Mariner student Emadah White wins technology state championship

Emadah White, an eighth-grader at Mariner Middle School, won the state championship title at the recent Delaware State Technology Student Association Competition.

All students were asked to create a car out of a wood balsa block. The car had to adhere to strict weight and size guidelines in order to qualify. White's original plan was to create his car to look like a dragon, but as he progressed, he amended his blueprint for the car and decided to paint it in red and blue.

He said in order to make the car lighter, he carved out a hole in the bottom. Guided by technology teacher John Dean, he also chose to shave his wheels to reduce friction.

On competition day, White feared disqualification because of some technical difficulties, but one of the judges quickly assisted him, and his car was off to the races. All entries were judged on speed, adherence to the specifications and a diagram that had to be submitted prior to the race.

White said, "I was really happy when I won, and I would really like to thank the judge that helped me fix my problems right before the race."

Dean, Emadah's coach and technology teacher, says, "Emadah did a great job, and he was done a week before the actual competition day. His diagram of the race car was extremely detailed, and it helped him win the competition."