Saturday, November 13, 2010

Epiphany

Whilst eating corn pops, I came to the sudden realization that a potato cannon uses fire to launch potatoes. Hair spray is sprayed into the ignition chamber, and then lit on fire, blasting the potato several hundred feet. Firing free apparel with fire will definitely scorch the clothing, if not setting it on fire completely. I will have to look into a way of making it function with compressed air.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

List of Projects

The projects I am currently leading are:

  • The Free Apparel Launcher
  • The Tear The Excess Tape Off The Wall With The Help Of Other Individuals Project (TTTETOTWWTHOOIP)
The projects I am currently helping with are:
Arun's Clean-Up Project
Jennifer's Freshman-Sophomore-Holiday-Get Together

Free Apparel Launcher Force Field Analysis

Driving Forces
  • This device will make pep assemblies much more exciting.
  • Students will be interested in obtaining apparel for free.Students will be interested in watching their peers obtaining apparel for free.
  • Students will be interested in watching their peers shoot free apparel at them and their peers.
  • The ASB will be interested in shooting free apparel at their peers.
  • Teachers will be interested in watching their students obtain free apparel.

Barriers
  • Students will be jealous of their peers.
  • The free apparel launcher will be too strong to use in the gym.
  • Getting the administration to allow the ASB students to shoot the free apparel launcher.
  • Finding a name for the free apparel launcher that is catchier and less awkward to say.
  • Some students will be nervous about other students having free apparel shot at them.
  • It will be a safety hazard to shoot free apparel at the students in the rows closer to the ground.
  • ASB students will become mad with power and will try to use the free apparel launcher for evil.
  • The ASB advisor will become mad with jealous rage and will sabotage the free apparel launcher, making it backfire into the operator and pounding him/her with free apparel.
  • The schools administrators will be opposed to letting the students handle an instrument with free apparel launching destructive ability.
  • Pressing the benefits of this free apparel launcher.

Barriers I will overcome:
  1. The free apparel launcher will be too strong to use in the gym. To overcome this barrier, I will have to construct the free apparel launcher so that it only has enough power to launch the shirts about 20 meters (an approximation of how far it is from the bottom of a set of bleachers to the top of said bleachers). I will try to do this by making the ignition chamber smaller.
  2.  Finding a name for the free apparel launcher that is catchier and less awkward to say. I believe that with commitment and adequate creative skill, I will be able to overcome this incredible barrier. Whether through alliteration, rhyming, or clever use of puns, I will be able to give the free apparel launcher a name that will strike excitement into all who hear it.
  3. It will be a safety hazard to shoot free apparel at the students in the rows closer to the ground. This is a very interesting opportunity to allow the ASB students to practice their knowledge of physics. If the free apparel hits the students in the front row too hard, the launcher might consider stepping backwards a couple meters, and trying again. Through this system of trial-and-error, the operator could determine what would be a safe distance to launch the free apparel at the front row students





New Independent Project

My new independent project’s end result is going to be a fully operational t-shirt cannon for use at Aviation High School’s pep rallies and other events that would require shooting apparel at high velocity out of PVC pipes. This aligns with the class’s goals and values by allowing me to contribute to the entire school, giving it a gift that it can use regularly. There a very few obstacles in this project, in the sense that I know how to build one, know the materials required, and how to use it. I will need to obtain money to purchase the materials necessary for construction, and then I will have to get all the pieces. Besides that, it will be a relatively smooth ride. I’d like to get the money as soon as possible, but for a deadline’s sake, I will get the try to obtain the money before Friday, November 19th. I plan to ask the ASB for money to purchase the materials, but otherwise would ask for no other reimbursement. To do this, I will promptly email Ms. Fitz, the ASB advisor to get myself a spot in the ASB’s already busy schedule. I will create a cost projection in advance for the meeting. The materials I will need are PVC pipe, sealing material, and ignition materials. I will post a more detailed list of materials at a later time. Besides that, I won’t need any other things in order to complete this project. I will be the only one involved with constructing the ballistic, so I will take full responsibility for its success or failure.

fail. (Blog #4)

Due to constraints to my first Independent Project, I have decided that I am going to change the projects that I assigned to myself. I am going to completely abolish the project that would assemble a “Field Day” for the freshmen. It was ridiculous for me to assume that I could assemble the entire class into one room, let alone getting permission to do it. When I figure out replacement projects I will upload them to my blog with all necessary questions. Sorry for the earthshaking change, guys. 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Another Force Field Analysis

Looking at this Force Field created by Sue Storm, I can only be ashamed of humanities superheroes. I would rate the quality of this Force Field as about a 3.8 out of 10. Not only does the creation of the force field physically harm Ms. Storm, but it also leaves her back completely unprotected. If I was to assemble a team of Force Field fabricators, I heavily doubt that Sue Storm would be on the team.

Force Field Analysis

Driving Forces

  • Freshman year is hard for some students, this will help them relax
  • Teachers will have a day to relax as well
  • Freshmen will get to know each other better
  • Freshmen will be able to work together on homework, if they want
  • Freshmen will be able to play games with each other, building teamwork skills
Barriers
  • Teachers and staff may be opposed to letting the freshmen have a "day off"
  • Coming up with enough stuff to make a full day interesting will be difficult
  • Getting teachers or staff to watch over students
  • Getting all Freshmen teachers to change their work plans to work with the student's absence from class
  • Freshmen will not like the activities
  • Activities will not like the Freshmen
  • Other grades will be jealous and will slash the Freshmen's tires.
  • Limitations set by teachers and administrators may make the day boring. 
  • Being able to push this even when people disagree with it
  • Pressing the benefits of this program.
Barriers I will overcome:
  1. Limitations set by the administrators and teachers may make the day boring. I will overcome this by ensuring that the activities planned are fun and safe, so that they will not be vetoed by administrators. But I will also make sure that the day isn't planned so hard that it sucks. It should be flexible and be able to change according to the students wishes.
  2. Teaches and Staff may be opposed to letting the Freshmen have a "day off". I will overcome this by showing them it's not just some little thing that we want to do just for fun. I will present them with the fact that the transition form middle school to high school is hard for several individuals. Also, it is a great way for the Freshmen to get to know each other.
  3. Getting all Freshmen teachers to change their work plans to work with the student's absence from class. Teachers may be upset that this day will not work with their lesson plans for the year. Because of this, I will have to tell them about the date of the field day probably weeks before the actual event, so they can adjust their schedules accordingly.