Field Trip Shows that Studies Can Have Real World Value
Caroline Lee
Staff Writer
AHS’s physics classes took their studies outside of the classroom on Friday, May 16, 2014, and instead attended the Math, Science, and Physics Day at California’s Great America in Santa Clara.
Rather than take a bus or carpool, over two hundred students, made up of Mr. Benn’s and Mr. Licht’s CP, Honors, and AP classes, took an alternative mode of transportation to the park. For many, it was an new and positive experience.
“We went to Great America by the ACE train, which was really cool because it was smooth and fast,” junior Diane Zhou said.
After walking past the new Levi Stadium and into the theme park, CP and Honors students were given worksheets to be completed throughout the day.
“While I was not expecting the assignments to be so detailed, it was surprisingly doable,” senior Gladys Kuo said. “It was interesting to see how all of the concepts we learned in the classroom actually held true in real life.”
Despite the work, students had the opportunity to go on the rides and many said that it was an enjoyable day.
“At Great America, the weather was a little on the hot side but not too bad, and the lines for the rides weren’t terribly long, so it was a pretty decent day,” Zhou said.
Along with the work given by the teachers, Great America provided contests, presentations, and booths, such as the Cardboard Boat Race, which seniors Emma Luu, Sophia Li, and Monica Hung participated in.
“The boat competition was fantastic,” Luu said. “I was expecting to have less than an hour to finish the boat and get it across the wave pool, but luckily we were given a whole hour to finish the boat. The best part about the competition was that I had fun with my team as we made our boat.”
Students from other schools, including Irvington High School, also participated, but the team from AHS was prepared.
“My team met two times to do practice runs,” Luu said. “When we met, we tested different designs at our friend’s, Teja Cherukuri’s, pool and also practiced making a leak-proof boat in the least amount of time.”
Though AHS may not have won the race, Luu proclaimed that duct tape and bubble wrap are some of the best creations in the world and other students found applications of physics in everyday life.
“Physics works,” Zhou said. “But most of the rides aren’t just left to naturally go; they’re controlled in a lot of places. Also, friction seems to play a greater role in real life than it does in our homework.”
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