All teams came well prepared and ready to compete on both subject matter and current events. As expected Mr. Chessler’s current events questions sparked much controversy. The competition was very lively and The Firm moved into 1^st place in the final round.

Ms. McCabe stated that the competition still has 3 more matches and anything can happen. Good Luck to all four teams.

Do you know:

•Which student in Group A found designing a plane much more difficult than a rocket because more math was involved? (Hint: initials are G.W.)

•Whose fingers got stuck together in Flight class? (Hint: initials are H.P.)

•Which girl (B.H.) designed the dragster that went the farthest?

•Who (K.L.) forgot to save his web page while he was designing it and lost it?

by: John Ramirez

Robin Padilla, John Ramirez

Mary Ademola, Adetayo Adebis, Louis Kow

Autos racing down the hallway! Bridges being tested for structural integrity!

Groups C & D spent the last two weeks designing mouse trap dragsters and building their own bridge designs. Students were given a mouse trap and various materials for the dragster construction. The actual design was left to each student’s

Group D

imagination. Dragsters were constructed in all shapes and sizes. Upon completion of the designs, students entered a competition. Results were surprising. The maximum distance traveled was 8.12 meters and James Petsoulakis was shocked when his dragster went backwards. Spenser Osei summed up this experience by saying, "It was fun seeing how the different building techniques affected the dragsters speed and distance."

Students engineers also constructed bridges which would be able to support weight. Students were reluctant to test their bridge designs because they were afraid that the process of adding weight would cause their bridges to break. However, the testing proceeded.

"NASA DAILY" Posts Winners

The time is 10:00 a.m. All activity in every NASA/MASTER classroom ceases. Papers are distributed. Students take pens in hand. The signal is given. The competition has begun in which students are to answer selected questions from the SAT, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). In order to win, students must answer the most questions correctly in the shortest amount of time.

Papers are collected. NASA/MASTER teachers review test items. Moans and groans and yeahs echo through the classroom.

Tomorrow there will be more winners! This week’s winners were: Aissata Diaby, Penelope Moreno, Melissa Morales, Dwayne Brown, Rafeya Khan. Camille Ariah, Eric Henry and Spenser Osei.

Spotlight on: Eugene Ginter

Eugene Ginter

Mr. Ginter launching a rocket

After many years of working in business, Mr. Ginter came to DeWitt Clinton. For the past two years, he has taught Earth Science and Physics. Mr. Ginter, a graduate of Clarkson University with a degree in engineering, certainly is a valuable addition to the faculty of DeWitt Clinton and the NASA/MASTER Program.

Mr. Ginter speaks three languages in addition to English: German, Polish, Yiddish. He is the proud father of a daughter who graduated from Cornell this past June. In his spare time he enjoys reading, skiing, and traveling. He has traveled throughout the world: Russia, Scandinavia, Latin America and Central America.

Mr. Ginter enjoys being able to transmit knowledge to a new generation. He stated, "Seeing a spark of knowledge in the face of a student is my reward."

1. Researchers at the University of California have developed a synthetic chemical, TRAM-34, which is modeled on scorpion venom. This chemical will not harm people, but will help patients who need organ transplants or who have autoimmune diseases like arthritis.

Source: New York Times, July 11, 2000, pg. F8.

2. Did you know that some of the food that you eat may be genetically modified (GM)? Food makers do not have to tell you this unless they choose to. Why should this concern you? Some scientists claim that GM food is unsafe.

Good News: McDonalds and Frito Lay do not use GM potatoes.

•A copy of your Social Security card must be submitted in order to receive your stipend.

•Breakfast is served from 8:00 - 8:30 daily. Please join us!