Tag: Problem statement

What I choose as the focus of my project is the popular graffiti spots in St. Louis. I am a big fan of art especially graffiti, growing up on the Southside of Chicago where many buildings are covered with graffiti, it made me fall in love with that particular art. Ever since then I have always loved the uniqueness of every artistic piece, though some where related to gang violence, many other pieces where just an expression of art and extremely beautiful. What is important to me is the preservation of that beautiful art and the story it conveys about the artist.

The problem that arises from my observation is the negative stereotype graffiti gets for its effect on adolescence. It is often spoken how graffiti influences adolescence to turn to a violent lifestyle to fit it, because it is often associated with gang violence. It is looked upon as vandalism and criminal instead of expression and creativeness. The Mural Mile in St. Louis is a mile long wall filled entirely with graffiti of a variety of talented artist. This type of art is a way for people to connect with others within their community and culture. Not only is this a very popular locations but there is a multiple of graffiti location all around St. Louis.

My approach for this is a story map, to present the various popular graffiti spots in St. Louis, and to analyze whether the art is a showcase of expression or violence. In addition to whether these drawings bring negative impacts or positive ones to the community and influence the young minds within.

Primary Source: A piece from the Mural Mile https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53730949104_62b75d0d33_b.jpg

Secondary Source: Snelling, Grace. 2022. “Paint Louis celebrates 25 years of art and hip hop at the flood wall.” https://www.stlmag.com/culture/visual-arts/paint-louis-celebrates-25-years-of-art-and-hip-hop-at-the-flood-wall/

Growing up in the St. Louis area, breweries have always been a part of the city’s identity, even if I didn’t fully understand their history at first. You see references to beer everywhere around here, from historic brick buildings to local spots who brew beer and not to mention the massive Anheuser-Busch presence. What drew my attention to this topic was realizing that brewing in St. Louis doesn’t just have to be about beer, but rather immigration and culture. Even the development of the city itself! Many of the breweries were started by German immigrants from what I’ve gathered, transforming STL into one of the most important brewing centers in the united states. Learning about the mass influence something as simple as beer has on entire neighborhoods and community interested me in this topic and curious about how the industry shaped St. Louis’s history and identity.

I aim to answer how brewing influenced the economic and cultural development of St. Louis, and how the city become one of the most important brewing centers in the United States during the nineteenth century.

I want to approach the history of brewing in St. Louis through the lens of immigration and urban development. My project will examine how immigrants influenced larger brewing traditions and how technological innovation and geographic advantages helped breweries expand nationally. I will take into consideration how events such as the Prohibition dramatically changed the industry and led to a cultural decline too.

Sources I will likely use:

https://shsmo.org a primary source with image proof attached

St. Louis Brews: The History of Brewing in the Gateway City by Herbst, Roussin, Kious a book that seems very informative, a digitized version will be used

Lastly, I plan to create an interactive timeline showing brewery development in the St. Louis area from the early 1800s to today. Im considering using tools used in class to organize this timeline. It would show key events in places like Soulard and Benton to help convey that brewing helped shape St. Louis.

The Departure of the Saint Louis Rams and the fallout that ensued. 

The then Saint Louis Rams and now Los Angeles Rams departed Saint Louis in 2016. This at it’s core is sad for any football fan, but the problems arising from the abrupt exit just may be more far reaching than expected. The breakup led to a 760 billion dollar payout to the city of Saint Louis. Great news for the people, $760 Billion allows for a lot of rejuvenation and programs for the citizens. What if I told you that as of 2025, that money has not left the interest baring account it was placed in. That raises the question why has money just sat in an account for a decade when it was intended to be used for the city and its citizens? Crime has risen in the Metro East since the Rams departure, businesses have left or closed, and tourism has surely been affected with no NFL fans needing to travel to see the Rams play. More importantly I was robbed of a chance to see The Kansas City Chiefs play for a price I could afford and on a regular basis but we will circle back to that fact.

