Computer science is a Java-based course taught by Ms. Taricco. Students learn programming concepts, and apply them through the development of class projects and by developing their own websites.
Logic is an integral part of computer science that is utilized throughout each project. To the right is a Latin Square I coded in Java. A Latin Square is a mathematical concept where the numbers 1 to n are arranged in a n x n grid without any of the numbers repeating in each row or column. The goal of this exercise was to learn more about using iteration through for loops.
For the AWT Graphics assignment, the goal was to create several drawings using different the Java applet. Using various ellipses, ovals, lines, and polygons, I was able to draw various object as depicted to the right. My favorite drawing is the sphere encased in a box, as it posed the greatest challenged and required a lot of thought to complete.
Apps for Good is a group project where students develop an app to solve a problem or improve existing technology.
Civic engagement is a responsibility that has been restricted to primarily the adults of every generation. As a result of inadequate emphasis on the importance of public participation, civic engagement has been on the decline over the past 50 years. To address this issue, my team, composed of myself, Gustavo Rodriguez, and Erica Dong, propose our app Censeo. The MVP of this project was to create an app where youth can vote on polls sourced from current political issues to both learn more about current events and express their opinions. The target audience for this app are teenagers and young adults.
The Censeo project began with extensive research to identify the problem of low youth civic engagement. We examined literature on voter turnout trends, finding low youth voter turnout in the midterm elections. A market analysis revealed that existing polling methods, like those used by Pew Research Center, are ineffective for reaching younger demographics.
In the design phase, we identified three core features for our minimum viable product: politically relevant polls, demographic data collection, and poll data aggregation. We designed a TikTok-like interface using Flutter, making the app engaging and easy to use. The technical design included a backend integration with Firebase for real-time database capabilities and user authentication. We integrated the Congress API to pull recent legislative information.
During implementation, front-end development focused on creating the user interface and swipe functionality for polls. Back-end development involved setting up Firebase and implementing RESTful API endpoints. We ensured data security through Google Authentication for log-in/sign-up. During testing, an in-depth overview of the app was conducted, specifically examining the backend, authentication, and UI functionality with over 70 test cases.
Future additions to Censeo include more detailed demographic statistics, regional poll filtering, and community features such as a comment section and discussion forums to enhance user engagement and ensure a safe and respectful environment for discussions.