A recent press release from Cedarville University in Ohio has the headline, “Glenwood Native Aims for the Sky at NASA Competition.” That Glenwood native is Forrest Putnam, son of Nate and Betsy. The press release goes on to say, “Students from the Cedarville University School of Engineering and Computer Science have designed automobiles, planes and boats for competitions. At the 2022 NASA Student Launch in April 2022, they will add rockets to the list. Forrest Putnam of Glenwood is an integral part of the team.”
For his role on the team, Forrest is leading the work on the nose cone and simulations. Here’s more from the press release: “The team chose the name ‘Forerunner’ for their rocket. The name recognizes both their first-year status and hopes for future teams.
“The Forerunner will be constructed out of fiberglass, which has a high strength-to-weight ratio, and have an approximate length of 8-10 feet, a width of 5 inches and weight of 35 pounds. It will be equipped with an altimeter and potentially include cameras on the nose cone, while the payload will contain sensors and a computer to keep track of the rocket as it flies. They estimate they will reach Mach 0.6 speed, which is about 450 mph, and 5,500 feet of altitude.
“The team is aiming to hit three main criteria. First, they want the rocket to launch and land safely. Next, they hope the rocket is as close as possible to their estimated altitude. Finally, they hope the rocket’s payload lands in the area they designate.
“Between now and the competition, the team has much to do to prepare. During the fall semester, team members plan to build a subscale rocket, research rocket stability and test their payload. They also want to work on the Forerunner’s design so they can start building it as early as possible in the spring semester.
“As they’re working on the rocket, team members will also submit a series of reports to NASA. They have already submitted one report, the initial proposal, and they have three more to write. According to Putnam, each proposal is around 250 pages. Additionally, to fulfill competition requirements, the team needs to participate in STEM engagement activities with high school students.
“‘The goal of this project is to get more people interested in rocketry and areas of STEM,’ (team member Dawson) Tso said. ‘I view it as an excellent way to get people engaged in the science and application of rockets in tangible ways.’
“Ahead of the competition, the team members will need to test the Forerunner. For this, they’ll be working with a local rocketry club called the Wright Stuff Rocketeers. The coach from this club has a certification from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), required by the competition rules, allowing the team to test launch rockets at this high impulse class.
“Finally, in April, at least the team’s seniors, and hopefully more, will arrive at the 2022 NASA Student Launch in Huntsville, Alabama. Over the course of four days, they’ll have one opportunity to launch the Forerunner, while also presenting on their rocket.”
This is an exciting opportunity for a Glenwood kid we knew would always do great things. Way to go, Forrest. We’ll be waiting to hear how the launch turns out.
•••
Middle School basketball has really been exciting to watch this season. Although they are lacking in numbers, the Eagles girls’ and boys’ teams are doing well. Last week they played in Trout Lake. Because the Eagles only have four boys on the team, the Trout Lake games were split into two quarters each. The Eagles girls played Trout Lake girls in the first two quarters and won 25-12. The Eagles boys, along with Emma Patterson, played hard and the game was very close. Although the Eagles lost that one by a score of 12-15, it felt like a win, because they all played so well against a team of big players with a lot of bench depth.
The Eagles’ scheduled game with Bickleton last Thursday was canceled. They played Centerville on the Glenwood court on Monday, Nov. 22, in two exciting games. The girls’ game was very close and the Eagles won with an awesome buzzer beater shot by Blaine Arnold at the end of the game. The boys’ game was also exciting. Glenwood only has four boys on the team, so Emma Patterson rounded out the five with other girls subbing in. Although the Eagles lost that team to a much bigger team of Centerville boys, it was exciting and fun to watch all the way through. Roy Fiander played a short time in the girls’ game and all quarters of the boys’ game. He may be the youngest boy on the team and one of the smallest, but he was on fire and ended up as high point scorer for the night with 20 points.
I want to give a shout out to the middle school players Emma Patterson, Tiffany Steinbach, Hazel Fujita, Jocee Hoctor, Corrina Thompson, Ariana Jackson, Wyatt Patterson, Anthony Avila, Blaine Arnold, and Roy Fiander for how hard they work to prepare for and play their games and how far they’ve come since the start of their season with Coach Eldred. Way to go, Eagles.
•••
The Glenwood/Klickitat (Klickwood) high school basketball season is starting soon for both girls’ and boys’ teams. Their first games will be against Bickleton on Dec. 8 in Klickitat. Game time is 5 p.m. The weekend of Dec. 10-11, they’ll be participating in the Arlington Tournament. Good luck, Klickwood.
Commented