The official website for Saint Louis has been tracking this settlement issue since the beginning https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/rams-settlement.cfm. Explore Saint Louis talks about tourism, but the question remain. If the money had been used in a more timely fashion, what would the city look like now (https://explorestlouis.com/press-release/st-louis-tourism-reaches-new-heights-record-growth-in-visitors-hotel-industry-and-meetings-sector/)? 

I plan to use the leaflet story map and an attempt at a take on “The New Colossus” to add information to my project. These items will include the use of charts and graphs to show the impact of losing the Rams and moreover the indecisiveness of appropriating the funds from the settlement. 

Over the past two years, I’ve noticed how much energy and pride have grown around professional soccer in the St. Louis region. As a college soccer player myself, I’m especially drawn to the rise of St. Louis City SC and the atmosphere surrounding matches at CITYPARK. Soccer has always been part of St. Louis’s identity, but the arrival of a Major League Soccer team seems to have reshaped how the city expresses that identity. This observation led me to think more critically about the relationship between professional sports, community pride, and urban development.

Research Question:
How has the creation of St. Louis City SC influenced local identity, community engagement, and economic development in the St. Louis region?

The problem arises from a broader question about whether professional sports teams truly strengthen local communities or primarily serve commercial interests. While many argue that new stadiums and franchises stimulate economic growth and civic unity, others suggest the benefits are unevenly distributed. I want to examine this tension specifically in the St. Louis context. My approach will frame the team not just as a sports organization, but as a cultural institution that shapes narratives about the city’s future, diversity, and global connection through soccer.

Primary Source:
St. Louis City SC. “About CITY SC.” St. Louis City SC Official Website, 2023, https://www.stlcitysc.com.

This source provides direct insight into how the organization presents its mission, values, and community initiatives.

Secondary Source:
Smith, Andrew Zimbalist. “Sports Facilities and Urban Development.” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 10, no. 3, 1996, pp. 95–114.

This article analyzes the economic arguments surrounding professional sports franchises and urban growth, which will help contextualize the St. Louis case.

Proposed Technology:
I plan to create an interactive StoryMap that combines maps, images, and short written analysis. The map will visualize the location of CITYPARK within downtown St. Louis, nearby businesses, and redevelopment projects. By integrating geographic data with narrative, the project will demonstrate how the stadium’s presence reshapes physical and cultural space. This digital format will allow viewers to see spatial relationships and community impact in a way that a traditional essay could not, aligning with the project rubric’s emphasis on argument, sources, and meaningful technological integration.

The topic I want to deep dive into is the culture and history of the loop. If you don’t know what this place is, it is more middle and a bit north in St. Louis. This strip of the city is very unique in culture, music, art, and food. The atmosphere is inviting and a great place to hangout with family and friends. There is art on the sides of buildings or as sculptures along the street. The food there is diverse, with Fitz, a soda and food restaurant, and just nearby is a Japanese cuisine restaurant. There are different music halls that also align with the loop. Whether it is a comedy show, to smooth jazz, or even heavy metal. There is no one left out for their preferred music genre. If you want to bring some music home, there is a record store called Vintage Vinyl where they sell a plethora of different albums and artists that you can take home and listen to on a playing device. I enjoy many of these aspects in my normal daily life, so this is why I chose the subject of the Loop and its many interesting aspects of this, but what is its history, and how did it come to be developed? Here’s how I’m going to figure out this problem: through a timeline. I’m going to go through the history of The Loop and talk about key points of history it was involved in, and how it came to be. Here is my primary source for my project: https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/folders/3lmAk5lf42qkEymTjnzBxy/lists/7yaREtpLTLEgLMlRSJyVUt/sources/36FT9xU7o5i7ITYcOazysQ/

This is the main website for the loop, and it touches bases for the history of the loop and what it includes there.

Anderson, Caleb. “The Delmar Loop: St. Louis’s Vibrant Avenue of Culture and Entertainment.” Powell Law Firm, 19 Sept. 2024, www.plfirm.com/post/the-delmar-loop-st-louis-s-vibrant-avenue-of-culture-and-entertainment.

