It’s Electric! by Lance Suzuki After months of planning, sweat, and tears, a dedicated group of Maryknoll High School students entered Hawaiian Electric Company’s 7th Annual Electron Marathon on March 23, 2002. Students were required to design and build the body and engine of an electric vehicle, with the only requirements being the laws of physics, two batteries as a power source, and their imaginations. They sacrificed their weekends and – especially as race day drew near – their hours after school to complete the car, test its components, and troubleshoot the inevitable problems that emerged. Dominic Wong ’62 volunteered to guide the students through this process and tirelessly aided students in their efforts. He not only provided invaluable advice in vehicle design but also made efforts to teach engineering and scientific principles. The competition took place over two days, as vehicles were judged for their construction, safety, documentation, and oral presentations. Of the 27 schools entered, Maryknoll placed 8th in oral presentation, 4th in construction and safety, and 16th overall. Mr. Wong has vowed that the learning experience for next year’s students will be much richer and will build on this year’s success.
November 11, 2001: The team builds the stationary wheel apparatus.
■ Lance Suzuki served as the faculty advisor to the Electron Vehicle team. He teaches math and social studies at the high school, and coaches Maryknoll’s math team.
January 5, 2002: The beginning stages of the moldcardboard stage.
January 11, 2002: Plas-Tech, Inc. workers flip over the mold.
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