Session G - Day 2 - Joust Another Ordinary Day
Monday morning at Overnight camp is an exciting time; everyone's well-rested and ready to learn what the week's project is. Our Engineer Kaitlyn gathers everyone after breakfast for a meeting to discuss our theme.
Our project this week is Cart Jousting, which means each group will build a cart with the purpose of unseating their opponents' carts. All the groups will contribute to the track on which the carts will run.
Kaitlyn's project reveals have been described as "theatrical" in the past, and this was certainly not an exception.
The rules for this week's joust were created by all four groups together. Each cart will carry a watermelon, which scores extra points for the team's adversary if it's broken.
The groups - named in classic Tinkering School fashion Piki, Nooi, Kablooi, and Panda - split up and discuss their plans. Various designs emerge for the carts, along with a number of ideas for weapons. The consensus seems to be that the carts should deflect as much of an incoming attack as possible, while still delivering enough of a blow to knock the opponent off the track.
Up on the hill Kaitlyn, our intrepid Engineer, Carles, our awesome Catalonian friend, and Gever, our resident founder and keeper of secrets, meet to discuss the best way to build a track that allows two carts to be accelerated and then hurled at each other.
Our first order of business is to distribute our wheels. In accordance with Rule 3 we hold a RoShamBo tournament to determine the order in which the groups get to choose wheels. Caroline stands in for the Kablooi team, which spent some extra time down the hill designing their cart. In the end, Nooi chooses first, followed by Panda, Kablooi and Piki.
Nooi discusses which wheels will work the best for their design. Panda waits patiently in line behind them.
With the wheels dispersed, the groups get down to business building their carts, defenses and weaponry.
Lily and Emma work on cutting plywood for Nooi's cart.
Piki discusses how to build a triangular frame for the base of their cart.
Panda has set up camp on the windmill, and begins work on their boat-shaped cart body.
Sayuri helps Nooi cut their plywood.
Some groups have focused on building their armament, the thought being that aggression on the lists will score the most points.
Samir brandishes Kablooi's fearsome mace. They hope to smash their opponent's armor to earn a higher score.
Other teams focus on their defenses, thinking that if they can prevent the bulk of the damage to their cart, they'll emerge victorious.
Piki examines their bedspring-covered cart body. Their plan is to use the springs to deflect incoming weaponry.
Nooi builds a hatch in the side of their cart to insert the watermelon. The rigid walls should protect the precious cargo within.
As lunch approaches we greet Daniel, one of our collaborators who just returned from his brother's wedding!
Daniel's our Cruise Director, meaning he's in charge of all the fun, non-building things that happen at camp. Caught off-guard by the camera, he hides from the paparazzi.
After lunch, Caroline pulls a few people from each team to work on the track sections.
The track group works hard to make 32 feet of track, which will be raised and leveled tomorrow. Two rails run the length of the track, which serve as a guide for both carts.
Piki, Nooi, Kablooi, and Panda all continue work on their carts through the afternoon.
Yoel watches as Ben cuts out the base of their boat-cart.
Lily cuts precise angles for Nooi's triangular prism.
As the afternoon wears on, and our building winds down, we come across a few of our neighbors and offer them a token of friendship.
Sage feeds our chipmunk friend.
After dinner, Caroline breaks out our telescope to see what we can see.
Katelin takes a look across the canyon.
Something's not right here...
All four groups have made considerable progress today, and the rail is on track to be used for practice tilts later this week. Everyone's excited for another full day of building tomorrow as they drift out of the Conference Center and off to bed.