2007-2008 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

I can’t believe it’s over. Well, saying it’s “over” isn’t exactly correct as this past week, or I guess simply this past year, has opened the door to so much for me. Rather than an ending to a simple school project, this is really the beginning to a pathway bigger than any high school project.

There’s so much to say, but first I’ll start with the actual EurekaFest. This past year has simply flown by and the culmination of a year’s hard work ended with a big bang at the 2008 EurekaFest. Truly, the journey has been unbelievable, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity. Leaving in the very early hours from LAX, I didn’t know exactly what to expect in MIT. I was excited to finally present our project and learn more about the other InvenTeams and, of course, in wonder of the opportunity to present on the same stage that Lemelson-MIT Awards would later be given out (much less have the chance to hear people like Dr. Martin Fischer and Dr. Joseph DeSimone speak). Arriving first on Tuesday in Logan, our team was welcomed with a torrent of rain in Cambridge. Excited to be back to the state of my birth, I looked forward to the action-packed week the schedule had for us. Nothing, however, could prepare me for what was yet to come. I didn’t expect to leave MIT Sunday morning with pure dread and wondering when I’d be back. But I did. Wednesday kicked off the EurekaFest. From the MIT museum to a special tour of the campus to the opening Kresge barbecue (which included some lovely intro skits…), the week started off well. Spending some time with Ms. Estabrooks (and Ms. Willis) in the Stata Center was great as we were able to finally talk face to face with the person who had helped us so much throughout the year (not to mention the person who introduced us to this wonderful adventure). As we learned and laughed about MIT hacks and just began to understand the phrase “drinking from the fire hydrant,” we all grew comfortable in the MIT atmosphere (a feeling I could definitely get used to!) I finished off the night with some quiet time by the Charles River which was very relaxing and, yet, energizing.

So Thursday was when everything just happened. Rising early for an opportune lecture by QualComm co-founder, Klein Gilhousen, Thursday began with the introduction to a shortened version of Sharon Ballard’s Advanced Invention to Venture (AI2V) Workshop. Honored that so many people such as most of the NCIIA team had come down to help us out, I began to truly realize how fortunate we were to be there. Leaving early to setup our presentation in the Stata Center’s Kirsch Auditorium, I unfortunately missed the 30 second Elevator Pitch part of the workshop. However, I was fortunate enough, along with a fellow team member, to be able to be a part of the AI2V workshop in Dallas this past March as a part of the 2008 NCIIA Conference. With the new knowledge that Troy (us) would be presenting the very first, a few butterflies of anticipation, excitement, and nervousness began to grow in my stomach. In my theatrical experiences, I’ve always been hidden under an alternate identity and layers of stage make-up. Presenting in an auditorium full of a few hundred people whose eyes would rest pretty much solely on myself and the two fellow members with me was a new experience. Watching Brillion and St. Thomas rehearse their fantastic presentations only caused my butterflies to grow. Anyway, after it was over, our presentation itself has hardly been the thing that has been occupying my mind. It is basically everything that happened after. From watching my peers present to Patrick Walsh’s work to replace kerosene lamps around the world with LED lamps to the grand finale of Dr. Martin Fisher’s presentation of his work with KickStart I was truly awed. I learned more in those minutes that Dr. Fisher spoke than I have ever learned in that same amount of time (The same can be said about this past week). His work really brought me to raise a lot of questions about our project and, obviously, helped us gain some invaluable insight. I just can’t put into words how grateful I am to have been able to hear him speak just feet away from where I was sitting in addition to being able to talk with him afterward. Later that night, I wandered into the Lemelson-MIT Awards along with other InvenTeam students. I could feel the electricity and knowledge in the air as people like Dr. Susan Hockfield and Dr. Subra Suresh spoke in addition to Mrs. Dorothy Lemelson, Dr. Merton Flemings, Dr. Robert Lemelson, and, of course, Dr. Joseph DeSimone. As I watched these simply amazing human beings speak, I realized that I was standing in just about the same spots only hours previously! I don’t know how to describe exactly what I was feeling and what I continue to feel, but I’m just so thankful and amazed that I, a simple high school student, has had the opportunity and pure honor to present on the same brochure schedule as these truly wonderful people. Not to mention the once in a lifetime, phenomenal, wordless learning experience involved!

So Friday brought more of the AI2V Workshop where we (Troy) actually had the chance for all of our team members present in front of others in the workshop which was great. The night finished with the lobster bake. Delicious food. Entertaining eating habits. Enough said.

