Good Morning ... Phoenix. It's going to be 104 degree F. Thank goodness for AC!
A scheduled 8 am breakfast at the nearby Corner Bakery goes awry. The latter was unprepared to process the large Canadian contingent's breakfast orders forcing the group to split up and be redirected to Starbucks and the Sheraton Bistro.
Not feeling rushed at all (just kidding), the group was herded over to the Fair to participate in a workshop on Presentation Techniques scheduled for 9 am. Our students learned from one of the best, a Jack Franchetti (www.jfci.com). I thought I heard that he's been doing this at ISEF for over a decade. I believe that our students benefited greatly as I did. I hope our students will be able to apply his key guiding principle ... "smile ... and give your key message in your opening sentence ... and repeat it a few times".
Avinash and Sruti from YSC had Intel TV interviews; I am sure you will be seeing their interviews soon posted in the upcoming months on the ISEF site (
http://www.societyforscience.org/isef/). The rest of us proceeded back to the Sheraton where chaperones conducted mock presentations for the student over the course of the next couple of hours. Thereafter, students and chaperones had a sliver of free time for lunch and rest before meeting to go to the Opening Ceremony.
The group congregated in the Sheraton Lobby in preparing for our departure, it was inspiring to see how the group had bonded in such a short time. All dressed in some sorts of identifying Canadian garb and paraphernalia, the group moved enmasse leaving no doubt to all observers that "We Are Canadians".
Prior to the Opening Ceremony, IISEF had an incredible buffet dinner ready for all of the particpants. I think I enjoyed it a little bit better than Casa Roma Pizza.
An oh yes, at the beginning of the Opening Ceremony, I learned that my beloved Maple Leafs were up 4-1 in Game 7 in their Stanley Cup series. I thought .... it was going to be a great night! ...........NOT
Prior to the scripted part of the Opening Ceremony, there is a spirited invitation to all of the students to run around and show their spirit. Canada shone. It was easy to identify us as our group meandered around the crowd and the other countries' teams. We were the red mass with the large Canadian flag. And there was Calvin also caped in a Toronto Maple Leaf flag. I wondered how many in the crowd ever heard of the country Toronto.
I am not sure what the crowd found more entertaining ... the kids running around or the acrobatic gymnasts on stage
Students and crowd were entertained and inspired by the evening's keynote speaker,
Adam Steltzner. The latter is NASA's JPL head engineer who headed Mars Rover Curiosity's entry, descent and landing (EDL) team and pulled off a bold, unprecedented and seemingly improbable touchdown on Mars. The evening was also the initial news release of Intel's latest of
The Tomorrow Project and Competition.
By 9 pm, the event was drawing to a close. Canada's popularity was evident by all of the many requests from other teams wanting to have their pictures taken with our group. Very compelling about our groups's spirit and energy.
IT WAS A GREAT EVENING ... UNFORTUNATELY NOT FOR THE LEAFS ... I LEARNED LATER THAT OUR 4-1 LEAD WAS WASTED and WE LOST IN 5-4 IN OT. Tears ..........
more pics ...
Breakfast was an informal grab bag of nutribars, juice and cold cereal.
Prior to the scripted part of the Opening Ceremony, there is a spirited invitation to all of the students to run around and show their spirit. Canada shone. It was easy to identify us as our group meandered around the crowd and the other countries' teams. We were the red mass with the large Canadian flag. And there was Calvin also caped in a Toronto Maple Leaf flag. I wondered how many in the crowd ever heard of the country Toronto.
Bageled and smoothied appropriately, the group was all energized for the block walk with projects in hand to the nearby Phoenix Convention Centre - the site of the IISEF 2013 Fair.
It was quite the variety of project set-ups ranging from simple roll-up banners to pre-engineered panel connections. Some did not go as planned and with the assistance of fellow colleagues and chaperones, the job of project set-ups was all completed by 12:30 pm. Many of our students learned the value of duct tape, exacto blades and the elusive PATIENCE.
Lunch was a group enmass visit to Casa Roma Pizza. Team CANADA invaded the restaurant after which we all went back to the Sheraton for couple of hours rest before the Pin Exchange event for the evening. Curfew was 11 pm and as far as I know, everyone omplied. I of course was watching my Beloved Maple Leafs eked out a 2-1 victory over the Big Bad Bruins. GO LEAFS GO!
