Dadaab Wiki - User contributions [en]

World 6

2020-11-30T19:31:29Z

Leeah: /* Counter-Culture */

= The Megacorp - Nozama =

[[File:NozamaLogo.png|250px|thumb|right|Nozama's latest logo]]

Started in the early 2000s in a garage in Seattle, Nozama began as a small online seller of household supplies. But by leveraging economies of scale, they were able to undercut most of their competitors, allowing the company to grow by leaps and bounds. Eventually, Nozama moved into other product categories, such as entertainment, electronics, furniture, and so on, becoming the world's largest online department store. Most small businesses could not compete, leaving more and more market share for Nozama to capture. There eventually came a point where if there was something you wanted, you could get it from Nozama.

The company became an opportunistic beast: if there was a service they could co-opt, or a product they could rip off, or a resource they could exploit, they would. This made them uniquely suited to grow amongst the chaos of the first half of the 21st century. And all that growth fed back into the beast: money was funnelled into research and development, advancing medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence at a breakneck pace.

Now the year is 2050. Decades of pandemics, economic turmoil, and climate change disasters have led to unprecedented political instability. Most world governments have fallen into anarchy, only to be supplanted by the one system that has managed to thrive in all this uncertainty: Nozama. This mega-corporation has filled the power vacuum left by the world's collapsing governments, leveraging the most advanced consumer technology to take control of almost every aspect of daily life. They have their hands in everything from supermarkets and health care to law enforcement and education. In many ways, they are the new world government.

== Invasive Technology ==

AI is nothing without data, and much of Nozama's operation is built around collecting that data. To do that they provide consumers with "smart" devices that analyze every interaction they have with the user. Their artificially intelligent personal assistant, Jaina, allows users to converse with their devices in natural language, while also collecting every single conversation it hears. But the pride and joy of Nozama's data collection operation is their flagship product, the '''Nozama Coherent Hologram Implantable Projector™''', more commonly known as the '''Nozama CHIP™'''.

CHIP™ is a small device implanted in a user's forearm, where it is powered of the user's own metabolism. CHIP™ is capable of connecting with 8G wireless networks, allowing users access to apps, games, social media, etc. In place of outdated screen technology, CHIP™ projects hard-light holograms onto the user's skin or into the air, which users can interact with physically. Originally sold as a neat consumer device (much like it smartphone predecessors), CHIP™ became increasingly necessary in the Nozama-ruled world. It acts as an ID card, and many Nozama stores and services require CHIP™ for payments or access; it's impossible to navigate mainstream society without one. Meanwhile, CHIP™ monitors everything about a user, from their purchasing habits to their bodily functions.

== Citizenry and Politics ==

Although national governments still exist in theory, they are so beholden to Nozama's economic dominance that they can be considered puppet governments at best. Instead, it is Nozama that defines policy, almost entirely, and local governments serve as nothing more than mouthpieces and faces to make the corporate policies more palatable. There are still presidents and prime ministers, governors and mayors, but the real political leaders are the Nozama executives and upper management.

In general, Nozama policies incentivize neoliberal consumerism, emphasizing personal responsibility and constant spending. Taxes are minimal, as Nozama collects all the wealth it needs through its monopoly on everyday products. In turn, it uses that wealth to create schools, hospitals, and the other infrastructure necessary to keep the citizenry happy, healthy, and able to continually consume the company's products.

While most people will still be citizens of the country into which they were born, that citizenship now holds little sway. Instead, the most important aspects of citizenship are managed by Nozama; certification by the corporation brings certain rights and privileges. All citizens of Nozama have a trustworthiness rating, determined by spending habits, credit rating, travel history, and biometric data, all collected via CHIP™ tracking. By increasing your trust rating, you may earn '''Verified™''' status and thus gain the right to vote, enjoy premium healthcare, attend better schools, and so on. Those with means can instead opt to purchase '''Nozama Alpha™''' status for a significant annual fee. Alpha™ citizens have the highest level of privilege, and many citizens find the payments worthwhile to gain a measure of privacy or bypass a poor trust rating.

== Consumerism as Ideology ==

Life under Nozama is built heavily around a culture of consumerism. Citizens are constantly bombarded with advertisements, through their CHIP™, in their homes, and at work or school. These ads push idyllic lifestyles as provided by Nozama products. Nice homes, healthy food, trendy fashion; all can be purchased through Nozama stores. Wealth is equated with goodness. The haves are held up as aspirational figures for the have-nots, and the only way to emulate the wealthy is buy more products. In many ways, not much has changed since the early 2000s.

The primary difference is that the messaging has become more explicitly patriotic: Nozama can only provide the lifestyles it does if the citizens buy into the culture of consumerism. Citizens are told than by spending at Nozama stores, they are funding all the services that Nozama provides to society. A new car means the neighbourhood children can get a new playground, while a loaf of artisanal bread means a worker can get vaccinated for the latest strain of coronavirus. To spend at Nozama means to better all of society.

= Education =

[[File:futuristic classroom.png|250px|thumb|right|Classroom 2050]]
At the beginning of the 21st century, public education degraded to unprecedented levels. Continuous erosion of funding, as a result of aggressive Neoliberal policies, together with decades of unstable political climate, led to poor schooling with diminishing resources. The disparity in education across social classes expanded during this time and only students with means were able to get reasonable education in private schools.
In this void came into play Nozema, which took over the public educational system during the 2030’s. It invested unlimited funding: renovated schools, supplied advanced technological equipment, trained teachers and set the curriculum. As part of Nozama’s expanding influence, even private schools were amalgamated into the system. Now, in 2050, schools are beautiful: large professionally designed spaces, full of light and equipped with cutting edge technology. Walking into a classroom is the ultimate 21st century experience.
[[File:futuristic school.png|250px|thumb|right|Public school 2050]]
However, this new look is misleading. With control over curriculum and teachers’ training, education in the Nozama-controlled world serves the corporation rather than the students. Schooling is not centred around child development, individual expression, critical thinking or student well-being. It is designed to mold the perfect consumers that will keep Nozama thriving and at the same time, will manufacture the ideal work force for the corporation.
As such, the curriculum is [[#All-STEM, All the Time|all STEM]], with a heavy emphasis on applications that are practical for the corporation, and arts are completely erased from the schooling system. [[#Consumerism as Ideology|Consumerism as Ideology]] is embedded in the curriculum and advertisements are a natural part of the school day. Student’s days are full of ties to Nozema. From the presence of Nozama's logo all over the school, to ordering school supplies and paying for lunch with Nozama CHIP™.
Students' future is also determined by their Nozama CHIP™, as the corporation is [[#Streaming|streaming]] students into a two-tiered education system, based on the classification of the students and their families.

== All-STEM, All the Time ==

Nozama’s education system only allowed for the instruction of subjects relating to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Students were prohibited from taking any course that did not relate to these subject areas, and there were no art or sport-based electives offered in these schools. Instead, students were allowed to take electives like: Coding 101, Accounting, Human Resources, Learning Computer Languages, and Machine Mechanics.

The objective of Nozama schools was to create the model employee – an employee who would directly contribute and benefit the Nozama commerce world upon graduation. To accomplish this, Nozama schools were incredibly strict, and forced all students to follow the same routine and have the same experience as their peers. For example, every student had to follow a very strict school schedule and dress code. If there were any violations, students would get demoted to a lower program level, lose their benefits or kicked out of the school entirely, in addition to paying a large fine.

== Streaming ==

Education in Nozama closely reflected the general structure of Nozama’s society, meaning each school featured two different education streams for students to choose from: the Worker stream and the Executive stream. The Executive stream is more academically charged and calls for students to be at the top of all their classes, with minimal room for error. Their courses are constructed in such a way that forces students to look at the abstract, and find meaning in it – to think critically and to think ahead of trends in order to come up with the newest best thing on the market. They also showed students how successfully market a product or manage a team of people, and how to have strong customer service skills. Unlike the abstract nature of the Executive Stream, students who are filtered into the Worker stream take applied courses that are hands-on, and teach students the exact activity they will do once completing school. The courses they take revolve around driving and sorting, packaging and manufacturing, research and development, and mechanics and electrical work.

Once a student is placed in a stream, they are not allowed to switch regardless of their GPA and it will be their designated paths throughout school and the workforce. However, if a student wants to access a high-quality course or a course that is not part of their academic requirements, they can pay a fee in order to access the information. The higher the course quality, the more expensive the fee.