This is a secondary source for my project. It is a blog post from an outside point of view explaining the culture and history of The Loop. This is what I will use to help explain the history and culture of The Loop in St. Louis.

The Saint Louis Zoo stands out among American zoos for two major reasons: it is free to the public and it consistently ranks among the top zoos in the United States. What drew my attention to this topic is the contrast between its accessibility and its global scientific impact. Many people think of zoos primarily as entertainment venues, but institutions like the Saint Louis Zoo have increasingly positioned themselves as conservation science organizations engaged in wildlife research, habitat restoration, and international species recovery programs. In particular, the Zoo’s WildCare Institute coordinates global conservation centers focused on species such as cheetahs, hornbills, and sea turtles. The shift from exhibition-focused zoos to conservation-driven institutions reflects broader changes in public expectations, animal welfare standards, and environmental urgency in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The main question I’ll use for the story map would be… How have conservation efforts at the Saint Louis Zoo advanced over time, and to what extent do these efforts produce measurable, documented conservation impacts locally and globally?

Rather than asking whether zoos are “good or bad,” this project investigates how conservation is operationalized within a specific institution. It focuses on evidence-based analysis examining research outputs, conservation programs, and species recovery outcomes.

I will make interactive StoryMap (using ArcGIS StoryMaps) that:

Maps global conservation projects led by the Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute. Visualizes timelines showing how conservation priorities have shifted over time. Incorporates data visualization (charts/graphs) displaying species recovery efforts, breeding programs, and international research sites.

The StoryMap would allow:

• Geographic visualization of conservation impact.
• Integration of narrative, images, and data.
• Clear comparison between local (St. Louis-based) and global conservation efforts.
• Public-facing accessibility, reflecting the Zoo’s own emphasis on education.

Sources to use:
Saint Louis Zoo. WildCare Institute Conservation Centers Reports and Species Recovery Documentation.
Official publications, annual reports, and conservation center descriptions available through the Zoo’s website.

Digital Humanities Project Proposal: The Cultural Impact of the St. Louis Blues on St. Louis

Observation, Background, Context:
I have always been drawn to hockey and the St. Louis Blues, particularly as a fan and participant in the sport. What strikes me as interesting is how a professional sports team can shape the culture, identity, and sense of community of a city over time. The Blues, founded in 1967 as part of the NHL’s expansion into the U.S., have played an important role not only in St. Louis sports history but also in the social and cultural life of the region. The 2019 Stanley Cup victory, for example, was widely celebrated across the city, with lasting impacts on local businesses, fan culture, and civic pride.

Problem:
This observation raises the question: How have the St. Louis Blues influenced the cultural identity and community engagement of St. Louis over time? While much has been written about individual games and players, there is less exploration of the broader impact of the team on the city’s social and cultural landscape. Understanding this can reveal how sports function as a form of local heritage and collective memory.

Frame:
I plan to approach this question by examining the relationship between the team’s historical milestones—championships, iconic players, and community programs—and the city’s cultural response. My point of view is that the Blues are not just a sports franchise but a symbol of regional identity, and their influence can be traced through media, fan engagement, and local history. By combining historical analysis with modern digital tools, I hope to highlight how a sports team can leave a lasting cultural footprint.

Example Sources:

• Primary source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch archives covering the 2019 Stanley Cup victory celebrations (Post-Dispatch, 2019). This provides direct evidence of community response to a major team milestone.
• Secondary source: Smith, John. Hockey and City Identity: The Case of the St. Louis Blues. Sports History Journal, 2020. This article uses historical evidence to argue that the Blues have shaped the cultural identity of St. Louis over decades.

Proposed Technology:
I plan to use a storymap to visualize the cultural impact of the St. Louis Blues. This interactive tool will allow me to combine text, images, archival sources, and data on fan events, team milestones, and community initiatives. Through the storymap, viewers can explore how the team’s history intersects with the city’s social and cultural development, making the research both informative and engaging.