Students invent future in engineering
High schoolers create new kind of wrench
By MARIE GRIFFIN
Standard-Examiner staff
LAYTON -- A few years down the road, Utahns might see an open-ended ratchet
wrench or a see-through car visor in stores thanks to some Northridge High
School seniors.
The group of 15 boys has participated in the only high school
pre-engineering program in the state for the past three years. The program
is part of the nationwide Project Lead the Way, which began in the 1980s and
has 31 member states.
The students spent their first two years learning the principles of
engineering, electronics and problem solving. This year, they put theory
into action and unveiled the results Thursday.
Engineering teacher Heather Hill spearheaded the event. She said her
students have learned more than just engineering.
"A lot of these kids didn"t think they were college material," she
said. "I think they think they are now.
Josh Hansen said he is heading for Brigham Young University after he serves
a two-year LDS Church mission.
He joined peer Mark Collard to create the wrench. The boys saw a problem with regular wrenches not reaching and socket wrenches not fitting a nut. They checked with the U.S. Patent Office to see what solutions are already out there, then formulated their own -- an open-ended rachet magnetized to hold the nut.
BRIAN NICHOLSON/Standard-Examiner
Josh Hansen,
explains the process he and Mark Collard went through to invent an
open-ended ratcheting wrench to a panel of judges at a forum at Northridge
High in Layton Thursday night.
Devin Halliday and Paul Udall created a scissor-style lifter with two
hydraulic jacks. The product allows more height with less pumping effort,
they said.
Some groups changed their plans throughout the year.
"It"s frustrating to start all over again," Halliday said.
The students agreed they weren"t always as productive as they could have
been.
"We learned that you can"t really procrastinate and get away with it,"
Collard said.
However, "they put in a lot of work," said Warren Hill, a judge for the
event and dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology. "The
process they went through is really more important than the product they
came up with."
Hansen said he spent about three hours each day on his product for most of
the year.
There were four judges Thursday, and Heather Hill made sure the audience
knew their purpose.
"This is not a competition," she said. "It"s an evaluation of their
presentations and products."
It was also a chance for the boys to describe their experiences. They agreed
they didn"t know what they were getting into at first.
"We"ve all grown together," said Trent Williams, who recently landed a job
with an engineering firm because of his work.
Melvin Robinson, technology and engineering specialist for the state Office
of Education, said he thinks the Northridge program is wonderful.
"It"s really reinforcing their academics," Robinson said, adding that the
students took math and science classes every year.
He said six other Utah high schools plan to join Project Lead the Way:
Uintah, Logan, Ogden, Ben Lomond, Clearfield and Davis.
The judges said they hope to see a few girls in the bunch.
"There is a drive to increase the opportunity for female students to be
involved," said Neil Hancey, Davis School District technology specialist.
Heather Hill said she"s used to being the only female and enjoyed working
with the boys.
"This was a yearlong effort of love," she said.