The KSAT Spoken Word Project is a collaborative effort between the City of Easton and Lafayette College that seeks to create an innovative and interactive exhibit featuring sound art for the Karl Stirner Arts Trail in Easton, Pennsylvania. With the support of a $10,000 grant, the KSAT Advisory Board intends to involve Lehigh Valley writers in a celebration of poetry that enhances the trail’s mission of connecting art with nature, history, health, and wellness. Our team of senior Engineering Studies students contributed to the Spoken Word Project by completing initial research and design iteration, addressing the problem statement, “How might we create meaningful poetry installations that are engaging and accessible for all users?”
We ultimately devised a solution in the form of a solar-powered, repurposed lamp post with a button-operated speaker that can play a 2-minute poem in both English and Spanish, with room on the sides of the structure for the text in English, Spanish, and Braille, and original artwork related to the poem’s themes. This solution is referred to as “Option 2B” throughout this report. Our research supports the use of two sites, the 13th Street trail entrance and the lawn surrounding the Easton Dog Park, for the initial installation of the poetry posts. The final product will be solar-powered, emphasizing a commitment to environmental sustainability. Early versions will begin to incorporate local materials and labor, and it will cost approximately $325 to construct the first prototype.
Several social, political, technical, and economic factors support this design proposal. Our team relied on census data, as well as responses from our survey of KSAT users, to explore Easton’s demographics and learn how we can best meet community needs. The social context led to our inclusion of English, Spanish, and Braille versions of featured poems, and influenced our site selections. Understanding local politics and city-college relations was also crucial for preventing the perpetuation of systems or biases, as our team was able to consider multiple stakeholders and elected to prioritize access to the West Ward neighborhood when choosing installation locations. Significant research went into the design process, especially for selecting the recommended materials. Based on energy assumptions and calculations, our team opted for the BOGASING S8 Pro speaker, the ACOPOWER 15-W solar panel with a 12-V backup battery, and aluminum paneling. These technical considerations allowed us to make economic predictions regarding prototype costs, maintenance needs, and replacement timelines. Our team believes that this proposal is an important first step in accomplishing the goals of the KSAT Spoken Word Project.
During the Spring 2025 semester, Lafayette College’s Sustainable Solutions course (EGRS 480) will continue progressing with the KSAT Spoken Word Project. This course guides a group of multidisciplinary, upper-level students in carrying out a real-world project. Partnerships with community contacts and Lafayette professors have already been established, so the next group will be able to strengthen these connections and begin involving the broader Easton community with the development of the Spoken Word. Our EGRS team looks forward to passing on our work with the following clear and crucial next steps.
First, the Sustainable Solutions team must conduct additional solar energy research to ensure the selected ACOPOWER 15-W panel will provide enough energy to consistently power the BOGASING S8 Pro speaker. Our team’s research was based on reasonable estimates, but with additional time and foresight, the next group will be able to dedicate resources to gathering precise data on daylight hours at the 13th Street and dog park sites. This will help facilitate more accurate calculations.
Additionally, the Sustainable Solutions class should experiment with different materials for the protective panels that accompany Option 2B. While our team believes that aluminum is the best choice, there are several types of aluminum to consider. Weatherproof aluminum would be especially apt to pursue, as we have learned that aluminum can be susceptible to warping under extreme temperatures. With the vital inclusion of poems in Braille, it would be worthwhile to look into different coverings for the tactile component, as we are concerned that the aluminum may become too hot to comfortably touch during the summer months.
Drawing on this research, the main goal of the next team should be to create and test a prototype. Prototyping is essential for gathering information about how the installation will function in the community and guiding any necessary changes. The prototype will help with determining the appropriate speaker volume, optimal placement of wiring, and dimensions of the visual components, among other variables. A trial period should take place at both the 13th Street and dog park locations, with the Sustainable Solutions team investigating and finalizing additional locations to support the series of ten poetry posts that Professor Toia envisioned.
Ultimately, The KSAT Advisory Board will thoughtfully choose which local poets and works are to be featured in TheKSAT Spoken Word Project. After these selections have been made, promotion for the exhibit and community involvement will likely increase. Professor Toia has expressed interest in partnering with Lafayette College’s art department to contribute to the visual art component of the installations (Toia 2024). With the three aluminum panels surrounding the lamp post, we have intentionally created a blank canvas for visual elements to be painted, collaged, or drawn. As Professor Toia planned, the official launch of the exhibit can be accompanied by a celebration of city and college stakeholders alike. Following successful implementation, future teams may be interested in researching how to expand the project to other parts of Easton, both green spaces and urban settings. There is room for continued growth and interdisciplinary collaboration surrounding the Spoken Word.