This was Ann's away message five minutes ago.

Ann's new status message - WE PASSED Technical Deliverable 2. Next 500 miles and TD3!   10:03 PM

Get ready.

Ride or Die.

There is this thing called coefficient of drag in describing the aerodynamics of a car.  The next couple weeks, the team's focus is to figure out how to create the best balance of a coefficient drag and the aerodynamics of our cars.

At 4:15 p.m., I was completely brain-dead while Hauger explained the force, pull, gravity, weight, aerodynamics, wind resistance, rain drop, triangle, slippery tires, panels, cardboard, duct tape, and something else I cannot remember about the two cars.  We pretty much want our cars to be as close to zero drag as possible.  Right now, the Ford Focus is a 0.35.  The less drag, the more fuel efficiency.  I bet I was dragging at about a 12409504932948.0987656 towards the end of today.

Today was our first day back at school.  Seriously, I am not complaining.  I really do enjoy 150 teenagers in my life at 7:45 in the morning.  I also enjoyed the additional three inches of snow interrupting first, second, and third period.  Crazy enough, work was accomplished today.  The sophomores and juniors finished their interim essays.  I saw about 50% of my senior class during eighth period and E.B. White was gracious enough to grace the classroom with a stream-of-consciousness writing style.

The team assembled for its Tuesday meeting run by Hauger and his excessive need for aerodynamics.  It is interesting to compare how the students perform during the day versus the afternoon setting.  Maybe they are more active in the afternoon, because Ann provides pretzels and clementines.  Maybe they are more active, because Ann describes 14 chances for them to public speak, meet fascinating people, and travel outside of West Philly during the school day.  February, March, and April are very busy and important months for the team.  The mechanical aspects of the cars have to be near perfection in order to participate in the next round in June.  Within the next two weeks, the students will speak to Mayor Nutter, appear on a Gates Foundation video, seek tutoring from Penn engineers, and partake in the documentary filming.

It is a very challenging schedule.  We wouldn't be doing any of this if we didn't want a challenging schedule.  Sometimes mistakes get in our way, and we run into situations that may appear out of our control.  If ever there was a time for our students to realize that nothing else matters but taking care of yourself and the education you receive, it is now.  We need the students to have zero drag.

If you can, email us some of your thought on how we can make our cars more like a "raindrop."   How can we make sure that we are achieving the best aerodynamics we can safely achieve in the cars?

Also, it cannot snow ever again.

Ride or Die.

Ms. R

How can you possibly put together the new suspension system for the Ford Focus if you are not listening to Michael Jackson?  It may just be impossible.

Last week in class, the juniors watched "This Is It."  It is about the practice and rehearsal of Michael Jackson's concert tour.  It is a great documentary that showed the artist in many tones and moods throughout his concert rehearsal.  It highlighted the exact three moods and literary genres that are so influential in today's writing.  We finished our unit on the difference between Romanticism, Dark Romanticism, and Gothic.  The students watched three different musical performances, "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," and "Thriller."  Each one represented the different literary genres.  It applies. I promise.

Now while the students are working in the shop and building a new suspension system for the Focus, all you can hear over the ruckus is Diamond and Justin singing Billie Jean.  Amazing.

They are doing a great job.  These young gentlemen have such a great dynamic working with each other and Hauger.  Hauger's son, Micah, is also here today.  I think he thinks he is 16-years-old and has no problem singing along to Michael Jackson with his safety goggles falling off his ears.

The snowstorm really came at a bad time for the West Philly Hybrid X Team.  It is hard to imagine how much work is left to do with the cars.  Each car needs to record 500 miles before the team heads to Michigan Speedway in a month.  It can be done.  It just can't snow again.  Ever.

It does feel good to be working at school.  Towards the end of the week, I was feeling a little claustrophobic.  An unexpected week off was very nice, but now there is something ticking inside all of us that makes us restless at home.  We need to be back to our regular schedule.  My arms are still very sore from shoveling my car out of the snow for two hours, but I am glad to be back in the shop on Saturday.

Later today a bunch of the students are going to the Temple vs. Rhode Island game.  John Doughtery gave us a lot tickets to this game, in addition to the $20,000 check he brought on Tuesday.  I think he could've just showed up with the check and called it a day.  I hope they have a great time.  Daniel is only going, because there will be girls there.  My response is "no romance in high school."

Ride or Die.

Ms. R

When I first started my secondary education courses, nothing that was found in a textbook compared to the student-teaching observations.  You would read about the pros and cons of whole language, the various scenarios of ideal classroom management, and how to find all my boyfriends, Piaget, Maslow, Bloom, and Erikson, in the students' learning patterns.  But it wasn't until my first rounds of student-teaching observations and later in my first year teaching when I realized that I could know my textbooks cover and cover, and I still not know what to do with a pissed off teenager.  Maybe Maslow and Bloom would do a better job than I would the first time around, but no one can say for real.