== Artifacts ==

[[Corporate Anthem]]

[[General Performance Evaluation Form]]

[[Diary entry]]

= Counter-Culture =

After years of living under the Nozama regime, an underground resistance group was formed. This secret society was named TramLaw, and was founded by Noel Kennedy and Taylor Morgan (before the creation of TramLaw, their names were NZM2850 and NZM7512 respectively). These two individuals were formerly employed as the executive assistants for the CEO of Nozama, but left for unknown reasons. This collective of rebels was called TramLawians, and would congregate once a month to express their disdain for the current corporate state of the world and to spend time with like-minded individuals in an environment that completely contradicted Nozama.

At first, these meetings would be interrupted by the Nozama Police Department (NPD), as they would be able to track their movements and listen to the controversial conversations that occurred through the CHIP™ in their arms. When caught, the NPD would send TramLawians to work camps for disobeying societal rules, and they would have to serve a 2-year sentence working for the Nozama warehouse. However, after some time, TramLawians learned how to stop the NPD’s ability to track their CHIP™, giving this secret society the ability to exist without being in fear of getting caught.

TramLaw lasted for several years but, due to infighting, the society split into two, with Kennedy leading the group that left Nozama entirely, and Morgan leading the one that chose to remain within Nozama’s walls. Morgan’s TramLaw was renamed TramLaw Town and its citizens TLTs, and they existed in stark contrast to Nozama. Although the TramLaw society was split into two, they still communicated with each other through letters, plotting an eventual coup d’état against the Nozama regime.

TramLaw Town had its own government, school and healthcare systems, as well as its own black market bartering system. During the day, TLTs participated in Nozama’s society to conceal their identities. At night, they would meet underground to participate in the lively and artistic world they had created for themselves.

== Different Modes of Resistance ==

TramLaw Town’s very existence was a powerful symbol of resistance against Nozama and the corporate society they found themselves in, but TLTs also utilized a variety of things and strategies to oppose and stand in opposition to Nozama. One of the earliest examples of resistance was their ability to block the CHIP™ in their arms from finding their locations and listening to their conversations, hindering Nozama’s ability to monitor its citizens. Another mode of resistance employed was the black market bartering system that was established. This trading system allowed TLTs to exchanged information and items without the use of money, going directly against the values and structure of Nozama. TLTs also stood in opposition to Nozama by hosting an annual renaming ceremony for new members, discarding the standard NZM-ID# name format that all Nozama citizens were given at birth and replacing it with a name that belonged to someone from the B.N.E (Before the Nozama Era). When in TramLaw Town, citizens were only allowed to be called by their ceremonial names.

TramLaw Town’s main mode of resistance was their education system. In TramLaw Town, education was rooted in art and expression, and STEM classes were prohibited from being taught in their schools. A few examples of courses offered are: Creative Writing, Painting, Cooking, Rap 101, and History.

== Art as Resistance ==

As Nozama grew in power and began to control day to day activities, the capitalist mega corporation had placed a dominant focus on a STEM approach to life. This had led to a disregard for arts education as Nozama itself had found how to utilize technology to manufacture the most marketable and profitable art. With a press of a button and a complex algorithm, Nozama could produce computer generated music (jingles) and images (advertisements) without any human input.

While the standard citizen had no experience or exposure to creative art, due to the compulsory core STEM only curriculum, the counterculture had found community through the underground arts. Underground art was developed when individuals needed to relieve themselves from the stressful and tech environment imposed by Nozama. Due to art censorship, art had to be created in secret and supplies were made using basic materials, such as fruit for pigments. Through word of mouth and confidential gatherings, a community started to build around the arts, as people began to share their skills and teach others about the value in the arts.

The possibilities within the arts were greatly appreciated, and music, visual art plus theatre soon became an integral part of the resistance. Strength and unity were achieved through these art forms, especially when they evolved in the direction of social realism. Attention was being transferred to the socio-political conditions of workers and the unjust dictatorship of the power structure that was Nozama. Bright colours, lively music and dynamic dancing attracted the attention of the average Nozama citizen, and the resistance was able to sway opinions and reform with more art exposure.

Not only was art used as a way to relay information, perspectives, ideas and knowledge discreetly against Nozama (for example, a common choice to relay information was through the use of [[Zines]]), but it was also used to keep traditions, ethos, beliefs and cultures alive. Analogue art, in-person theatre and live music had become the preferred choice for interacting with the arts as these forms favoured community and were undetectable with the proper precautions taken against the CHIP™. Although, to recruit more members for the resistance and , art also had to make its way into the public eye. Graffiti was a popular choice, as it held political meaning, defaced corporate buildings, and was visible to citizens.

== Black Market Bartering ==

* The bartering system encourages the underground society to provide items for trade including but not limited to: musical instruments for subject knowledge ( history, math, science etc.)

* Each resident may raise their wrist to the sky and ask for a new pet such as a cat or dog (with sufficient merits), they are able to trade their pet for a social status rise- later viewed on social media platforms by the number of friends or likes they triple in numbers

* Information for information can be traded between each other. Infidelity results can be divulged with enough merits, and the right personality traits to be offered in return

* Vehicles may be traded for skills such as automotive labour, driving a vehicle, building a home- the skies the limit

* School supplies, text books, information chips may be traded for domesticated knowledge for parents

* Instruments, to be used in a school setting, may be traded for grocery merits

* Parents with over 2000 merit points may trade in barter save ways in turn for enhancement of their children's educational wealth

The black market bartering system is available to those who have earned over 2000 merit points within Nozama. They receive a notification through the vibrational system installed in their chip in wrist once they reach 2000, notifying them of the clues in which will take them to the underground black market portal. If these people divulge this information and whereabouts to others whom have not yet reached the 2000 merit point status, they will be punished and their chip will be disabled for all purposes for 30 days. All merit points of both parties will be removed and each person will be banned from utilizing the barter system until further notice- or if they have something to offer that is beyond the spectrum of normalcy.

The bartering system can be used by children and adults and is strictly based on the merits earned through attaining high marks in their education, knowledge that has been provided to them via chip through a blood related family member.

== Community Education ==

TramLaw Town’s art education system was small but reached dozens of families. Due to the nature of this underground society, there could only be one school for each education level, which meant there was one elementary school (K-8) and one high school (9-12), but the curriculum was shared with all parents for free, which allowed them to teach their children from home if a school meeting had to be cancelled due to a suspected or anticipated NPD presence. Unlike Nozama schools, TramLaw Town’s education system allowed for knowledge to be shared freely. No TLTs had to purchase a course to learn about a subject, rather everything was transcribed and documented, and was accessible to anyone who wanted to use it.

In TramLaw Town, there were two community schools: TLT Elementary Art Academy (TLTEAA) and TLT Collegiate Art Academy (TLTCAA). Their curriculum was focused on the arts and it encouraged students to explore their creative sides as much as possible – whenever possible. In order to help TLTs blend in with Nozama society, students were expected to attend Nozama schools during the day, then TLTEAA or TLTCAA at night. TramLaw Town schools were bright and colourful, and there was always classical music playing faintly on the PA system.

TramLaw Town’s education system was entirely rooted in art and creative expression, and did not permit any STEM courses to be taught in their schools. Instead, students learned how to rap and dance, how to draw and paint, and how to write stories and compose music. They also learned new languages (except for Java, HTML, or any other computer language), played sports, and took cooking classes. Seeing as the TramLaw Town government banned the use of electronics, students were expected to create everything by hand, and their various creations were framed and hung on the walls of the school.

== Artifacts ==

[[Zines]]

[[George Elliot's Grade 7 Poem]]

[[Kayden Brown's Fall Art Project]]

[[Sara Grace's French Conjugation Practice]]

[[Monet's End of Term Art Project]]

= Group Members =

* Sonia Baggetta

* Jazmin Cordon-Ibanez

* Leeah George

* Lily Ohana

* Mike Riverso

Sara Grace's French Conjugation Practice

2020-11-30T19:27:31Z

Leeah: Created page with "File:French.jpeg A picture of Sara Grace's grammar homework for her Grade 11 French Language class."

[[File:French.jpeg]]

A picture of Sara Grace's grammar homework for her Grade 11 French Language class.

File:French.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:26:04Z

Leeah:

Kayden Brown's Fall Art Project

2020-11-30T19:25:35Z

Leeah: Created page with "File:Kayyden Project.jpeg Kayden Brown's (Senior Kindergarten) Fall art project."

