Science Fair Weekend 2006
once a year, around this time, i head down to the island to help judge the Galveston County Science Fair. i've probably been doing this now for the last 7 or so years. this is partly due to a stinging obligation to students to make sure that if there are 5 places (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 2 honorable mentions), then damnit, all of those places will be handed out... unless you were a no-show.
when i was a freshman in the only year i did a project w/ computers, there were three of us. The judge awarded a 1st, and an honorable mention. guess which motherfucker didn't get a place, even an honorable mention? uh huh. luckily, i didn't even care to remember who my judge(s) were.
As it was, since then, i did botany projects or behaviorial experiments, and got 2nd's, 3rd, etc...
anyway, i swore if i was ever in a position, the kids are gonna place. each year, the experiments get more complicated in the engineering/earth sciences category. more of them have been attending too. way back, i actually judged in two categories, but this year, i couldn't even do engineering for junior level AND the ninth AND the senior level. Hailz was supposed to come down too, but she had a medical emergency. so, this year, my fellow judge-mate was one of the actual sponsors. There were the usual how-to-build-a-perfect-bridge projects, some energy conservation and generation projects... but there were a lot of 'levee' and seawall projects, and how to better prepare for hurricanes. the effects of those disasters go so far as to influence what the kids chose for projects...
after the science fair, i got new glasses made. instead of having them done by next wednesday, the guy who's been a friend for 24 years now, went ahead and made them while i waited, and i got to watch. pretty neat, and so now, i can see. :)
we're gettin ready to go visit some family friends cuz it's the 40th day anniv. of their family member's death. we've got this thing where we have a gathering of friends and family and say some prayers for the dead and the living, and then eat.
so, that's been the day so far... i'll post more later. :)
when i was a freshman in the only year i did a project w/ computers, there were three of us. The judge awarded a 1st, and an honorable mention. guess which motherfucker didn't get a place, even an honorable mention? uh huh. luckily, i didn't even care to remember who my judge(s) were.
As it was, since then, i did botany projects or behaviorial experiments, and got 2nd's, 3rd, etc...
anyway, i swore if i was ever in a position, the kids are gonna place. each year, the experiments get more complicated in the engineering/earth sciences category. more of them have been attending too. way back, i actually judged in two categories, but this year, i couldn't even do engineering for junior level AND the ninth AND the senior level. Hailz was supposed to come down too, but she had a medical emergency. so, this year, my fellow judge-mate was one of the actual sponsors. There were the usual how-to-build-a-perfect-bridge projects, some energy conservation and generation projects... but there were a lot of 'levee' and seawall projects, and how to better prepare for hurricanes. the effects of those disasters go so far as to influence what the kids chose for projects...
after the science fair, i got new glasses made. instead of having them done by next wednesday, the guy who's been a friend for 24 years now, went ahead and made them while i waited, and i got to watch. pretty neat, and so now, i can see. :)
we're gettin ready to go visit some family friends cuz it's the 40th day anniv. of their family member's death. we've got this thing where we have a gathering of friends and family and say some prayers for the dead and the living, and then eat.
so, that's been the day so far... i'll post more later. :)
posted by Bum at 14:56
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