What an
adventure it has been since last October!! From attending the first workshop in
the Lifetime Lab in Cork to the announcement of the results of the European
Final in Andoya on 5 June. My colleague Frank, our five students and I have
travelled (metaphorically and literally) on a journey with many twists and
turns, ups and downs but always with a common purpose and shared mission: to represent to the best of our abilities our
school and, subsequently, our country, in one of the most exciting competitions
open to second level students in Europe.
There were the
many challenges: the computer coding, getting familiar with the software, the
making of the parachute, what seemed to be the impossible task of getting all
the components to fit into the drinks can, getting a balance between regular
school work and the demands of the project, designing and laying out a PCB, the
apprehension over would the PCB stand up to the tests to which it would be
subject, moments of anxiety as the deadline approached and the antenna had not
yet arrived.
Despite the
aforementioned, team spirit was steadfast. This was due in no small part to the
contributions made by the team members and the school community: Tayyaba’s intricate
stitching which resulted in our parachute being arguably the best made
parachute of the competition; Evan’s positive response when asked to assist in
our hour of need during the campaign and his conscientious approach to the
eternal problem which is the mechanics of the can; Niall’s innate capacity to take
on the challenge of the design and layout of a PCB, Chris’ can-do attitude and relentless research
of all aspects of the project and Hugh’s
brilliance as the Public Relations Officer and Coordinator who made the task
look simple but only because of the meticulous preparation he carried out for
every single step. Frank always applied
logic towards analysing and breaking down into small parts any of the technical
problems which arose. That is just the
contribution made by the team members. The whole school community from Board of
Management, staff, pupils both present and past, Team Rocket, parents and local
industry all contributed in a positive
way and carried us along whenever there were difficulties.
As I look back over
the past eight months, among the memories which I will cherish are Niall
bursting into our make-shift work station at Andoya Rocket Range, waving the
CanSat which had just been found and returned to its rightful owners; the
stunning view of the snow capped mountains and fjords as were flew from Bodo to
Andenes with almost total silence in the cabin as teams gazed in awe at the
beauty below them; then, on the return journey
the scenery was still as beautiful but this
time the cabin was filled with the chatter between the different competing
teams who were sharing their favourite moments of CanSat 2014 and their dreams
for the future.
Anne O’Dea
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