[[File:Kayyden Project.jpeg]]

Kayden Brown's (Senior Kindergarten) Fall art project.

File:Kayyden Project.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:25:11Z

Leeah:

File:Kayden Project.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:22:57Z

Leeah: Leeah uploaded a new version of File:Kayden Project.jpeg

File:Kayden Project.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:22:15Z

Leeah:

Monet's End of Term Art Project

2020-11-30T19:21:12Z

Leeah: Created page with "File:Monet Project.jpeg Monet's (Grade 6) end of term art project."

[[File:Monet Project.jpeg]]

Monet's (Grade 6) end of term art project.

File:Monet Project.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:19:52Z

Leeah:

World 6

2020-11-30T19:19:16Z

Leeah: /* Artifacts */

= The Megacorp - Nozama =

[[File:NozamaLogo.png|250px|thumb|right|Nozama's latest logo]]

Started in the early 2000s in a garage in Seattle, Nozama began as a small online seller of household supplies. But by leveraging economies of scale, they were able to undercut most of their competitors, allowing the company to grow by leaps and bounds. Eventually, Nozama moved into other product categories, such as entertainment, electronics, furniture, and so on, becoming the world's largest online department store. Most small businesses could not compete, leaving more and more market share for Nozama to capture. There eventually came a point where if there was something you wanted, you could get it from Nozama.

The company became an opportunistic beast: if there was a service they could co-opt, or a product they could rip off, or a resource they could exploit, they would. This made them uniquely suited to grow amongst the chaos of the first half of the 21st century. And all that growth fed back into the beast: money was funnelled into research and development, advancing medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence at a breakneck pace.

Now the year is 2050. Decades of pandemics, economic turmoil, and climate change disasters have led to unprecedented political instability. Most world governments have fallen into anarchy, only to be supplanted by the one system that has managed to thrive in all this uncertainty: Nozama. This mega-corporation has filled the power vacuum left by the world's collapsing governments, leveraging the most advanced consumer technology to take control of almost every aspect of daily life. They have their hands in everything from supermarkets and health care to law enforcement and education. In many ways, they are the new world government.

== Invasive Technology ==

AI is nothing without data, and much of Nozama's operation is built around collecting that data. To do that they provide consumers with "smart" devices that analyze every interaction they have with the user. Their artificially intelligent personal assistant, Jaina, allows users to converse with their devices in natural language, while also collecting every single conversation it hears. But the pride and joy of Nozama's data collection operation is their flagship product, the '''Nozama Coherent Hologram Implantable Projector™''', more commonly known as the '''Nozama CHIP™'''.

CHIP™ is a small device implanted in a user's forearm, where it is powered of the user's own metabolism. CHIP™ is capable of connecting with 8G wireless networks, allowing users access to apps, games, social media, etc. In place of outdated screen technology, CHIP™ projects hard-light holograms onto the user's skin or into the air, which users can interact with physically. Originally sold as a neat consumer device (much like it smartphone predecessors), CHIP™ became increasingly necessary in the Nozama-ruled world. It acts as an ID card, and many Nozama stores and services require CHIP™ for payments or access; it's impossible to navigate mainstream society without one. Meanwhile, CHIP™ monitors everything about a user, from their purchasing habits to their bodily functions.

== Citizenry and Politics ==

Although national governments still exist in theory, they are so beholden to Nozama's economic dominance that they can be considered puppet governments at best. Instead, it is Nozama that defines policy, almost entirely, and local governments serve as nothing more than mouthpieces and faces to make the corporate policies more palatable. There are still presidents and prime ministers, governors and mayors, but the real political leaders are the Nozama executives and upper management.

In general, Nozama policies incentivize neoliberal consumerism, emphasizing personal responsibility and constant spending. Taxes are minimal, as Nozama collects all the wealth it needs through its monopoly on everyday products. In turn, it uses that wealth to create schools, hospitals, and the other infrastructure necessary to keep the citizenry happy, healthy, and able to continually consume the company's products.

While most people will still be citizens of the country into which they were born, that citizenship now holds little sway. Instead, the most important aspects of citizenship are managed by Nozama; certification by the corporation brings certain rights and privileges. All citizens of Nozama have a trustworthiness rating, determined by spending habits, credit rating, travel history, and biometric data, all collected via CHIP™ tracking. By increasing your trust rating, you may earn '''Verified™''' status and thus gain the right to vote, enjoy premium healthcare, attend better schools, and so on. Those with means can instead opt to purchase '''Nozama Alpha™''' status for a significant annual fee. Alpha™ citizens have the highest level of privilege, and many citizens find the payments worthwhile to gain a measure of privacy or bypass a poor trust rating.

== Consumerism as Ideology ==

Life under Nozama is built heavily around a culture of consumerism. Citizens are constantly bombarded with advertisements, through their CHIP™, in their homes, and at work or school. These ads push idyllic lifestyles as provided by Nozama products. Nice homes, healthy food, trendy fashion; all can be purchased through Nozama stores. Wealth is equated with goodness. The haves are held up as aspirational figures for the have-nots, and the only way to emulate the wealthy is buy more products. In many ways, not much has changed since the early 2000s.

The primary difference is that the messaging has become more explicitly patriotic: Nozama can only provide the lifestyles it does if the citizens buy into the culture of consumerism. Citizens are told than by spending at Nozama stores, they are funding all the services that Nozama provides to society. A new car means the neighbourhood children can get a new playground, while a loaf of artisanal bread means a worker can get vaccinated for the latest strain of coronavirus. To spend at Nozama means to better all of society.

= Education =

[[File:futuristic classroom.png|250px|thumb|right|Classroom 2050]]
At the beginning of the 21st century, public education degraded to unprecedented levels. Continuous erosion of funding, as a result of aggressive Neoliberal policies, together with decades of unstable political climate, led to poor schooling with diminishing resources. The disparity in education across social classes expanded during this time and only students with means were able to get reasonable education in private schools.
In this void came into play Nozema, which took over the public educational system during the 2030’s. It invested unlimited funding: renovated schools, supplied advanced technological equipment, trained teachers and set the curriculum. As part of Nozama’s expanding influence, even private schools were amalgamated into the system. Now, in 2050, schools are beautiful: large professionally designed spaces, full of light and equipped with cutting edge technology. Walking into a classroom is the ultimate 21st century experience.
[[File:futuristic school.png|250px|thumb|right|Public school 2050]]
However, this new look is misleading. With control over curriculum and teachers’ training, education in the Nozama-controlled world serves the corporation rather than the students. Schooling is not centred around child development, individual expression, critical thinking or student well-being. It is designed to mold the perfect consumers that will keep Nozama thriving and at the same time, will manufacture the ideal work force for the corporation.
As such, the curriculum is [[#All-STEM, All the Time|all STEM]], with a heavy emphasis on applications that are practical for the corporation, and arts are completely erased from the schooling system. [[#Consumerism as Ideology|Consumerism as Ideology]] is embedded in the curriculum and advertisements are a natural part of the school day. Student’s days are full of ties to Nozema. From the presence of Nozama's logo all over the school, to ordering school supplies and paying for lunch with Nozama CHIP™.
Students' future is also determined by their Nozama CHIP™, as the corporation is [[#Streaming|streaming]] students into a two-tiered education system, based on the classification of the students and their families.

== All-STEM, All the Time ==

Nozama’s education system only allowed for the instruction of subjects relating to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Students were prohibited from taking any course that did not relate to these subject areas, and there were no art or sport-based electives offered in these schools. Instead, students were allowed to take electives like: Coding 101, Accounting, Human Resources, Learning Computer Languages, and Machine Mechanics.

The objective of Nozama schools was to create the model employee – an employee who would directly contribute and benefit the Nozama commerce world upon graduation. To accomplish this, Nozama schools were incredibly strict, and forced all students to follow the same routine and have the same experience as their peers. For example, every student had to follow a very strict school schedule and dress code. If there were any violations, students would get demoted to a lower program level, lose their benefits or kicked out of the school entirely, in addition to paying a large fine.

