BARKER — Two large geodesic domes greeted everyone entering Barker High School last week.
The structures were standing outside the high school entrance. Both were built by students in teacher Tom Mallon’s architectural computer aided drawing classes and funded by a grant from the Orleans/Niagara Teacher Center.
A geodesic dome is a spherical structure comprised of a network of circles that intersect to form triangular elements. The elements distribute any stress across the entire structure. It is the only man made structure that becomes proportionally stronger as it increases in size. The Barker domes proved that to be true, as both classes that worked on them climbed on top of the domes Friday without a problem.
It was a lot of work, but putting them together wasn’t what took the most time.
“The largest amount of work was before we put them together,” Mallon said.
First, they had to use some math and a little physics to make all of the necessary calculations needed. Then they could order the thin walled steel pipe, or conduit, the domes are made of. Between the two domes there are 330 pieces of conduit, 660 bolt holes, 220 ten degree bends and 440 bends of 12 degrees.
Next came the manufacturing and the assembling of the parts. All of the metalworking was done in just under two weeks, with the assembly of the first dome taking three days or six class periods. The second dome was assembled in one day, or two class periods. The students worked on the domes for a total of three weeks during class periods. The domes can be carried by as few as six kids.
Building a geodesic dome can be a fairly difficult applied math problem. Students were given the task of calculating how big a dome could be built for less than $500, given the fact that the conduit cost $6.94 per 10' piece. The students themselves were proud of it, and despite the work it took, said they would do it again for sure.
“It was sweet to create something and put it together,” said Randy Hildebrant.
Plus working on a project like this cuts down on class time.
“It beats sitting in the computer lab,” said Marty Shaft.
One student even put the Barker dome on a Wikipedia page about geodesic domes, but it was removed shortly after.
The domes can be taken apart, moved anywhere and be put back together now like a kit. Mallon said the students would be moving them Tuesday.
Contact reporter Joe Olenickat 439-9222, ext. 6241.
Barker
BARKER SCHOOLS: Learning by design
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Barker looks to fill positions
There are two open positions in the Barker School District, although one of them is shared with Wilson.
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Bully busting
The kids who packed Barker High School’s Herbert F. Ludwig auditorium sure know who Ron Bachman is.
The well-known national speaker visited Barker schools last week for his 2011-12 Walk This Way tour. Bachman visits schools and organizations across the country talking about overcoming adversity, accepting others and how hurtful bullying can be. -
Graduation celebration
Overcoming challenges and numerous accomplishments is what the graduating Class of 2011 is all about.
The newest crop of local graduates has done it all, from winning athletic championships to earning millions in scholarships, to providing community service such as building homes for the needy. Some members of this class will have very bright futures, as students will attend schools such as Yale, Michigan State, Ohio State and the Rochester Institute of Technology. -
Barker grads familiar to success
Larissa St. Louis and Alexandra Gancasz have had quite the high school experience. And now they’ll top it off by being named the top two students in Barker High School’s graduating class of 2011.
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Connection?
Lowell C. McAdam, once a janitor while a student at Barker High School, is the president and chief operating officer of Verizon Communications Inc.
McAdam, 56, will be the principal speaker at the Barker High School graduation on June 25, Superintendent Roger J. Klatt disclosed. -
Barker residents speak out against merger
If Monday night’s public forum was any indication, Barker residents are overwhelmingly against merging with the Lyndonville School District.
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Barker-Lyndonville merger panel is sought
The school districts of Barker and Lyndonville are looking for community members to sit on an advisory committee for a study on the proposed merger between the districts.
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Barker, Starpoint adopt new budgets
Two local districts have adopted budgets for the 2010-11 school year and will hold public hearings next month on the spending plans.
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Barker, Lyndonville explore idea of being one district
Merging the Barker and Lyndonville school districts has been talked about in the past. This time, there’s more than talk. Barker has a $36,000 grant that will be used to hire a consultant team for a merger/consolidation study.
- SOMERSET: Town, Barker school boards want to more forward with AES The AES power plant and the taxes it pays were the big topic as the Somerset Town Board and the Barker School Board searched for common ground in a three-hour executive session at town hall Wednesday.
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