Swathi Krishnan, senior at Rye Country Day School, is the author of Monday’s newsletter. The day included a visit to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne where rocket technology was seen up close and personal. The day concluded with the Opening Ceremonies with keynote speak by Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, DreamWorks Animation. Read Swathi’s biography and abstract at Meet the Winners.
Our second official day of ISEF started with a late breakfast at our team’s new favorite restaurant, IHOP. From investigating ‘prisoner’s dilemma’ to playing the ‘location game,’ our brunch was full of fun and intrigue! After a quick stop back at the hotel, we ventured out to Canoga Park, CA to visit Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. This was an incredible experience for the whole group, as we were able to get the special access into the facility, which is not usually open to the general public. We received a private tour from Dr. Bryan McEnerney, an engineer specializing in rocket engine, who showed us the many different rocket engines that Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) have produced. A couple of other top executives also spoke to us about their experiences and how we could get involved with PWR someday.
With food ruling our minds, our next stop was back to the LA Convention Center for dinner! We dropped off a couple of last minute reports/papers to our booths in the immense presentation room, before heading off to dinner. Dinner was especially fun, as all the ISEF finalists, observers, and chaperones were present. We met people from the pin exchange yesterday, and I personally was able to catch up with a couple of friends from last week’s JSHS.
Finally, and the highlight of the day, was the Opening Ceremonies, which was also located at the Convention Center. The atmosphere was full of energy and excitement, with over 5000 ISEF participants, from 65 countries, yelling, screaming, and just having an awesome time! The Nobel Laureates also were in attendance, so we were able to get a couple of pictures with them. A local group from Los Angeles started off the evening, mixing intricate drumming patterns with elaborate light displays. Our emcee for the evening was Chad Zdenek, host of the television show, It’s Effin Science. After hearing from Elizabeth Marincola, President of Society for Science & the Public, we listened to Jeffery Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation. We were all in for a treat when he showed us a clip of DreamWork’s upcoming movie, Kung Fu Panda 2! Lastly, we saw short videos from representatives of all 65 countries, who all came up on stage as well. It was a great way to officially start of ISEF 2011!
Photos of the Day (ISEF11 Monday Opening Ceremony-Flicker):
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