== Streaming ==

Education in Nozama closely reflected the general structure of Nozama’s society, meaning each school featured two different education streams for students to choose from: the Worker stream and the Executive stream. The Executive stream is more academically charged and calls for students to be at the top of all their classes, with minimal room for error. Their courses are constructed in such a way that forces students to look at the abstract, and find meaning in it – to think critically and to think ahead of trends in order to come up with the newest best thing on the market. They also showed students how successfully market a product or manage a team of people, and how to have strong customer service skills. Unlike the abstract nature of the Executive Stream, students who are filtered into the Worker stream take applied courses that are hands-on, and teach students the exact activity they will do once completing school. The courses they take revolve around driving and sorting, packaging and manufacturing, research and development, and mechanics and electrical work.

Once a student is placed in a stream, they are not allowed to switch regardless of their GPA and it will be their designated paths throughout school and the workforce. However, if a student wants to access a high-quality course or a course that is not part of their academic requirements, they can pay a fee in order to access the information. The higher the course quality, the more expensive the fee.

== Artifacts ==

[[Corporate Anthem]]

[[General Performance Evaluation Form]]

[[Diary entry]]

= Counter-Culture =

After years of living under the Nozama regime, an underground resistance group was formed. This secret society was named TramLaw, and was founded by Noel Kennedy and Taylor Morgan (before the creation of TramLaw, their names were NZM2850 and NZM7512 respectively). These two individuals were formerly employed as the executive assistants for the CEO of Nozama, but left for unknown reasons. This collective of rebels was called TramLawians, and would congregate once a month to express their disdain for the current corporate state of the world and to spend time with like-minded individuals in an environment that completely contradicted Nozama.

At first, these meetings would be interrupted by the Nozama Police Department (NPD), as they would be able to track their movements and listen to the controversial conversations that occurred through the CHIP™ in their arms. When caught, the NPD would send TramLawians to work camps for disobeying societal rules, and they would have to serve a 2-year sentence working for the Nozama warehouse. However, after some time, TramLawians learned how to stop the NPD’s ability to track their CHIP™, giving this secret society the ability to exist without being in fear of getting caught.

TramLaw lasted for several years but, due to infighting, the society split into two, with Kennedy leading the group that left Nozama entirely, and Morgan leading the one that chose to remain within Nozama’s walls. Morgan’s TramLaw was renamed TramLaw Town and its citizens TLTs, and they existed in stark contrast to Nozama. Although the TramLaw society was split into two, they still communicated with each other through letters, plotting an eventual coup d’état against the Nozama regime.

TramLaw Town had its own government, school and healthcare systems, as well as its own black market bartering system. During the day, TLTs participated in Nozama’s society to conceal their identities. At night, they would meet underground to participate in the lively and artistic world they had created for themselves.

'''*add pictures of anonymous shadows to represent kennedy and morgan*
'''
== Different Modes of Resistance ==

TramLaw Town’s very existence was a powerful symbol of resistance against Nozama and the corporate society they found themselves in, but TLTs also utilized a variety of things and strategies to oppose and stand in opposition to Nozama. One of the earliest examples of resistance was their ability to block the CHIP™ in their arms from finding their locations and listening to their conversations, hindering Nozama’s ability to monitor its citizens. Another mode of resistance employed was the black market bartering system that was established. This trading system allowed TLTs to exchanged information and items without the use of money, going directly against the values and structure of Nozama. TLTs also stood in opposition to Nozama by hosting an annual renaming ceremony for new members, discarding the standard NZM-ID# name format that all Nozama citizens were given at birth and replacing it with a name that belonged to someone from the B.N.E (Before the Nozama Era). When in TramLaw Town, citizens were only allowed to be called by their ceremonial names.

TramLaw Town’s main mode of resistance was their education system. In TramLaw Town, education was rooted in art and expression, and STEM classes were prohibited from being taught in their schools. A few examples of courses offered are: Creative Writing, Painting, Cooking, Rap 101, and History.

== Art as Resistance ==

As Nozama grew in power and began to control day to day activities, the capitalist mega corporation had placed a dominant focus on a STEM approach to life. This had led to a disregard for arts education as Nozama itself had found how to utilize technology to manufacture the most marketable and profitable art. With a press of a button and a complex algorithm, Nozama could produce computer generated music (jingles) and images (advertisements) without any human input.

While the standard citizen had no experience or exposure to creative art, due to the compulsory core STEM only curriculum, the counterculture had found community through the underground arts. Underground art was developed when individuals needed to relieve themselves from the stressful and tech environment imposed by Nozama. Due to art censorship, art had to be created in secret and supplies were made using basic materials, such as fruit for pigments. Through word of mouth and confidential gatherings, a community started to build around the arts, as people began to share their skills and teach others about the value in the arts.

The possibilities within the arts were greatly appreciated, and music, visual art plus theatre soon became an integral part of the resistance. Strength and unity were achieved through these art forms, especially when they evolved in the direction of social realism. Attention was being transferred to the socio-political conditions of workers and the unjust dictatorship of the power structure that was Nozama. Bright colours, lively music and dynamic dancing attracted the attention of the average Nozama citizen, and the resistance was able to sway opinions and reform with more art exposure.

Not only was art used as a way to relay information, perspectives, ideas and knowledge discreetly against Nozama (for example, a common choice to relay information was through the use of [[Zines]]), but it was also used to keep traditions, ethos, beliefs and cultures alive. Analogue art, in-person theatre and live music had become the preferred choice for interacting with the arts as these forms favoured community and were undetectable with the proper precautions taken against the CHIP™. Although, to recruit more members for the resistance and , art also had to make its way into the public eye. Graffiti was a popular choice, as it held political meaning, defaced corporate buildings, and was visible to citizens.

== Black Market Bartering ==

* The bartering system encourages the underground society to provide items for trade including but not limited to: musical instruments for subject knowledge ( history, math, science etc.)

* Each resident may raise their wrist to the sky and ask for a new pet such as a cat or dog (with sufficient merits), they are able to trade their pet for a social status rise- later viewed on social media platforms by the number of friends or likes they triple in numbers

* Information for information can be traded between each other. Infidelity results can be divulged with enough merits, and the right personality traits to be offered in return

* Vehicles may be traded for skills such as automotive labour, driving a vehicle, building a home- the skies the limit

* School supplies, text books, information chips may be traded for domesticated knowledge for parents

* Instruments, to be used in a school setting, may be traded for grocery merits

* Parents with over 2000 merit points may trade in barter save ways in turn for enhancement of their children's educational wealth

The black market bartering system is available to those who have earned over 2000 merit points within Nozama. They receive a notification through the vibrational system installed in their chip in wrist once they reach 2000, notifying them of the clues in which will take them to the underground black market portal. If these people divulge this information and whereabouts to others whom have not yet reached the 2000 merit point status, they will be punished and their chip will be disabled for all purposes for 30 days. All merit points of both parties will be removed and each person will be banned from utilizing the barter system until further notice- or if they have something to offer that is beyond the spectrum of normalcy.

The bartering system can be used by children and adults and is strictly based on the merits earned through attaining high marks in their education, knowledge that has been provided to them via chip through a blood related family member.

== Community Education ==

TramLaw Town’s art education system was small but reached dozens of families. Due to the nature of this underground society, there could only be one school for each education level, which meant there was one elementary school (K-8) and one high school (9-12), but the curriculum was shared with all parents for free, which allowed them to teach their children from home if a school meeting had to be cancelled due to a suspected or anticipated NPD presence. Unlike Nozama schools, TramLaw Town’s education system allowed for knowledge to be shared freely. No TLTs had to purchase a course to learn about a subject, rather everything was transcribed and documented, and was accessible to anyone who wanted to use it.

In TramLaw Town, there were two community schools: TLT Elementary Art Academy (TLTEAA) and TLT Collegiate Art Academy (TLTCAA). Their curriculum was focused on the arts and it encouraged students to explore their creative sides as much as possible – whenever possible. In order to help TLTs blend in with Nozama society, students were expected to attend Nozama schools during the day, then TLTEAA or TLTCAA at night. TramLaw Town schools were bright and colourful, and there was always classical music playing faintly on the PA system.

TramLaw Town’s education system was entirely rooted in art and creative expression, and did not permit any STEM courses to be taught in their schools. Instead, students learned how to rap and dance, how to draw and paint, and how to write stories and compose music. They also learned new languages (except for Java, HTML, or any other computer language), played sports, and took cooking classes. Seeing as the TramLaw Town government banned the use of electronics, students were expected to create everything by hand, and their various creations were framed and hung on the walls of the school.

