In March, Carson Blaisdell attended SUNY Oswego’s Tech Wars with several of his classmates and his teacher Mr. Aidan O’Loughlin. Carson is in 8th grade, and this is the first year he’s taken a technology class. This is also the first year he has had the chance to enter a competition like Tech Wars, which brings middle and high school students from around the area together to compete in STEM.
Mr. O’Loughlin’s students designed and built mousetrap cars, which competed at Tech Wars. Recently, Carson was surprised to learn that his car won 3rd place in the competition against 16 schools.
For Carson, the project had been a challenge, but one he refused to give up on. His biggest source of pride is not so much his award but his determination through the design process.
“It was hard,” Carson said. “The design process is a lot of struggling and a lot of people give up.”
Carson redesigned the car three times before he was happy with the result. He admitted that he “blew up a few times but pulled through.”
“I’m proud of Carson for persevering in challenges he faced with this project,” said technology teacher Mr. O’Loughlin. “I’m glad that he’s being recognized for his hard work.”
Mr. O’Loughlin chose the mousetrap car project to teach his students about energy.
“A big theme that I have for this class is energy, what it is, and its different forms,” he said, speaking of his 8th grade technology class. When the mousetrap car winds up, it has potential energy that converts into motion energy.
A first-year teacher, Mr. O’Loughlin shows a lot of enthusiasm for his subject and his students. He teaches 7th and 8th grade technology, as well as Design & Drawing for Production and Career & Financial Management. He loves bringing his love for STEM to the students at Clyde-Savannah.
“Aidan is a first-year teacher who’s going above and beyond to grow our technology department again,” said Mrs. Madonna, whose hope to see the department be revived is coming true. This year, Mr. O’Loughlin, along with Mr. Matt Drahms, have been able to offer classes on building trades and technology.
“I’m really glad I found this District,” said Mr. O’Loughlin. “I get to make [my tech classes] my own.”
As for Carson, he has gotten so much more than a 3rd place award at Tech Wars.
“I honestly didn’t have the confidence,” Carson said. “For a kid who has ADHD like me, I guess I did really well.”
In addition to his renewed confidence, Carson has demonstrated several of Clyde-Savannah’s Eagle Way traits (Excellence, Attitude, Growth, Leadership, and Empathy).
Through the process of designing and building his mousetrap car, persevering when it became challenging, and entering his finished project in the Tech Wars competition, Carson worked with Excellence, a great Attitude, showing Growth as he persevered, and Leadership in competition.
“I’m just grateful that I got the opportunity in the first place,” said Carson.
In the future, Carson hopes to attend SUNY Oswego to study manufacturing and learn how to make products of his own. His technology class has helped show him not only how the design process works but what’s possible in the field of manufacturing.
“It’s great to see our 8th graders go to a real college campus,” said Jr. High School Principal Mrs. Mary Madonna. “It leads to kids [like Carson] being interested in engineering and STEM fields.”
The Clyde-Savannah Central School District is proud of Carson for his hard work and Mr. O’Loughlin for providing him the opportunity. Congratulations on your award!