Looking into Preiss' shop from his classroom, reminds me so much of how important it is to be in the moment of learning.  At 5:15 p.m. on a Monday, there are seven students working in the shop with Preiss, Dilossi, Simon, and Mark.  Mark is a self-employed specialist of the GTM.  He started working with the team a week ago. He fits right in.  He works well with the students in explaining the steps for the kit car.  Every now and then you hear, "shut up, shut up" from the students, which is a good thing.

These students are in the ideal situation.  They are learning something in theory and actually seeing how it works in practice.  Sometimes, I would find myself cringe reading the best practices of the classroom.  It just wouldn't work in reality.  Middle school and high school are the most difficult part of one's upbringing.  There is absolutely no textbook that contains all the right material.  You can't find the answers unless you are actually in the moment.

Within minutes, the students working in the shop confront problems and delays in putting together the GTM.  Poor Justin Clarke, he hurt his finger.  Justin Carter had to measure and remeasure the headlight and nose of the car.  Daniel is remodeling the harness for the Ford.

"I have completely assembled both headlights and started working on mounting them on the nose.  I had to think of different ways of tearing  the fiberglass on the frame of the car to fit the molds of the headlights.  I broke it.  I broke one screw on the corner when I was drilling.  Luckily, three screws would be enough to hold the frame in place. So I lucked up on that end." -from Justin Carter

Despite the setbacks, they are accomplishing a lot.  It is amazing to see what they did to the GTM just within the last week.  You know it is a good day when the shop smells like a campfire from the welding.  More parts are needed to order.  More wrenchs are needed for harnassing.  More hours are needed to prove theories wrong.

Ride or Die

Ms. R

Today is Saturday, January 2, 2010.  Happy New Year!  We hope you have a safe and wonderful New Year!  Simon, Daniel, Sekou, Justin Carter, and myself are at West.  Goals for today are to test the Ford Focus engine and catch up on paperwork.  The men arrived around 9, and I slowly trickled in around 11.

Sekou and Daniel were building a post for the engine for the Focus.  Justin and Haug were making a motor mount for the GT.  "Ms. R, we are trying to get this engine cranked up," said Daniel about Ford Focus engine.  Sekou hopes that it doesn't blow up.  If it does blow up, we may not have school on Monday.

Right now, the men are enjoying cheeseburgers and cheese whiz on their fries.  Amazing.  Teenage boys and their metabolism.  And Hauger is eating the same.

Seriously, what an amazing combination.  Cheese Whiz, salt, pepper, and ketchup on fries.  But nothing on the cheeseburger.  This lunch is sponsored by Penn Pizza on 48th and Spruce.  It is high quality and high in cholesterol.

These boys are just vacuum cleaners.  It is so funny to see them watch and just devour their food.  Their conversation must be the most disgusting conversation in the history of the world.  Sekou talks about all the horrible things his dog ate over the years.  Of course, everyone joins in with other stories.  I am very passive in this conversation.  I only had cats.

According to rule, you shouldn't feed teenagers until the very last possible minute or very little work will get done.  With only two more hours left in the shop, lunch was critical.

I hope you one day experience cheese whiz, salt, pepper, and ketchup on fries sitting in a shop on a Saturday with friends.

Ride or Die

Ms. R

First I would like to give a shout out to Ms. Bhatt who graciously allowed me to spend the night at her place so I will be able to get school today at 9 a.m.  Saturday school is amazing.  Seriously, it is going really well.  Helen, who works at Phildelphia Academies, did an amazing job running a workshop to get us think about what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong.  It is hard (I think) for the students to talk freely about these things because we are in the room with them, and they really don't get many opportunities to do this.  We want them to tell us what they are thinking, because we are always telling them what we think.  I think it's good for them to know how hard Ann and Simon work.  But they have to meet us half way.  I think it is good that Helen had them talking and getting them thinking about how they can start taking more ownership.  They did a really good job.

We should go to school on Saturdays.  Seriously.  We could just do so many things.  My favorite part about all of this was how seniors not a part of the team came in for community service hours and worked so well with the EVX team.  I really liked how they were talking about everything.  Roger said that he is an aethist and then Aaron and Javonne were debating with him.  It was great.  It was really respectful.  And then the girls talked about what was going on with the school and some of the students.

They are very observant.  I was impressed by how much they pick up on things.  Seniors, when you are not yelling at them about not making deadlines, are enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this.  They work better on Saturdays.  Their speeches for Tuesday are great.  The President of the United Auto Workers is coming after school on Tuesday to hear the students speak about how we relate to green jobs.

I am looking forward to it.

Ride or Die.

And class size should be 10 students.

It is pretty crazy being back in school after a nice long break.  Thanksgiving was really nice.  Being home in Baltimore was a lot of fun.  When Ann called me on Saturday she first asked how I was doing in the country and then asked me to come with them to the Eagles game.  The Eagles highlighted our program at the two minute warning before half time.  Ann, Azeem, and Karysma were on the field and showed on the big screen.  It was really nice.  The weather could not be more perfect.  We were sitting in section 124.  Amazing.

Big week ahead for the team.  It started with an Eagles win and hopefully will finish with a nice productive meeting on Saturday.

Long week.

But worth it.