== Artifacts ==

[[Zines]]

[[George Elliot's Grade 7 Poem]]

[[Kayden Brown's Fall Art Project]]

[[Sara Grace's French Conjugation Practice]]

[[Monet's End of Term Art Project]]

= Group Members =

* Sonia Baggetta

* Jazmin Cordon-Ibanez

* Leeah George

* Lily Ohana

* Mike Riverso

George Elliot's Grade 7 Poem

2020-11-30T19:06:46Z

Leeah:

[[File:Elliot Poem.jpeg]]

George Elliot's (Grade 7) entry into the TramLaw Town's poetry slam contest.

George Elliot's Grade 7 Poem

2020-11-30T19:05:58Z

Leeah: Created page with "File:Elliot Poem.jpeg George Elliot's (Grade 7) entry into the poetry slam contest."

[[File:Elliot Poem.jpeg]]

George Elliot's (Grade 7) entry into the poetry slam contest.

File:Elliot Poem.jpeg

2020-11-30T19:05:04Z

Leeah:

World 6

2020-11-30T18:52:35Z

Leeah: /* Artifacts */

= The Megacorp - Nozama =

[[File:NozamaLogo.png|250px|thumb|right|Nozama's latest logo]]

Started in the early 2000s in a garage in Seattle, Nozama began as a small online seller of household supplies. But by leveraging economies of scale, they were able to undercut most of their competitors, allowing the company to grow by leaps and bounds. Eventually, Nozama moved into other product categories, such as entertainment, electronics, furniture, and so on, becoming the world's largest online department store. Most small businesses could not compete, leaving more and more market share for Nozama to capture. There eventually came a point where if there was something you wanted, you could get it from Nozama.

The company became an opportunistic beast: if there was a service they could co-opt, or a product they could rip off, or a resource they could exploit, they would. This made them uniquely suited to grow amongst the chaos of the first half of the 21st century. And all that growth fed back into the beast: money was funnelled into research and development, advancing medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence at a breakneck pace.

Now the year is 2050. Decades of pandemics, economic turmoil, and climate change disasters have led to unprecedented political instability. Most world governments have fallen into anarchy, only to be supplanted by the one system that has managed to thrive in all this uncertainty: Nozama. This mega-corporation has filled the power vacuum left by the world's collapsing governments, leveraging the most advanced consumer technology to take control of almost every aspect of daily life. They have their hands in everything from supermarkets and health care to law enforcement and education. In many ways, they are the new world government.

== Invasive Technology ==

AI is nothing without data, and much of Nozama's operation is built around collecting that data. To do that they provide consumers with "smart" devices that analyze every interaction they have with the user. Their artificially intelligent personal assistant, Jaina, allows users to converse with their devices in natural language, while also collecting every single conversation it hears. But the pride and joy of Nozama's data collection operation is their flagship product, the '''Nozama Coherent Hologram Implantable Projector™''', more commonly known as the '''Nozama CHIP™'''.

CHIP™ is a small device implanted in a user's forearm, where it is powered of the user's own metabolism. CHIP™ is capable of connecting with 8G wireless networks, allowing users access to apps, games, social media, etc. In place of outdated screen technology, CHIP™ projects hard-light holograms onto the user's skin or into the air, which users can interact with physically. Originally sold as a neat consumer device (much like it smartphone predecessors), CHIP™ became increasingly necessary in the Nozama-ruled world. It acts as an ID card, and many Nozama stores and services require CHIP™ for payments or access; it's impossible to navigate mainstream society without one. Meanwhile, CHIP™ monitors everything about a user, from their purchasing habits to their bodily functions.

== Citizenry and Politics ==

Although national governments still exist in theory, they are so beholden to Nozama's economic dominance that they can be considered puppet governments at best. Instead, it is Nozama that defines policy, almost entirely, and local governments serve as nothing more than mouthpieces and faces to make the corporate policies more palatable. There are still presidents and prime ministers, governors and mayors, but the real political leaders are the Nozama executives and upper management.

In general, Nozama policies incentivize neoliberal consumerism, emphasizing personal responsibility and constant spending. Taxes are minimal, as Nozama collects all the wealth it needs through its monopoly on everyday products. In turn, it uses that wealth to create schools, hospitals, and the other infrastructure necessary to keep the citizenry happy, healthy, and able to continually consume the company's products.

While most people will still be citizens of the country into which they were born, that citizenship now holds little sway. Instead, the most important aspects of citizenship are managed by Nozama; certification by the corporation brings certain rights and privileges. All citizens of Nozama have a trustworthiness rating, determined by spending habits, credit rating, travel history, and biometric data, all collected via CHIP™ tracking. By increasing your trust rating, you may earn '''Verified™''' status and thus gain the right to vote, enjoy premium healthcare, attend better schools, and so on. Those with means can instead opt to purchase '''Nozama Alpha™''' status for a significant annual fee. Alpha™ citizens have the highest level of privilege, and many citizens find the payments worthwhile to gain a measure of privacy or bypass a poor trust rating.

== Consumerism as Ideology ==

Life under Nozama is built heavily around a culture of consumerism. Citizens are constantly bombarded with advertisements, through their CHIP™, in their homes, and at work or school. These ads push idyllic lifestyles as provided by Nozama products. Nice homes, healthy food, trendy fashion; all can be purchased through Nozama stores. Wealth is equated with goodness. The haves are held up as aspirational figures for the have-nots, and the only way to emulate the wealthy is buy more products. In many ways, not much has changed since the early 2000s.

The primary difference is that the messaging has become more explicitly patriotic: Nozama can only provide the lifestyles it does if the citizens buy into the culture of consumerism. Citizens are told than by spending at Nozama stores, they are funding all the services that Nozama provides to society. A new car means the neighbourhood children can get a new playground, while a loaf of artisanal bread means a worker can get vaccinated for the latest strain of coronavirus. To spend at Nozama means to better all of society.

= Education =

[[File:futuristic classroom.png|250px|thumb|right|Classroom 2050]]
At the beginning of the 21st century, public education degraded to unprecedented levels. Continuous erosion of funding, as a result of aggressive Neoliberal policies, together with decades of unstable political climate, led to poor schooling with diminishing resources. The disparity in education across social classes expanded during this time and only students with means were able to get reasonable education in private schools.
In this void came into play Nozema, which took over the public educational system during the 2030’s. It invested unlimited funding: renovated schools, supplied advanced technological equipment, trained teachers and set the curriculum. As part of Nozama’s expanding influence, even private schools were amalgamated into the system. Now, in 2050, schools are beautiful: large professionally designed spaces, full of light and equipped with cutting edge technology. Walking into a classroom is the ultimate 21st century experience.
[[File:futuristic school.png|250px|thumb|right|Public school 2050]]
However, this new look is misleading. With control over curriculum and teachers’ training, education in the Nozama-controlled world serves the corporation rather than the students. Schooling is not centred around child development, individual expression, critical thinking or student well-being. It is designed to mold the perfect consumers that will keep Nozama thriving and at the same time, will manufacture the ideal work force for the corporation.
As such, the curriculum is [[#All-STEM, All the Time|all STEM]], with a heavy emphasis on applications that are practical for the corporation, and arts are completely erased from the schooling system. [[#Consumerism as Ideology|Consumerism as Ideology]] is embedded in the curriculum and advertisements are a natural part of the school day. Student’s days are full of ties to Nozema. From the presence of Nozama's logo all over the school, to ordering school supplies and paying for lunch with Nozama CHIP™.
Students' future is also determined by their Nozama CHIP™, as the corporation is [[#Streaming|streaming]] students into a two-tiered education system, based on the classification of the students and their families.

== All-STEM, All the Time ==

Nozama’s education system only allowed for the instruction of subjects relating to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Students were prohibited from taking any course that did not relate to these subject areas, and there were no art or sport-based electives offered in these schools. Instead, students were allowed to take electives like: Coding 101, Accounting, Human Resources, Learning Computer Languages, and Machine Mechanics.

The objective of Nozama schools was to create the model employee – an employee who would directly contribute and benefit the Nozama commerce world upon graduation. To accomplish this, Nozama schools were incredibly strict, and forced all students to follow the same routine and have the same experience as their peers. For example, every student had to follow a very strict school schedule and dress code. If there were any violations, students would get demoted to a lower program level, lose their benefits or kicked out of the school entirely, in addition to paying a large fine.

