WINTER GUARD PAGE 2
MRS. ANDREWS PAGE 9
SCHOOL SAFETY PAGE 13
VOICE
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ISSUE 7
MUSICAL PAGE 17
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A P R I L 2 0 1 8
WORLD OF WHEELS
VOLUME 4
STUDENTS CUSTOMIZE PEDAL CAR
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By Macy Keiser STAFF WRITER
n August 2017, Industrial Technology instructor Mr. Jason Novotny entered the Summit Racing Equipment Pedal Car Challenge, hosted by the World of Wheels. The World of Wheels is an opportunity for car designers to show off their talents at the nationwide event. The World of Wheels encourages younger students to get involved in it as well. The organization donates a small pedal car to numerous schools. Each school receives the same car. The students are allowed several months to customize the pedal car and allow their creativity to shine. This past March, all of the pedal cars from different schools were displayed at the Centurylink Center for the World of Wheels event. The pedal cars were finally judged and were given awards. “This is the first time I’ve ever tried this,” Mr. Novotny said. “It was just the opportunity to have kids try something different than we normally teach in our classes. We don’t do body work. We don’t do paint, things like that in our typical industrial tech classes. So this would be something different.” The first step in the customization of the pedal car required the construction students to brainstorm. They found ideas through websites like Pinterest and incorporated them into their car. The construction students were encouraged to express their creativity through the pedal car design. “It’s just really unique, we made everything ourselves,” senior Timothy Weimer said. “We did all the welding, we just kind of collaborated and [it’s a] mixture of all our ideas, and [it] turned out really good.” The students sketched out the car parts,
which were then fabricated through the 3D printer. They also went to stores to find parts from larger vehicles. The headlights applied to the pedal car were actually derived from a semi-truck. Lug nut covers off of a semi-truck were also attached to the back of the pedal car. “A lot of it was made out of metal,” Mr. Novotny said. “So we used some of the metal out of the welding shop. Some of the parts had to be fabricated on our 3D printer.” The construction students proved this project to be beneficial. They broadened their knowledge with new techniques such as bodywork and painting. They gained a new perspective on customization. Skills were improved in correlation to their welding habits. “Seeing it from when it started to its finished product is pretty cool,” senior Jordan Valentine said. “Because I like seeing projects from start to finish and I don’t know, its just cool how its set up.” Many of the construction students garnered life-long lessons from this project. The lessons learned were simple but meaningful. “I learned that you can fix a lot of mistakes with very simple things,” Weimer said. “It taught me how to think a little bit differently, how to problem solve a little better, make ideas come out of nowhere.” These students have worked hard for several months to produce their final masterpiece. Their pedal car won third place out of five of the numerous pedal cars. They agree that this type of project is something they would enjoy continuing in the future years to come. The World of Wheels is a unique opportunity to view showcased, restored and customized cars. The Pedal Car Challenge at the World of Wheels was viewed as a beneficial and exciting event for the GHS students involved.
Hard Work The construction students enjoyed participating in the customization of the pedal car for the World of Wheels. They spent hours upon hours, months upon months, of hard work. “It was just something different,” Tanner Tierney (18) said. “Like, I would have never guessed that we were going to decorate a little pedal car, but it was fun doing it.”photos by Jessica Blum
Pedaling Pros Every student saw their progression throughout the months of work. It required much thought and creativity. “It’s pretty neat just to see that all the brainstorming it takes and all the problem solving it takes,” Industrial Technology Instructor Mr. Jason Novotny said. photos by Jessica Blum
STUDENTS NOMINATED BY SENATOR SASSE MILITARY ACADEMY NOMINATIONS AWARDED TO TWO STUDENTS By Allie Janulewicz STAFF WRITER
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eing nominated to enter a military academy is a momentous achievement. To get accepted into the majority of the U.S. service academies, a high school student must first be nominated by either the president, vice president, a United States representative or an United States senator. Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse nominated two students, Seniors Greg Matya and Kobe Everson, to the United States Military Academies. Matya was nominated to go to the United States Naval Academy, and Everson was nominated to attend the United States Air Force Academy. Service academies provide potential members of the military with different types of military training, such as tactics someone would learn while in the military. “I have always wanted to be a pilot, and thanks to the Civil Air Patrol, I was introduced to military aviation, and that with childhood experiences inspired me to apply for the academies and join the military,” Matya said.
“I would like to go into the Marines as a pilot if possible, but I may learn of something I like better at a later date, so I will be keeping an open mind.” Attending one of the five service academies in the United States is a substantial honor because the academies provide the opportunity for preparation to be a military officer along with a high-quality education. All of the branches in the service academies train people to serve as commissioned officers. Not only is there physical training, but there is also mental training involved for these students. “The process started with a preliminary application last February [2017],” Matya said. “After going to the Naval Academy Summer Seminar, I learned that I really wanted to go and liked the feel of the academy. After that came a long process of detailed applications, health exams and interviews for both the academy and congressmen. I would like to give advice for others. Apply early, and try to get into the summer programs to check out the life. Get involved, join [the] program that you enjoy and [that] will help prepare you for the life at the academy. Get in shape, the academies are very difficult, and being in
shape can also help with sports.” Being a student at a service academy is much different than being a student in college. As well as getting an education, students are being trained to serve in the military. The experience is distinct because it includes military studies and physical training. There are higher expectations, military discipline, less freedom and strict rules for students in a service academy. “I have wanted to join the military ever since I was a kid,” Everson said. “My parents, who both served in the Air Force, also played a huge role in inspiring me to join the military. I expect to be shaped into a new and improved me. The military will give me valuable traits and solidify my American values.” The five service academies include the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Completing the hard work to get nominated and accepted into one of the five service academies is an achievement. Attending a service academy is a considerable way to prepare to be a service officer for the United States.