I think Wyclef Jean should buy the K-1 Attack.  I think he should really buy it.  I think he should buy it, put us in one of his music videos, and possibly name a song after us.

Wyclef Jean came to West Philadelphia High School today to be a part of a service project with the Sixers and Timbaland.  The students who participated painted walls in the main building and some planted an urban garden.  It was amazing to see these students participate in a very high energetic service project organzied by Sam Foster and the Community Schools.  Little did we know that Wyclef was interested in seeing the Automotive building and the K-1 Attack.  He stayed with us for almost an hour.  He told us about his love for cars and his growing interest in green cars.

All of sudden, Karysma and Sekou were spittin' with Wyclef.  Amazing.  They were a force.  Karysma and Sekou were so creative and smooth.  Sekou even put Wyclef's name in his rap and then couldn't stop laughing.  I think Wyclef is the most gracious person.  He was at West for almost five hours.  Sekou and Karysma will always remember that moment.  Lucky for us, Momo and Daniel recorded it.

It was a great day.  I think once you take a step back and realize what has happened just this past month with the team and the program, one needs to take a nap.  I often do.

Did Tango meet up with Wyclef Jean today?  No.  It's a big deal.  I think the students are starting to realize that what we are doing is not just about putting a car that achieves over 100 mpg on the road.  It is about fostering an idea that any one can accomplish anything they want.  It is about education, bettering oneself, being a capable person, and growing in success.

In short, Wyclef needs to buy our car.  Everyone needs to buy Wyclef's new cd.  And call it a day.

Ride or die.

Ms. R

New York City is a force. It is exciting to see our students match that power and drive.

The students left the Progressive Launch press conference around four o'clock in the afternoon. Most of us checked in at the hotel while Simon, Jacques, Justin, and Ann stayed behind to work more on the car. They had some last minute intricate details they wanted done before tomorrow morning.

We had an amazing dinner at the Rock Cafe right next to the skating rink in Rockefeller Center. It is such a beautiful space.Mrs. Llewellyn is so wonderful and very generous in supporting our team. It was such a lovely dinner (the food was amazing), and we appreciate everything that Mrs. Llewellyn does for us. Thank you! Thank you!

It was such a delicious dinner. My sister Megan came to join us from the upper east side. She brought with her delicious cakes from a bakery that makes the best butter cream icing. The red velvet cake was awesome. Megan had a good time with us and it was nice to catch up.

Dinner ended around 10:30 p.m. And of course we wanted to take the students to see Times Square. That is a force. That is exactly what it is "a concrete jungle where dreams are made of." Alicia and Jay Z are absolutely correct. Jacques even wutanged with another gentlemen on the street. Jacques won. I told him to watch his language next time.

The students are thrilled to be here. Momo told me she wants to stay for a week. Azeem responded, "That would be decent." I agreed. West Philly, we miss you tremendously, but New York City is a force.

We accomplished so much today. The students talked to many different media outlets about all the various aspects of the team and how influential they can be in this green economy. I think they are starting to realize that this is a big deal. Darmell said it best, "We are important." I laughed because we are team on the same show floor as a 115,000 dollar car, talking about the same lithium iron phosphate battery.

I am curious if any of us will really sleep tonight. Simon is probably reviewing his adjective flash cards right now. Ann is thinking how many different ways can she say, "WE NEED YOUR MONEY!" I cannot wait to say "Happy Birthday Mom! Ride or Die!" on television tomorrow.

Please, please call off work tomorrow morning and watch us on the Today Show. I know my mom and dad already have their cherry and butternut danishes ready. No one works on Tuesday mornings anyway. Please watch us.

And then donate money on our website.

Ride or die

Ms. R

Good afternoon! We are so excited to welcome you to our new blog called "Hybrid Expectations." We cannot wait to share with you all the wonderful and exciting events that surround our entry in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. The launch date October 19 is so close!

There will be three students apart of the team that are responsible for posting and updating this blog. They are three seniors who thought this could be a wonderful senior project for graduation.

They are:

Khaleda Sharif: Khaleda is 18-years-old and lives about two blocks from West Philadelphia High School. She is a phenomenal student who is very courageous and an excellent thinker in the classroom. She joined the team two years ago and was nervous about working with cars. Now, she is a leader in the shop and spent her summer working on the two hybrid cars and staring in the team's podcasts. We are so lucky to have her.

Momo Shen: Momo is 17-years-old, and she was born in China in the big city called Dalian for 14 years. Momo came to the United States because her mom's here. She joined the team two years ago, and her favorite thing to do is work on the motorcycle engine for the hybird car. On the side, Momo likes to draw anything.

Justin West: Justin is 17-years-old, and he lives in southwest Philadelphia. He is very smart when it comes to working with computers. He took a hiatus from the team last year, but he is excited to come back and be apart of this blog. One of his favorite writers is Edgar Allan Poe and loves "The Tell Tale Heart."

Please visit us anytime and learn about what amazing opportunities these students are participating in these days. I am so happy to be apart of this team and see these students put together all their strengths and create something meaningful.

Enjoy.

Ms. Kathleen Radebaugh