On Wednesday 1st October 2014, Joseph, Nadine, Cara and Niall from P6 Duffin went to Stormont to show off our work on the Sentinus Formula 1 2D challenge. We had to make a brochure on a Computer Aided Design program called ‘Silhouette Studio’, then design a Formula 1 car out of paper.
We left school at 9:30 sharp and got to Stormont at 10:00. We were then shown to the Long Hall where we would be working in. Once we had setup our stand and booted up the computer, we started making our brochures.
Next we explained to the MLAs and teachers from other schools about what we learnt and how to use Silhouette Studio. We showed them how we made, designed, printed and used a computer controlled cutter to cut out our brochures and how it worked. After that Mr Duffin and Cara got to make speeches in front of everyone at the presentation. Cara explained what we had all learnt in our experience and what we thought of it. Nadine and Niall got photos taken for a newspaper.
Later on when we finished our lunch we got a tour of Stormont. We saw the old chandelier and the two conference rooms. In the first conference room we were shown a famous picture with lots of famous members of parliament, like Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams and Peter Robinson. We got to sit in the seats that all of the MP’s would sit in. One of the rules is that if you want to change sides you have to go behind the head speaker.
In the second conference room we learnt that this room had once caught on fire and the RAF used this room as a base during World War 2. The room was almost the same as the first room we went into. In this room there were seats looking down on the seats where the MP’s sit.
Here are a few fun facts that we learnt on our trip to Stormont….
1. There was supposed to be more than one parliament building, but the building went over budget and the name still stuck as parliament buildings.
2. During World War 2 the builders had to cover the building with a mixture of manure and tar for the blackout but when the war ended it took several years to get it all off!
3. On the ceiling of Stormont there is some very special everlasting paint but the artist that made it died before anyone could get the recipe.
We really enjoyed our experience with STEM! We really another opportunity like this will come again soon.
By Cara, Niall, Nadine and Joseph; P6 Duffin