== Streaming ==

Education in Nozama closely reflected the general structure of Nozama’s society, meaning each school featured two different education streams for students to choose from: the Worker stream and the Executive stream. The Executive stream is more academically charged and calls for students to be at the top of all their classes, with minimal room for error. Their courses are constructed in such a way that forces students to look at the abstract, and find meaning in it – to think critically and to think ahead of trends in order to come up with the newest best thing on the market. They also showed students how successfully market a product or manage a team of people, and how to have strong customer service skills. Unlike the abstract nature of the Executive Stream, students who are filtered into the Worker stream take applied courses that are hands-on, and teach students the exact activity they will do once completing school. The courses they take revolve around driving and sorting, packaging and manufacturing, research and development, and mechanics and electrical work.

Once a student is placed in a stream, they are not allowed to switch regardless of their GPA and it will be their designated paths throughout school and the workforce. However, if a student wants to access a high-quality course or a course that is not part of their academic requirements, they can pay a fee in order to access the information. The higher the course quality, the more expensive the fee.

== Artifacts ==

[[Corporate Anthem]]

[[General Performance Evaluation Form]]

[[Diary entry]]

= Counter-Culture =

After years of living under the Nozama regime, an underground resistance group was formed. This secret society was named TramLaw, and was founded by Noel Kennedy and Taylor Morgan (before the creation of TramLaw, their names were NZM2850 and NZM7512 respectively). These two individuals were formerly employed as the executive assistants for the CEO of Nozama, but left for unknown reasons. This collective of rebels was called TramLawians, and would congregate once a month to express their disdain for the current corporate state of the world and to spend time with like-minded individuals in an environment that completely contradicted Nozama.

At first, these meetings would be interrupted by the Nozama Police Department (NPD), as they would be able to track their movements and listen to the controversial conversations that occurred through the CHIP™ in their arms. When caught, the NPD would send TramLawians to work camps for disobeying societal rules, and they would have to serve a 2-year sentence working for the Nozama warehouse. However, after some time, TramLawians learned how to stop the NPD’s ability to track their CHIP™, giving this secret society the ability to exist without being in fear of getting caught.

TramLaw lasted for several years but, due to infighting, the society split into two, with Kennedy leading the group that left Nozama entirely, and Morgan leading the one that chose to remain within Nozama’s walls. Morgan’s TramLaw was renamed TramLaw Town and its citizens TLTs, and they existed in stark contrast to Nozama. Although the TramLaw society was split into two, they still communicated with each other through letters, plotting an eventual coup d’état against the Nozama regime.

TramLaw Town had its own government, school and healthcare systems, as well as its own black market bartering system. During the day, TLTs participated in Nozama’s society to conceal their identities. At night, they would meet underground to participate in the lively and artistic world they had created for themselves.

'''*add pictures of anonymous shadows to represent kennedy and morgan*
'''
== Different Modes of Resistance ==

TramLaw Town’s very existence was a powerful symbol of resistance against Nozama and the corporate society they found themselves in, but TLTs also utilized a variety of things and strategies to oppose and stand in opposition to Nozama. One of the earliest examples of resistance was their ability to block the CHIP™ in their arms from finding their locations and listening to their conversations, hindering Nozama’s ability to monitor its citizens. Another mode of resistance employed was the black market bartering system that was established. This trading system allowed TLTs to exchanged information and items without the use of money, going directly against the values and structure of Nozama. TLTs also stood in opposition to Nozama by hosting an annual renaming ceremony for new members, discarding the standard NZM-ID# name format that all Nozama citizens were given at birth and replacing it with a name that belonged to someone from the B.N.E (Before the Nozama Era). When in TramLaw Town, citizens were only allowed to be called by their ceremonial names.

TramLaw Town’s main mode of resistance was their education system. In TramLaw Town, education was rooted in art and expression, and STEM classes were prohibited from being taught in their schools. A few examples of courses offered are: Creative Writing, Painting, Cooking, Rap 101, and History.

== Art as Resistance ==

As Nozama grew in power and began to control day to day activities, the capitalist mega corporation had placed a dominant focus on a STEM approach to life. This had led to a disregard for arts education as Nozama itself had found how to utilize technology to manufacture the most marketable and profitable art. With a press of a button and a complex algorithm, Nozama could produce computer generated music (jingles) and images (advertisements) without any human input.

While the standard citizen had no experience or exposure to creative art, due to the compulsory core STEM only curriculum, the counterculture had found community through the underground arts. Underground art was developed when individuals needed to relieve themselves from the stressful and tech environment imposed by Nozama. Due to art censorship, art had to be created in secret and supplies were made using basic materials, such as fruit for pigments. Through word of mouth and confidential gatherings, a community started to build around the arts, as people began to share their skills and teach others about the value in the arts.

The possibilities within the arts were greatly appreciated, and music, visual art plus theatre soon became an integral part of the resistance. Strength and unity were achieved through these art forms, especially when they evolved in the direction of social realism. Attention was being transferred to the socio-political conditions of workers and the unjust dictatorship of the power structure that was Nozama. Bright colours, lively music and dynamic dancing attracted the attention of the average Nozama citizen, and the resistance was able to sway opinions and reform with more art exposure.

Not only was art used as a way to relay information, perspectives, ideas and knowledge discreetly against Nozama (for example, a common choice to relay information was through the use of [[Zines]]), but it was also used to keep traditions, ethos, beliefs and cultures alive. Analogue art, in-person theatre and live music had become the preferred choice for interacting with the arts as these forms favoured community and were undetectable with the proper precautions taken against the CHIP™. Although, to recruit more members for the resistance and , art also had to make its way into the public eye. Graffiti was a popular choice, as it held political meaning, defaced corporate buildings, and was visible to citizens.

== Black Market Bartering ==

* The bartering system encourages the underground society to provide items for trade including but not limited to: musical instruments for subject knowledge ( history, math, science etc.)

* Each resident may raise their wrist to the sky and ask for a new pet such as a cat or dog (with sufficient merits), they are able to trade their pet for a social status rise- later viewed on social media platforms by the number of friends or likes they triple in numbers

* Information for information can be traded between each other. Infidelity results can be divulged with enough merits, and the right personality traits to be offered in return

* Vehicles may be traded for skills such as automotive labour, driving a vehicle, building a home- the skies the limit

* School supplies, text books, information chips may be traded for domesticated knowledge for parents

* Instruments, to be used in a school setting, may be traded for grocery merits

* Parents with over 2000 merit points may trade in barter save ways in turn for enhancement of their children's educational wealth

The black market bartering system is available to those who have earned over 2000 merit points within Nozama. They receive a notification through the vibrational system installed in their chip in wrist once they reach 2000, notifying them of the clues in which will take them to the underground black market portal. If these people divulge this information and whereabouts to others whom have not yet reached the 2000 merit point status, they will be punished and their chip will be disabled for all purposes for 30 days. All merit points of both parties will be removed and each person will be banned from utilizing the barter system until further notice- or if they have something to offer that is beyond the spectrum of normalcy.

The bartering system can be used by children and adults and is strictly based on the merits earned through attaining high marks in their education, knowledge that has been provided to them via chip through a blood related family member.

== Community Education ==

TramLaw Town’s art education system was small but reached dozens of families. Due to the nature of this underground society, there could only be one school for each education level, which meant there was one elementary school (K-8) and one high school (9-12), but the curriculum was shared with all parents for free, which allowed them to teach their children from home if a school meeting had to be cancelled due to a suspected or anticipated NPD presence. Unlike Nozama schools, TramLaw Town’s education system allowed for knowledge to be shared freely. No TLTs had to purchase a course to learn about a subject, rather everything was transcribed and documented, and was accessible to anyone who wanted to use it.

In TramLaw Town, there were two community schools: TLT Elementary Art Academy (TLTEAA) and TLT Collegiate Art Academy (TLTCAA). Their curriculum was focused on the arts and it encouraged students to explore their creative sides as much as possible – whenever possible. In order to help TLTs blend in with Nozama society, students were expected to attend Nozama schools during the day, then TLTEAA or TLTCAA at night. TramLaw Town schools were bright and colourful, and there was always classical music playing faintly on the PA system.

TramLaw Town’s education system was entirely rooted in art and creative expression, and did not permit any STEM courses to be taught in their schools. Instead, students learned how to rap and dance, how to draw and paint, and how to write stories and compose music. They also learned new languages (except for Java, HTML, or any other computer language), played sports, and took cooking classes. Seeing as the TramLaw Town government banned the use of electronics, students were expected to create everything by hand, and their various creations were framed and hung on the walls of the school.

