3650 days, 10 years—Most would have quit or have been burnt out by now, but not junior Michael Haley. In the face of doubt, thousands of sleepless nights, and stress, he rises again and again to face...
![Spinning her cup with the string length longer than before, senior CJ Estrellas laughs while trying to keep a hold of the cups rotation. By increasing the string length, the tension is increased as well as the risk of the cup’s water falling out. “We have all these components and it’s really important [to get them right] because it can risk people lives,” Estrellas said. “They can risk your own life. Its like preventing risk factors, and that’s why applying it [physics] to real life is a real eye opener because I really saw what was going to happen if I make a mistake or don’t understand principles and calculations behind it [our project].”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_9805-1200x800.jpg)
![Checking in, junior Ash Hsi looks over at their partner’s progress. Some groups took a more humorous approach to the project. “We put [our partner’s height] range between five feet and 15 feet,” Hsi said. “We wanted them to be really tall, but we couldn’t find a specific height we were all comfortable with, so they’re just a stepladder.”](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_9919-1200x673.jpg)