video filmed in point-of-view style to immerse viewers into the experiences of first-generation Americans who are the first in their families to attend college. These students can be seen as wearing two hats as they hold two first-generation identities, meaning they must undergo both projects of acclimating to the United States and acclimating to college life at a starting point that is likely behind their peers. This video is intended to be watched in a virtual reality headset. Once wearing the headset, the viewer becomes the main character, a first-generation college student and first-generation American. The viewer is then immersed in a series of scenes that traditionally occur in college life based on real experiences as shared with me by first-gen college students and first-gen Americans through conversations and survey responses. The scenes include arrival to campus, scheduling assignments, and interacting with students and faculty. To share the first-gen perspective, many of the scenes instill the feelings of confusion and frustration through experiences such as being expected to know unfamiliar terminology and exposure to microaggressive comments. While the 360 video is created to be viewed through virtual reality headsets, it can also be viewed via mobile devices and computer devices. A link to the final video is to be sent via email and social media to students, faculty, and the Syracuse University Chancellor’s office in order to raise awareness to the issues faced by first-generation Americans who are the first in their family to attend college. After sharing the project with Syracuse University, I hope to share amongst other colleges as well and hopefully influence first-gen programming on campuses nationwide. Ultimately, the goal is to instill a consciousness in the viewers that will stick with them as they go about their daily college interactions, knowing that not everyone starts from the same place.
Recommended Citation
Kanzki, Lorena, "Wearing Two Hats: A Virtual Reality Experience of College Life from the Perspective of First-Generation College Students Who Are First-Generation Americans" (2019). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 1316.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/1316
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZ86ALsexo&feature=youtu.be