S-C Seniors Use Rockets to Learn How to Pursue Their Dreams

A small group of Smith-Cotton High School seniors in Miss Corissa Beck’s English class took part in her third annual Rocket Launch Day on the school’s soccer field on the S-C campus last Friday afternoon.

Beck explained that after reading October Sky, a novel written by American engineer Homer Hickam Jr., (originally published in 1998 as Rocket Boys) that focuses on pursuing your dreams, students were asked to design and construct their own non-explosive rockets to launch.

The class broke into even smaller groups to come up with their rockets, most of which were propelled by vinegar and baking soda contained in soda bottles. A couple of them were propelled by compressed air.

S-C Science teacher Mr. Meyer was also on hand to record the launch efforts on his cell phone and later analyze the various heights and speeds achieved by each rocket by his Physics students.

Miss Beck also took her own photos and video, some of which you can see here included with this story.

“The rockets didn’t go as high this year but I saw a lot of laughter,” she noted “We had a lot less time this year due to snow days” but “I am really proud of the seniors for doing it with just one full day of prep that day before to build them,” Beck said, adding that it was really a race against time for the seniors.

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“We finished reading the story the same day they learned about the assignment. The odds were definitely stacked against them this year to do this. We almost didn’t have time to squeeze this in,” Beck said, adding that this was her only class of seniors this year. Normally she has three.

The assignment helped illustrate how some high school students may be a little apprehensive for the future, and seeking the best pathway for them, using persistence and perseverance.

“But you keep going, despite all the odds stacked against you,” Beck said.

As a bonus, Whiteman AFB's B-2 made an unscheduled flyover during the event, which was in itself inspiring.