With an relatively early rise and a mass of black and red (Troy colors!) setting out to the Museum of Science, the “Heavy Metal” challenge ended with, quite literally, a big bang. Dinner that night was one to remember. With feelings of nostalgia, excitement for the future, and last minute shopping stress mixed with slight feelings of homesickness and wondering when/if we’d be back, the 2008 EurekaFest finally came to a close. Unsurprisingly, most teams finished off with a relatively late night not wanting the week to really end.

But it did. This “ending with a beginning” thing probably sounds pretty cliche, but as they say, all good things come to an end…an end which is really a beginning. Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams has given us that beginning. That exposure to a bigger world. That opportunity to make a change. That knowledge that we can do anything we set our minds to. That chance to learn, grow, develop, and be somebody. As many InvenTeams students now graduate from high school and open the next chapter to their lives while many others just have a few more years to go, I know that we all have simply gained so much this year and will all use this experience in the future. This one year journey has made a change. A serious change for the better in our lives…and therefore a change for the better of others’ lives. Although the Lemelson-MIT 2008 InvenTeams has now officially come to a close, things are just getting started for the hundreds of students involved.

A final thank you to the Lemelson-MIT Foundation with a special thank you to Ms. Estabrooks and all those with the InvenTeams. I can’t say it or describe it enough. This is the beginning of a new season for all the students involved and Lemelson-MIT is to thank. Thank you.

…I’m not sure who is going to actually read all this–I just started writing and couldn’t really stop! Sorry for my blabber-I just realized how much I wrote!

Well, this may seem late since I lacked a computer at MIT, but now that I’m home, I can relate my story.

When I got there, most of the students regarded me in a way that expressed contempt in a classical xenophobic manner. However, my MIT campus tour guide had an excellent sense of direction, the students never relaxed from studystudystudy, and there were absolutely no means of exercise there.

Everything said in the previous paragraph was false. The people of MIT are kind, laid-back, hardworking people that like to have fun and say hi when you walk by. It was an amazing experience and extremely fun. The dorms were nice, giving a balance of video games, working out, billiards, foosball, video games, eating, pianoing, and overall running around like a lunatic.

I also liked the weather, it was a nice turn from the overkill heat of Los Angeles. Also in my interest were the bikes. As an avid bike rider who has ridden far and wide in a land where anything but driving a car for more than a block is absurd, I can confidently say that MIT is a biker’s heaven.

The tour was AMAZING! And so is MIT. It is a great facility that you can learn lots in. I even got to go to the MIT museum, where I bought many decks of cards. Also, the skits were fun, offering a good mixture of impromtu and laughter while also shunning all dignity. And the barbeque was delicious. Very delicious.

The next day was an exciting day of showcasing and presentations, where we met new people, new ideas, heard lectures, presented inventions, and literally ran around the entire campus. It was one of the busiest days of my life. And one of the funnest. I drove our coconut machine for people during my turn of presenting, but also met other people as well as their inventions. My sister ordered a smoothie all the way from Los Angeles as an experiment with the team from Chicago. I also learned of the amazing $1.5 million donation to the Wisconsin team, who went far with their money to produce a beautiful machine. After a few cups of smoothies and a few stress balls from the biodiesel exhibit, I returned to play a game of soccer with the teams. However, since no one was there, I went out for a jog across the Charles River with some teammates. Needless to say, I was the slowest one there. I returned to find the soccer match in progress, and since I was wearing my green Morocco soccer jersey, I joined with the colored team (no complaints, please) and actually scored a goal! Soon after, a failed slide tackle would twist my leg and force me to limp back to my dorm and limp all throughout the day on Friday. But it was a fun day.

Friday was fun too. I listened to many lectures about business ventures(they were as exciting as they sound, if that’s any indication). Our lemonade stand had action figures: the hero, Leman, and the villian, Limey. But after the lectures, I returned to the Baker House and played poker with the Chicago team until the lobster was ready.

The next day was also eventful. We went to the museum and built a bunch of wind powered trashcan lifters. My team, the Lemon Team(Team five) got the trashcan up in 1:03! Later in the night, I played air hockey with another team, the arcade game in the Baker House with another, and watched the Colbert Report, the best show EVER, and the best (insert category here) EVER(Stephen Colbert), with my team after that.

The next day(today), we left at 4:45AM(ick), and now I’m here at home.

The trip was fun, and the days were packed. Meeting new people, hearing about new ideas and inventions, and getting listen to intelligent, kind, and amazing people were fantastic experiences for me.

