Middleburgh technology students will show off their work this Friday at the 18th annual Technopalooza.
The technology expo and cruise-in car show runs 5pm to 9pm on the high school lawn.
The Technopalooza allows tech students at the junior and senior high school to not only display what they’ve made this year but also give demonstrations of everything from rockets to egg drops.
Tech students don’t have Regents’ exams, said tech teacher Scott Gray, so the Technopalooza “is a great opportunity to show what they’ve done.”
And, Mr. Gray added, it’s also a great opportunity for the community to see academic accomplishments in a fun setting.
Although Mr. Gray is coordinating Technopalooza, he has help from fellow teachers Angie Hurst and Ross Pacatte, and also retired tech teacher Dave Dickerson, who’s worked on the event in the past.
“It used to be that we just displayed what kids did,” Mr. Dickerson said. “Now we have kids demonstrating and doing things.”
Demonstrations include the nuclear egg drop and rocket launches, among others.
One feature of this Technopalooza is the Kubby Key Holder. It’s a wooden wallhanging with a shelf, screen to write on and hooks for keys.
Students formed a company, surveyed their customer base and found that people would buy a key holder.
They’ve sold stock in the company and made 50 of the Kubby Key Holders, which will be available at the Technopalooza.
“The company does everything a manufacturing company would do,” Mr. Gray said. “We have officers and sold the stock, and we hope to give 30 percent back to the stockholders.”
Kubby Key Holders are $35 apiece or $40 with an engraving.
There’s much more to Technopalooza than the key holders. The seventh grade rocket launches are at 3:30 on the soccer fields, and then:
•5pm, exhibits open and registration begins for the cruise-in car show.
•5:15 is the eight grade nuclear egg drop in back of the school.
•6pm, seventh grade balsa bridge testing.
•Also at 6, Music of the Knight and the jazz band perform on the front steps of the school.
•7, eighth grade CO2 car drag races.
•8:30, awards ceremony and prize drawings on the front steps.
There’s also a Brooks chicken barbecue sponsored by the MCS Round Table.
The rain date for Technopalooza is Monday.