Return to Headlines
"Folsombration" Combines Art And Engineering Talent
April 22, 2014
Hundreds of students gathered at Folsom High School to participate in the annual Folsombration, a combination of the Engineering Challenge and Art Show into one cohesive event.
Physics and bioengineering classes display and test their engineering projects, and art students display their year-long work across campus. Simultaneously, select AP artists drew chalk murals throughout the school day. Both events are judged by professionals in their fields.
The Engineering Challenge stems from the idea that students need more hands-on experiences, which is a key concept to the new Common Core curriculum. Many of the physics and bioengineering students had never built anything prior to their classes this year.
It is an eight-week process: students pick their projects through a lottery system, then they have to research it, design it, build it, test it, collect data and then present their projects to all of the engineering professionals that come to the Engineering Challenge. Over 60 different companies came to this year’s event, including Caltrans, Intel, Micron, SMUD, and many more.
Megan Truong, a junior at FHS, was part of the team that built a hovercraft. It took six hours to build and three hours to decorate, taking up about one month of work from start to finish. "It's really fun” Truong said. “[It’s] really rewarding seeing people enjoy what we did."
Each project enables students to apply what they have learned throughout the year in concept and in math. The projects are judged based on the depth of research, design, build, and functionability.
Each project enables students to apply what they have learned throughout the year in concept and in math. The projects are judged based on the depth of research, design, build, and functionability.
Eric Wright, FHS Physics and Bioengineering teacher, said, “Folsom High has about 60-80 seniors per year that go to college with majors in engineering. They get to interact with the people they are becoming.”
The FHS Art Show has been a strong-running tradition at the school as well, running for its sixth year now. All the art created by every art student (in Drawing/Painting, 3D-Design, and Digital Art) for this year is displayed across the campus. Over a thousand pieces from Drawing/Painting alone decorated the campus, with hundreds more from the other two departments.
Each AP Artist (from Drawing/Painting or Digital Art), creates a portfolio composed of 24 pieces. These pieces are displayed collectively with each artist.
The pieces were judged by two Sacramento State artists, and were awarded accordingly with ribbons.
The pieces were judged by two Sacramento State artists, and were awarded accordingly with ribbons.
Simultaneous to the Engineering Challenge judging, a number of AP artists drew large, colorful chalk murals throughout the day, creating pieces of art that beautified the campus.
Folsombration celebrates two strong programs in FHS. The Art and Engineering Departments look to continue this tradition for many years to come.
###