Lakeside STEM Club competes in the CVC STEM Wars Challenge

Shelley Terry, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
·3 min read

Mar. 24—BEACHWOOD — Lakeside High School STEM Club students hit the water of the Beachwood High School pool on Friday for the STEM Wards Challenge. Students participated in a cardboard boat regatta, a magazine cover, Co2 drag car race, bridge building, an electric motor race and mousetrap car race. Schools that competed in events this year included Lakeside, Geneva, Lutheran West, Lutheran East, Crestwood, Beachwood, Independence, Cuyahoga Heights, Cardinal, Chagrin Falls, West Geauga and Brooklyn. Lakeside students who participated were Alexis Marshall, Rachel McClure, Hannah Beaver and Owen Chase. The students said they really enjoyed the challenge of building a vessel out of only cardboard and duct tape. The boat then had to be capable of supporting at least one person through a 25-yard racecourse. "The STEM wars were a very fun experience, I really enjoyed the cardboard boat race," said Chase, a sophomore at LHS. "I would love to see more people in the STEM club next year so we can compete in more competitions." A freshman at LHS, McClure said she didn't think the boat building and race were going to be that much fun. "But it was worth the effort with the right people," she said. LHS STEM Club Advisor, Patrick Ryan, said the challenge was to design a boat that would move efficiently through the water. "Balancing optimum stability with a favorable weight distribution design was key," he said. "Communication throughout the process of design and construction was important as the scholars worked together to complete the build. We hope to increase the number of scholars competing next year to compete in each design challenge." STEM Clubs are clubs that enrich and broaden the curriculum, giving young people the chance to explore subjects like science, technology, engineering and maths in less formal settings.

BEACHWOOD — Lakeside High School STEM Club students hit the water of the Beachwood High School pool on Friday for the STEM Wards Challenge.

Students participated in a cardboard boat regatta, a magazine cover, Co2 drag car race, bridge building, an electric motor race and mousetrap car race.

Schools that competed in events this year included Lakeside, Geneva, Lutheran West, Lutheran East, Crestwood, Beachwood, Independence, Cuyahoga Heights, Cardinal, Chagrin Falls, West Geauga and Brooklyn.

Lakeside students who participated were Alexis Marshall, Rachel McClure, Hannah Beaver and Owen Chase.

The students said they really enjoyed the challenge of building a vessel out of only cardboard and duct tape. The boat then had to be capable of supporting at least one person through a 25-yard racecourse.

"The STEM wars were a very fun experience, I really enjoyed the cardboard boat race," said Chase, a sophomore at LHS. "I would love to see more people in the STEM club next year so we can compete in more competitions."

A freshman at LHS, McClure said she didn't think the boat building and race were going to be that much fun.

"But it was worth the effort with the right people," she said.

LHS STEM Club Advisor, Patrick Ryan, said the challenge was to design a boat that would move efficiently through the water.

"Balancing optimum stability with a favorable weight distribution design was key," he said. "Communication throughout the process of design and construction was important as the scholars worked together to complete the build. We hope to increase the number of scholars competing next year to compete in each design challenge."

STEM Clubs are clubs that enrich and broaden the curriculum, giving young people the chance to explore subjects like science, technology, engineering and maths in less formal settings.

Shelley Terry is a reporter for the Star Beacon.

Shelley Terry is a reporter for the Star Beacon.