On Friday Sharon Ballard began our day by helping us create a Lemonade: Super-Delicious business. Our project targeted the upper tier of society where we figured a majority of our clients would be the country club golfing type…mainly Edina. Because our team was so large we decided that a smaller team would be more effective in these exercises. It was. Our 5 minute business plan went off like Arni’s from Entourage. We actually got applause. I know we were just as shocked as you guys. Anyway, as said we downsized the team for these events. The seniors hit the city to experience the Bostonian way of life.

The highlight of our morning was reading that the Boston Metro thought our Safer Urban Motorcycle (SUM)  was also perfect for the Bostonian way of life. We were shocked to read that our bike recieved “Ohhs and Awws”. We also were shocked to see Blake and myself on page two… we’re not very photogenic.

The day picked up when we got back to Baker for our Lobster Bake (no pun intended). The Minesoootans were in desperate need of the how to eat lobster lesson that was provided to us. The lesson was effective because resident garbage disposal Bob Gerten packed away three whole lobsters.

HEAVY METAL read the shirt on everyone as we rolled out of bed this moring. We were not sure why–that is until we arrived at the Boston Museum of Science ready to rock out. Our goal: Raise Oscar the Grouch three stories using (dunh dunh dunh) WIND POWER! The lime team, including teammate John Nye, came out of the day victorious.

The best part of our final day had to be the dance. St. Thomas represented (yeah yeah) on the dance floor throwing down to such Minnesotan beats as “Purple Rain” and “Kiss”. We also showed the west coast and east coast kids what was up when Alex Pinkerton hopped into the circle or John Moran threw his signiture “Funk Bomb”.  Our female team members, Brena Loufek and Sarah Anderson, were, however, the most popular on the dance floor. For them the odds were good, but the goods were odd.  Finshing off our last night with a blog. EurkaFest has been a success.

This morning it’s time for live blogging.  Don Domes, an InvenTeams mentor from Oregon is giving us the “411″ on what an InvenTeam experience is really like.

The big picture?  It’s intense, should not be underestimated, and you should not go it alone.  My only relief is my experience with FIRST, in that we’ve had the intense 6-week experience to design and deliver a product.  For those not familiar with FIRST, but involved with LMIT, check out the FIRST team organization documents for an idea of what you might need to create.

Currently, we’re watching a video created by Don’s students on how to account for team expenses, using the LMIT portal.  What I’ve learned is some kids LOVE to do this, so ask around and recruit some students who want to get involved.  Just because I don’t enjoy accounting doesn’t mean I can’t find someone. (Of course, it is one of the top job shortages for a reason, eh?).  It’s a great opportunity to bring in less technical students to get involved, inspiring them to be a part of a high-level opportunity.

There’s a lot to do, and a lot of support to do it.  Most of all, it seems that lead mentors need to focus their time and energies as project managers, not as builders.  This is cool, it’s so real.

A series of treats for the mind again today at Eurekafest. 

As an Excite Award recipient, it’s time to learn.  We began the day with Dr. Merton Flemings, faculty director of the program and renowned inventor himself.  He spoke so well about inventing, and the thoughts, passion and sweat that go into it.  Ms. Dorothy Lemelson was also there to share anecdotes about her husband’s inventing career, but even more of his inventive personality. (What she didn’t share was her incredible support of his work, his inventions might not exist without her.)

We also heard from Bill Gurstelle of Make Magazine, who gave us a great concept of what we need in a garage, especially the essentials in addition to some insane creations.  This was well-teamed with two of the leading InvenTeams from St. Thomas Academy and Brillion High.  Not just on the “stuff” you need, but an idea of how hard you need to work to get to the next level and show up with a great prototype.

We wrapped up the presentations with some cool (free!) stuff from SolidWorks, which I’m going to use with my students, and a demo on Electronics 101.  Of course, this is the first “101″ class I’ve been in that concludes with “and so we built our own Segway”.  I think this is that “drinking from a firehose” part they talked about.

One special treat was an informal tour of the famous MIT Media Lab.  I was contacted by a former student who is working on the “Stack Car” project, and he asked if I wanted to check it out.  Yeah!  A few of us got a tour of their project, saw Prof. Resnick working on his projects in Lifelong Kindergarten and so many other cool things.  The Media Lab is the leading edge in so many cool projects, and my student Charles is so psyched to be a part of it.  I know it makes me ecstatic as a teacher to have him here, and to continue to have his ideas and reflections on how I teach the next students to come along.

A rockin’ cool day, ended with a lobster dinner, of course.  Seriously, they gave us a lobster dinner!