Interview: Hip Hop and Activism in Kenya

Buddha Blaze is a Kenyan-based Hip Hop activist who participated and presented at the Hiphop Symposium in Nairobi on April 17th, 2013. He is a well-respected writer, organizer and promoter of Hip Hop in Kenya and beyond and is the co-founder of WAPI, one of the biggest platforms for underground Hip Hop artists in Kenya. The following piece is an interview that a member of the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan organising team and guest editor of this anthology, Katja Kellerer, held with Buddha Blaze via email in September 2013. The set of questions addresses a wide range of issues. In addition to outlining his personal involvement in Hip Hop activism and specific projects, including the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan, the interview offers insights into Blaze’s views and perceptions of local Hip Hop scenes as well as global Hip Hop culture

BLAZE

The photographer discusses her work in “BLAZE,” a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibit held at the Tipton Gallery from September 16th through October 4th, 2019. The exhibition consists of 11 archival inkjet prints, two photographic artist books, a nine-channel video installation, representing the artist’s exploration of how to experience the landscape. Using non-traditional approaches to photographic imagery, experimental exhibition layout, the artist forms questions around themes of walking and landscape. The artist investigates sculptural land art installations represented through photographic documentation. A catalog of the exhibit is included at the end of this thesis. Roussos examines formal and conceptual influences throughout historical and contemporary artists. Non-photographic influences include: the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich; literary works of Rebecca Solnit and Alexandra David-Neel; immersive artists, Nancy Holt and Hamish Fulton. Historic and contemporary photographic influences include: Carleton Watkins, Todd Tido, Christina Seely, Awoiska van der Molen, and Thomas Flechtner

A Passage to Bowling Green: A Chronological Exploration of James Baldwin’s Connection to BGSU’s Ethnic Studies Department

James Baldwin became connected to Bowling Green State University’s (BGSU) Ethnic Studies Department starting in the late 1970s, making four visits to campus, once as a guest speaker, once as a Write-in-Residence, and twice as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the relationship between BGSU and Baldwin developed. I constructed a historical, chronological narrative utilizing primary sources including various documents from BGSU’s archival collection to understand Baldwin’s affiliation with the university. Baldwin’s 1977 visit to BGSU was his first public lecture in the United Sates since his departure to France years prior. Additionally, it was at BGSU that Baldwin first experienced teaching in a college classroom. Thus, given Baldwin’s legacy and the peculiarity that of all post-secondary institutions, he found his way to BGSU, the way in which Baldwin and BGSU overlap deserves analysis. Furthermore, I examined how Baldwin’s visits to BGSU impacted the campus and local community, as well as challenged the erasure of Black people’s perspectives and lived experiences within the post-secondary curriculum. Keywords: James Baldwin, Ethnic Studies, African American, Black, Race, Bowling Green State University, History, Archives, Curriculum, Bowling Green State Universit

Blaze-DEMGPU: Modular high performance DEM framework for the GPU architecture

AbstractBlaze-DEMGPU is a modular GPU based discrete element method (DEM) framework that supports polyhedral shaped particles. The high level performance is attributed to the light weight and Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) that the GPU architecture offers. Blaze-DEMGPU offers suitable algorithms to conduct DEM simulations on the GPU and these algorithms can be extended and modified. Since a large number of scientific simulations are particle based, many of the algorithms and strategies for GPU implementation present in Blaze-DEMGPU can be applied to other fields. Blaze-DEMGPU will make it easier for new researchers to use high performance GPU computing as well as stimulate wider GPU research efforts by the DEM community

Ecolux Communities

Seven years, 103 days, 40 minutes and 17 seconds... On September 17, 2020, Artists Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd displayed a clock in Manhattan Square. This clock, however, displayed exactly how long we have until an irreversible climate disaster occurs, not regular time. Unless greenhouse gases are significantly reduced, the time we have before something like this occurs is limited. It is very easy to see the repercussions of our actions already happening. Many areas of the planet have already seen the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit average above pre-industrial levels. The consequences of this, are also showing. Storms are increasingly getting worse, droughts are getting longer and heatwaves are getting more extreme. The planet is getting sick and we are feeling the effects, but we can also help heal it. The path to a healthier and more sustainable way of living can be paved by architects of today. Currently, buildings generate, on average, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The incorporation of new construction techniques, building materials and technologies could significantly help reduce that average. Sustainable design is a necessity in this endeavor and should immediately be incorporated into all types of design whether it be residential, commercial, or industrial. This thesis project will focus mainly on how to incorporate sustainable design into smaller communities. A proposed self-sufficient neighborhood will convey how altering our lifestyles can not only help improve the life of the planet, but also the physical and emotional well-being of humans as well. The community will focus on finding the balance between modern technology and traditional living methods to create a healthy, comfortable and unique environment where individuals and families can thrive