2008 Woodie Awards
Eye sore helps finances soar
Jorge Ramos
Issue date: 7/9/08 Section: News
Students who enter from the east side of the LAC might wonder why a boat is chained to a tree near Building B and next to Parking Lot I.
The white boat stationed on a curb of the walkway linking the Architecture and Electronics B Building and the Health and Science C Building doesn't obstruct students in any way, but the sight of spotting a boat anywhere on campus is still a bit unusual. Some students who might have an opinion keep it to themselves as they hurry to class. Others offered their views.
As he walked by the 12-foot boat, that has its bottom portion covered in plankton, student Manny Diaz said, "They should get rid of it. It looks kind of dirty."
Anyone who gives the boat a second glance would notice a solar panel on top. A closer observation could help conclude that the boat may be used by the Electric Department students since it is outside their building.
The boat was donated to the Electrical Club by a Long Beach resident in hope that students can repair the engine and mechanical problems caused by its previous owners who neglected it, leaving it docked in salt water for an extended amount of time.
Since it would cost about $4,800 to replace the German engine.
The students of the club opted to list the damaged parts with computer-assisted drawings and then pass the labor onto machine tool teacher Michael Avila and his students who expect to revive the boat and have it back in water by the end of the Fall semester.
Once the boat is fully functional, it will be placed on e-Bay to be sold to fund the club's underwater robotics program.
Electronic Technology Dept. chairman Scott Fraser gave a brief explanation of the solar panel on top of the boat: "Inside the solar panels are silicon chips that generate an electric current when exposed to sunlight. By connecting those chips into large arrays, the generated power is increased to the point where it can be used."
Solar energy also allows the electric boat the capability of fully charging the batteries on board for three hours, Fraser added.
With the first acquisition, LBCC could look forward to modern advancements in technology.
Fraser said, "We are in the process of developing an entire solar power program with the hopes to be able to offer the solar classes in Fall 2010."
Electric boats offer a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air and water pollution.
The solar panel was not over-looked by first-year student Juan Gonzalez, who said, "Wasting electricity is costly and it benefits the planet."
Student Lucy Arteaga is glad "there are benefits in solar energy" and can't deny the annoyance of escalating gas prices and the need for alternatives.
Arteaga cataloged her feelings of the boat's location as indifferent and would have guessed the boat was needed for academic purposes.
The white boat stationed on a curb of the walkway linking the Architecture and Electronics B Building and the Health and Science C Building doesn't obstruct students in any way, but the sight of spotting a boat anywhere on campus is still a bit unusual. Some students who might have an opinion keep it to themselves as they hurry to class. Others offered their views.
As he walked by the 12-foot boat, that has its bottom portion covered in plankton, student Manny Diaz said, "They should get rid of it. It looks kind of dirty."
Anyone who gives the boat a second glance would notice a solar panel on top. A closer observation could help conclude that the boat may be used by the Electric Department students since it is outside their building.
The boat was donated to the Electrical Club by a Long Beach resident in hope that students can repair the engine and mechanical problems caused by its previous owners who neglected it, leaving it docked in salt water for an extended amount of time.
Since it would cost about $4,800 to replace the German engine.
The students of the club opted to list the damaged parts with computer-assisted drawings and then pass the labor onto machine tool teacher Michael Avila and his students who expect to revive the boat and have it back in water by the end of the Fall semester.
Once the boat is fully functional, it will be placed on e-Bay to be sold to fund the club's underwater robotics program.
Electronic Technology Dept. chairman Scott Fraser gave a brief explanation of the solar panel on top of the boat: "Inside the solar panels are silicon chips that generate an electric current when exposed to sunlight. By connecting those chips into large arrays, the generated power is increased to the point where it can be used."
Solar energy also allows the electric boat the capability of fully charging the batteries on board for three hours, Fraser added.
With the first acquisition, LBCC could look forward to modern advancements in technology.
Fraser said, "We are in the process of developing an entire solar power program with the hopes to be able to offer the solar classes in Fall 2010."
Electric boats offer a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air and water pollution.
The solar panel was not over-looked by first-year student Juan Gonzalez, who said, "Wasting electricity is costly and it benefits the planet."
Student Lucy Arteaga is glad "there are benefits in solar energy" and can't deny the annoyance of escalating gas prices and the need for alternatives.
Arteaga cataloged her feelings of the boat's location as indifferent and would have guessed the boat was needed for academic purposes.
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