== Artifacts ==

[[Zines]]

[[George Elliot's Grade 7 Poem]]

= Group Members =

* Sonia Baggetta

* Jazmin Cordon-Ibanez

* Leeah George

* Lily Ohana

* Mike Riverso

Grade 7 - Poem

2020-11-30T18:51:54Z

Leeah: Created page with "File:Elliot Poem.jpg"

[[File:Elliot Poem.jpg]]

World 6

2020-11-30T18:46:58Z

Leeah: /* Artifacts */

= The Megacorp - Nozama =

[[File:NozamaLogo.png|250px|thumb|right|Nozama's latest logo]]

Started in the early 2000s in a garage in Seattle, Nozama began as a small online seller of household supplies. But by leveraging economies of scale, they were able to undercut most of their competitors, allowing the company to grow by leaps and bounds. Eventually, Nozama moved into other product categories, such as entertainment, electronics, furniture, and so on, becoming the world's largest online department store. Most small businesses could not compete, leaving more and more market share for Nozama to capture. There eventually came a point where if there was something you wanted, you could get it from Nozama.

The company became an opportunistic beast: if there was a service they could co-opt, or a product they could rip off, or a resource they could exploit, they would. This made them uniquely suited to grow amongst the chaos of the first half of the 21st century. And all that growth fed back into the beast: money was funnelled into research and development, advancing medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence at a breakneck pace.

Now the year is 2050. Decades of pandemics, economic turmoil, and climate change disasters have led to unprecedented political instability. Most world governments have fallen into anarchy, only to be supplanted by the one system that has managed to thrive in all this uncertainty: Nozama. This mega-corporation has filled the power vacuum left by the world's collapsing governments, leveraging the most advanced consumer technology to take control of almost every aspect of daily life. They have their hands in everything from supermarkets and health care to law enforcement and education. In many ways, they are the new world government.

== Invasive Technology ==

AI is nothing without data, and much of Nozama's operation is built around collecting that data. To do that they provide consumers with "smart" devices that analyze every interaction they have with the user. Their artificially intelligent personal assistant, Jaina, allows users to converse with their devices in natural language, while also collecting every single conversation it hears. But the pride and joy of Nozama's data collection operation is their flagship product, the '''Nozama Coherent Hologram Implantable Projector™''', more commonly known as the '''Nozama CHIP™'''.

CHIP™ is a small device implanted in a user's forearm, where it is powered of the user's own metabolism. CHIP™ is capable of connecting with 8G wireless networks, allowing users access to apps, games, social media, etc. In place of outdated screen technology, CHIP™ projects hard-light holograms onto the user's skin or into the air, which users can interact with physically. Originally sold as a neat consumer device (much like it smartphone predecessors), CHIP™ became increasingly necessary in the Nozama-ruled world. It acts as an ID card, and many Nozama stores and services require CHIP™ for payments or access; it's impossible to navigate mainstream society without one. Meanwhile, CHIP™ monitors everything about a user, from their purchasing habits to their bodily functions.

== Citizenry and Politics ==

Although national governments still exist in theory, they are so beholden to Nozama's economic dominance that they can be considered puppet governments at best. Instead, it is Nozama that defines policy, almost entirely, and local governments serve as nothing more than mouthpieces and faces to make the corporate policies more palatable. There are still presidents and prime ministers, governors and mayors, but the real political leaders are the Nozama executives and upper management.

In general, Nozama policies incentivize neoliberal consumerism, emphasizing personal responsibility and constant spending. Taxes are minimal, as Nozama collects all the wealth it needs through its monopoly on everyday products. In turn, it uses that wealth to create schools, hospitals, and the other infrastructure necessary to keep the citizenry happy, healthy, and able to continually consume the company's products.

While most people will still be citizens of the country into which they were born, that citizenship now holds little sway. Instead, the most important aspects of citizenship are managed by Nozama; certification by the corporation brings certain rights and privileges. All citizens of Nozama have a trustworthiness rating, determined by spending habits, credit rating, travel history, and biometric data, all collected via CHIP™ tracking. By increasing your trust rating, you may earn '''Verified™''' status and thus gain the right to vote, enjoy premium healthcare, attend better schools, and so on. Those with means can instead opt to purchase '''Nozama Alpha™''' status for a significant annual fee. Alpha™ citizens have the highest level of privilege, and many citizens find the payments worthwhile to gain a measure of privacy or bypass a poor trust rating.

== Consumerism as Ideology ==

Life under Nozama is built heavily around a culture of consumerism. Citizens are constantly bombarded with advertisements, through their CHIP™, in their homes, and at work or school. These ads push idyllic lifestyles as provided by Nozama products. Nice homes, healthy food, trendy fashion; all can be purchased through Nozama stores. Wealth is equated with goodness. The haves are held up as aspirational figures for the have-nots, and the only way to emulate the wealthy is buy more products. In many ways, not much has changed since the early 2000s.

The primary difference is that the messaging has become more explicitly patriotic: Nozama can only provide the lifestyles it does if the citizens buy into the culture of consumerism. Citizens are told than by spending at Nozama stores, they are funding all the services that Nozama provides to society. A new car means the neighbourhood children can get a new playground, while a loaf of artisanal bread means a worker can get vaccinated for the latest strain of coronavirus. To spend at Nozama means to better all of society.

= Education =

[[File:futuristic classroom.png|250px|thumb|right|Classroom 2050]]
At the beginning of the 21st century, public education degraded to unprecedented levels. Continuous erosion of funding, as a result of aggressive Neoliberal policies, together with decades of unstable political climate, led to poor schooling with diminishing resources. The disparity in education across social classes expanded during this time and only students with means were able to get reasonable education in private schools.
In this void came into play Nozema, which took over the public educational system during the 2030’s. It invested unlimited funding: renovated schools, supplied advanced technological equipment, trained teachers and set the curriculum. As part of Nozama’s expanding influence, even private schools were amalgamated into the system. Now, in 2050, schools are beautiful: large professionally designed spaces, full of light and equipped with cutting edge technology. Walking into a classroom is the ultimate 21st century experience.
[[File:futuristic school.png|250px|thumb|right|Public school 2050]]
However, this new look is misleading. With control over curriculum and teachers’ training, education in the Nozama-controlled world serves the corporation rather than the students. Schooling is not centred around child development, individual expression, critical thinking or student well-being. It is designed to mold the perfect consumers that will keep Nozama thriving and at the same time, will manufacture the ideal work force for the corporation.
As such, the curriculum is [[#All-STEM, All the Time|all STEM]], with a heavy emphasis on applications that are practical for the corporation, and arts are completely erased from the schooling system. [[#Consumerism as Ideology|Consumerism as Ideology]] is embedded in the curriculum and advertisements are a natural part of the school day. Student’s days are full of ties to Nozema. From the presence of Nozama's logo all over the school, to ordering school supplies and paying for lunch with Nozama CHIP™.
Students' future is also determined by their Nozama CHIP™, as the corporation is [[#Streaming|streaming]] students into a two-tiered education system, based on the classification of the students and their families.

== All-STEM, All the Time ==

Nozama’s education system only allowed for the instruction of subjects relating to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Students were prohibited from taking any course that did not relate to these subject areas, and there were no art or sport-based electives offered in these schools. Instead, students were allowed to take electives like: Coding 101, Accounting, Human Resources, Learning Computer Languages, and Machine Mechanics.

The objective of Nozama schools was to create the model employee – an employee who would directly contribute and benefit the Nozama commerce world upon graduation. To accomplish this, Nozama schools were incredibly strict, and forced all students to follow the same routine and have the same experience as their peers. For example, every student had to follow a very strict school schedule and dress code. If there were any violations, students would get demoted to a lower program level, lose their benefits or kicked out of the school entirely, in addition to paying a large fine.

== Streaming ==

Education in Nozama closely reflected the general structure of Nozama’s society, meaning each school featured two different education streams for students to choose from: the Worker stream and the Executive stream. The Executive stream is more academically charged and calls for students to be at the top of all their classes, with minimal room for error. Their courses are constructed in such a way that forces students to look at the abstract, and find meaning in it – to think critically and to think ahead of trends in order to come up with the newest best thing on the market. They also showed students how successfully market a product or manage a team of people, and how to have strong customer service skills. Unlike the abstract nature of the Executive Stream, students who are filtered into the Worker stream take applied courses that are hands-on, and teach students the exact activity they will do once completing school. The courses they take revolve around driving and sorting, packaging and manufacturing, research and development, and mechanics and electrical work.

