Ulster BOCES Career & Tech Solar Team: 7.22.16- Nearing the End

Team members met in the lobby at 6:00AM for a quick breakfast. We welcomed two people: Tyler Brown, a team member who joined us for the remaining days of the race, and Jeremy Bout from Edge Factor. Edge Factor uses videos to highlight innovative technology and visited Ulster BOCES earlier in the year to begin filming students in preparation for the Solar Car Challenge. It will be interesting to see the completed documentary about the event.

Thankfully, the day went smoothly. Yesterday, we blew a couple fuses and Mr. Lucks was able to find stronger replacements, but they did not fit properly. Under Mr. Luck's guidance, students constructed a fuse holder, and we made it through the day without blowing a fuse. We drove the most miles of the day—over sixty! We traveled north through Nebraska, into a section of Iowa, and ended the day at the Worthington, Minnesota Civic Center where cars were on display and teams were treated to a BBQ.

We are very near to the end of the race and it has been a pleasure to see students take over ownership of the car, delegate tasks, follow competition rules and politely remind one another of them, but what has been the most heart warming has been witnessing them bond. When not behind the wheel of the solar car, long hours are spent together in the vans where music, laughter, conversation, and sleep are shared.

Tomorrow we will end the race in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Packing one of the vans before heading out to the parking lot where the solar car was parked all evening.

Marisa cleaning the solar arrays.

Steve preparing to add air to back tire.

Tyler listens as Chris goes over information on the car.

Elijah shows us the fuse holder.

The Edge Factor crew was with us throughout the day. Students were interviewed and video cameras ran non-stop.

Video of team meeting

Chris and Marisa were the first to drive, and their good driving skills gave us almost an hour of sightseeing before the battery had to be switched.

Nebraska still has quite a few old barns. I hope that the National Barn Alliance will be able to save some of them. It would be sad to see crumbling foundations or partial walls become relics of the past like wagon wheel tracks and buffalo wallows.

Our task of the day was to stop at a convenience store, buy a six pack of Diet Coke, and secure it in our basket. Six packs where not available, so a twelve pack was purchased, cut in half, and securely duct taped.