WE Reaches Out

Outreaches, you say?

 We've spent weeks in preparation for today! Hours of meetings designed to practice experiments and a numerous amount of support from our members  -- it has resulted in a very successful outreach. Outreaches, if you do not know, is jargon -- though, I doubt of its authenticity as we are not involved in any sort of vocation -- for events where we hold mini-science fairs, introducing kids to interesting and interactive experiments. Although the WE Science Body has multiple events to offer, the outreaches we provide are essential to building our relationship with not only the future generations, but also with the community. 

We offered the following projects: Styrofoam Project, Red Cabbage, Magic Leak, Proof Bags, Potatoes & Straws, Neodymium Magnet, and Fruit Power Battery.

 I [Junhui Zhou] was part of the Potatoes & Straws section. Essentially, our section offered the kids two ways to try to poke a hole through a potato using a straw: with both ends of the straw open or with one of the ends closed. The one with both ends open would be significantly harder than the latter as the method with one end closed was highly more efficient. By closing one end, the air molecules inside the straw would only have only one passage to diffuse: the end directed towards the potato. This created a one-line stream of air molecules, which bolstered the force of a stab by the potato killer and in addition, the compressed air molecules, with no other way out the molecules would become denser, made it easier to puncture a hole in the "flimsy" potato. The entire process was facetious: watching the children struggle (though, some were just more genetically fit than us), assisting them with an explanation of compression, and reveling, at least in our minds, to their success. At first, parents were a bit confused and skeptical if whether or not our experiment was related to science, but a majority of them, and hopefully all of them, were satisfied by the end of the day.

More descriptions to come!

 Special thanks to Interact and Film Club, also from our school, for assisting us! Not only were their contributions significant, but also their hilarious acts of humor lightened the mood. They helped serve the "munchies" to the children, parents, and the hungry high-schoolers that later need to do homework. Film Club also helped us out by recording. Also, special thanks to Art Club for making all the posters! Their contribution to this communal event will not only bolster our club's success but also enhance the unity of our school -- we're not just WE, but we're WE.

Shout-out to Bryan, the President of WE, and Mrs, Olano, our teacher adviser.

Balloon in a bottle, literally.

 At the end of the day, it's mind-blowing how many people came today! WE started out as a small group, but has expanded to a universal size! Ok, maybe not that large, but that's besides the point. I'd like to commemorate the Founding Fathers for starting something so unique, but it ultimately lies within the hands of members, both past and present, for expanding the club to be so successful! We will be WE, but only YOU can be WE. 

Just to accentuate the number people that came to the outreach!

Candid picture of the children. :)

The officers for this year. 

Let their be potatoes. And towers. And potato towers. 

Flying With Friends

Meetings every Friday: I always see enthusiastic and hyperactive freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors -- ready to engage in another day's worth of activity. It especially sparks a small sentiment for the day when everyone engages with each other, which is exactly what we did last week. 

Using paper airplanes, we examined the effects of adjustment to the plane's wing length and width, and the structure of the planes themselves. Instead of going to the physics behind it -- namely equations -- we decided to let them physically modify the airplanes to engage themselves in the relationships. By introducing basic fluid dynamics, we gave them the concepts needed to experiment with paper -- leading to an interactive experience rather than just a classroom lecture. Like Icarus and Daedalus, we experienced the limitations of our supplies and capability of the quality, trying to ascend through the skies, piercing the threshold of a fabric of boredom that oscillates much like that of the airplane, indulging ourselves in the excitement of the "longest air-time" or the "farthest distance" -- like children, ending with a faint chagrin most of the time.

That was last week! This week we had an ice-breaker to try to learn (or attempt to) everyone's name. We formed a circle, and played "I Love my Neighbors who..." -- person in middle says a phrase with an interest and/or similarity and people who have that quality will disperse to find a room in the circle and the last one to arrive at a spot will be the person in the middle. This didn't work out as well as intended as many people were reluctant to speak, which we all tried to push by "forcing" some newcomers to speak. We got through everyone, but it was very rushed at the end! Nonetheless, we all learned at least one new name! Collectively, as our group becomes more unified, we'll become a stronger and stronger entity of influence. E pluribus unum -- from many, one. 

Ready for flight!

What a big group!

Colorful -- person and plane.

Trying something new, maybe even on the boundaries of insanity and creativity -- two of the same.

It's bigger than her (their) head(s)!

A wasteland!

What Comes Next?

A new year entails many old and new experiences, but there will always be one rising anomaly in midst of an ever-changing high-school environment -- WE Science Body.  Like a seed, its roots have burgeoned into a towering tree, full of diverse branches, that continues to spread its influence to the youth. 

For those reading this blog who don't know what WE Science Body is -- it's a multi-faceted science club that actively holds "outreaches", events where we present the youth around the area experiments involving all three natural sciences, and strives to instigate a passion for not only science, but the act of doing science through competitions such as MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement) and PiE (Pioneers in Engineering). 

"The Founding Fathers" (I'm not neglecting the Mothers)

Five years ago, this club was established as a means of promoting environmental awareness, but little did they [Founding Fathers] know that their  efforts would have such an impact. Five years of success, five years of growth. Their planting methods certainly worked as the club has been strong in leadership, organization, and innovation. Not only constructing the "leaders of tomorrow," but also consolidating the scattered science interests into a unified entity of creativity. Surprising to think that this all started five years ago, nonetheless started at all... I wonder -- if it weren't for the efforts of 2008, would we be here in the first place? I don't think anyone would have had such spontaneous and collective motivation to make such a unique club -- it's befitting to really call them the Founding Fathers. Actually, I coined this term for them literally moments ago. No one is probably going to use this term since we're fairly close with the alumni who started this phenomenon. It's extremely rare for alumni to have such a connective bond with their alma mater; they still visit us often, and although they're years older than us, we can communicate with them as if they were our peers. Maybe it's because of their amicable nature that has resulted in such an effective club. 

This was in 2010, two years after the club's founding. At a local elementary school around the area.

We recently had our first meeting -- a week ago. Last year during orientation, we had enough people to the extent of not having enough seats for everyone... It was an inspiring and mind-blowing sight -- seeing a group full of prospects. The year before, it wasn't nearly as colossal in size;  I could actually breathe in the room. But, this year was just as ripe as last year, if not more. We really have branched. 

Where do go from here? I know indefinitely that we're going to have a productive year, I can feel the vibe evoked through the atmosphere of the first meeting. A boom in size, a boom in inspiration. But really, 

what comes next?