Once a student is placed in a stream, they are not allowed to switch regardless of their GPA and it will be their designated paths throughout school and the workforce. However, if a student wants to access a high-quality course or a course that is not part of their academic requirements, they can pay a fee in order to access the information. The higher the course quality, the more expensive the fee.

== Artifacts ==

[[Corporate Anthem]]

[[General Performance Evaluation Form]]

[[Diary entry]]

= Counter-Culture =

After years of living under the Nozama regime, an underground resistance group was formed. This secret society was named TramLaw, and was founded by Noel Kennedy and Taylor Morgan (before the creation of TramLaw, their names were NZM2850 and NZM7512 respectively). These two individuals were formerly employed as the executive assistants for the CEO of Nozama, but left for unknown reasons. This collective of rebels was called TramLawians, and would congregate once a month to express their disdain for the current corporate state of the world and to spend time with like-minded individuals in an environment that completely contradicted Nozama.

At first, these meetings would be interrupted by the Nozama Police Department (NPD), as they would be able to track their movements and listen to the controversial conversations that occurred through the CHIP™ in their arms. When caught, the NPD would send TramLawians to work camps for disobeying societal rules, and they would have to serve a 2-year sentence working for the Nozama warehouse. However, after some time, TramLawians learned how to stop the NPD’s ability to track their CHIP™, giving this secret society the ability to exist without being in fear of getting caught.

TramLaw lasted for several years but, due to infighting, the society split into two, with Kennedy leading the group that left Nozama entirely, and Morgan leading the one that chose to remain within Nozama’s walls. Morgan’s TramLaw was renamed TramLaw Town and its citizens TLTs, and they existed in stark contrast to Nozama. Although the TramLaw society was split into two, they still communicated with each other through letters, plotting an eventual coup d’état against the Nozama regime.

TramLaw Town had its own government, school and healthcare systems, as well as its own black market bartering system. During the day, TLTs participated in Nozama’s society to conceal their identities. At night, they would meet underground to participate in the lively and artistic world they had created for themselves.

'''*add pictures of anonymous shadows to represent kennedy and morgan*
'''
== Different Modes of Resistance ==

TramLaw Town’s very existence was a powerful symbol of resistance against Nozama and the corporate society they found themselves in, but TLTs also utilized a variety of things and strategies to oppose and stand in opposition to Nozama. One of the earliest examples of resistance was their ability to block the CHIP™ in their arms from finding their locations and listening to their conversations, hindering Nozama’s ability to monitor its citizens. Another mode of resistance employed was the black market bartering system that was established. This trading system allowed TLTs to exchanged information and items without the use of money, going directly against the values and structure of Nozama. TLTs also stood in opposition to Nozama by hosting an annual renaming ceremony for new members, discarding the standard NZM-ID# name format that all Nozama citizens were given at birth and replacing it with a name that belonged to someone from the B.N.E (Before the Nozama Era). When in TramLaw Town, citizens were only allowed to be called by their ceremonial names.

TramLaw Town’s main mode of resistance was their education system. In TramLaw Town, education was rooted in art and expression, and STEM classes were prohibited from being taught in their schools. A few examples of courses offered are: Creative Writing, Painting, Cooking, Rap 101, and History.

== Art as Resistance ==

As Nozama grew in power and began to control day to day activities, the capitalist mega corporation had placed a dominant focus on a STEM approach to life. This had led to a disregard for arts education as Nozama itself had found how to utilize technology to manufacture the most marketable and profitable art. With a press of a button and a complex algorithm, Nozama could produce computer generated music (jingles) and images (advertisements) without any human input.

While the standard citizen had no experience or exposure to creative art, due to the compulsory core STEM only curriculum, the counterculture had found community through the underground arts. Underground art was developed when individuals needed to relieve themselves from the stressful and tech environment imposed by Nozama. Due to art censorship, art had to be created in secret and supplies were made using basic materials, such as fruit for pigments. Through word of mouth and confidential gatherings, a community started to build around the arts, as people began to share their skills and teach others about the value in the arts.

The possibilities within the arts were greatly appreciated, and music, visual art plus theatre soon became an integral part of the resistance. Strength and unity were achieved through these art forms, especially when they evolved in the direction of social realism. Attention was being transferred to the socio-political conditions of workers and the unjust dictatorship of the power structure that was Nozama. Bright colours, lively music and dynamic dancing attracted the attention of the average Nozama citizen, and the resistance was able to sway opinions and reform with more art exposure.

Not only was art used as a way to relay information, perspectives, ideas and knowledge discreetly against Nozama (for example, a common choice to relay information was through the use of [[Zines]]), but it was also used to keep traditions, ethos, beliefs and cultures alive. Analogue art, in-person theatre and live music had become the preferred choice for interacting with the arts as these forms favoured community and were undetectable with the proper precautions taken against the CHIP™. Although, to recruit more members for the resistance and , art also had to make its way into the public eye. Graffiti was a popular choice, as it held political meaning, defaced corporate buildings, and was visible to citizens.

== Black Market Bartering ==

* The bartering system encourages the underground society to provide items for trade including but not limited to: musical instruments for subject knowledge ( history, math, science etc.)

* Each resident may raise their wrist to the sky and ask for a new pet such as a cat or dog (with sufficient merits), they are able to trade their pet for a social status rise- later viewed on social media platforms by the number of friends or likes they triple in numbers

* Information for information can be traded between each other. Infidelity results can be divulged with enough merits, and the right personality traits to be offered in return

* Vehicles may be traded for skills such as automotive labour, driving a vehicle, building a home- the skies the limit

* School supplies, text books, information chips may be traded for domesticated knowledge for parents

* Instruments, to be used in a school setting, may be traded for grocery merits

* Parents with over 2000 merit points may trade in barter save ways in turn for enhancement of their children's educational wealth

The black market bartering system is available to those who have earned over 2000 merit points within Nozama. They receive a notification through the vibrational system installed in their chip in wrist once they reach 2000, notifying them of the clues in which will take them to the underground black market portal. If these people divulge this information and whereabouts to others whom have not yet reached the 2000 merit point status, they will be punished and their chip will be disabled for all purposes for 30 days. All merit points of both parties will be removed and each person will be banned from utilizing the barter system until further notice- or if they have something to offer that is beyond the spectrum of normalcy.

The bartering system can be used by children and adults and is strictly based on the merits earned through attaining high marks in their education, knowledge that has been provided to them via chip through a blood related family member.

== Community Education ==

TramLaw Town’s art education system was small but reached dozens of families. Due to the nature of this underground society, there could only be one school for each education level, which meant there was one elementary school (K-8) and one high school (9-12), but the curriculum was shared with all parents for free, which allowed them to teach their children from home if a school meeting had to be cancelled due to a suspected or anticipated NPD presence. Unlike Nozama schools, TramLaw Town’s education system allowed for knowledge to be shared freely. No TLTs had to purchase a course to learn about a subject, rather everything was transcribed and documented, and was accessible to anyone who wanted to use it.

In TramLaw Town, there were two community schools: TLT Elementary Art Academy (TLTEAA) and TLT Collegiate Art Academy (TLTCAA). Their curriculum was focused on the arts and it encouraged students to explore their creative sides as much as possible – whenever possible. In order to help TLTs blend in with Nozama society, students were expected to attend Nozama schools during the day, then TLTEAA or TLTCAA at night. TramLaw Town schools were bright and colourful, and there was always classical music playing faintly on the PA system.

TramLaw Town’s education system was entirely rooted in art and creative expression, and did not permit any STEM courses to be taught in their schools. Instead, students learned how to rap and dance, how to draw and paint, and how to write stories and compose music. They also learned new languages (except for Java, HTML, or any other computer language), played sports, and took cooking classes. Seeing as the TramLaw Town government banned the use of electronics, students were expected to create everything by hand, and their various creations were framed and hung on the walls of the school.

== Artifacts ==

[[Zines]]

[[Grade 7 - Poem]]

= Group Members =

* Sonia Baggetta

* Jazmin Cordon-Ibanez

* Leeah George

* Lily Ohana

* Mike Riverso

2020-11-15T21:49:28Z

Leeah: /* All-STEM, All the Time */