Driving to Madison, Wisconsin
After packing and having checked out of my dorm room, I said goodbye to the teachers and students, who were engaged in building solar-powered sculptures for their parents and families to see at the end of program showcase. That afternoon we drove about 4 hours to Madison, Wisconsin to visit the Ice Cube Project headquarters. I was a scorching ride, not only fro the 90 degrees plus heat wave, but because the AC on Dr.Madsen quit on us about 20 minutes into the trip. We took turns behind the wheel, and I drove the first part of the road trip, while Jim was working on his laptop. Half way through we stopped for a delicious Custard Ice cream, and Jim took the wheel, and I took the passenger seat. The ride felt very similar to going to the beach or driving by the countryside in the Dominican Republic, with a view of farms, and fields as the eye could see. Upon seeing a sign that said Eau Claire, Wisconsin, I suddenly remember that this was the home town of Cherry Anderson, former wife and mother of my dear good friend Eugene Santana four boys. We also talked about the Swedish and Swiss heritage of Wisconsin, and and its famous cheese and dairy products industry. When we arrived at Madison we went straight to the Ice Cube headquarters, located a few blocks away from the Capitol building, site of massive organized labor protest last year. Once there we went to an Open House where a bunch of Ice Cube staff were interacting and socializing. There I had the opportunity to meet a few of the staff going to Antarctica next season. I met Mike, whom I may even fly together and work together, as well as an Italian, a Mexican, and a gentleman from Spain, whom either had gone or were going to the South Pole. After that Dr.Madsen took me to my hotel, the Madison Concourse, where I saw heaven when I finally checked into my room, turned on the AC, and took a bath. Since the hotel was about a block away from Ice Cube, I walked there to meet Jim and we had dinner with his friend from high school, Marcia and Ed. We had a great evening, with delicious food, and stories from NY, where Ed was originally from, Queens, NY, and Marcia had actually attended college, and had taught in NY public schools for about a year. Back in the hotel, I decided to try the swimming pool for some deserved R&R after a long drive and busy day.
Visit the UW Madison Physics Lab and Discovery Learning Center
Friday the following day, Jim and Megan picked me up early in the morning and took me on a tour of the Physics Research Lab, where all of the more than 3,000 ROMS neutrino sensors were built and tested before being sent to the South Pole. We toured the model of the Drilling Towers used to drill the tunnels into the ice where the string of sensors were placed under the ice. I was able to climb a metal ladder, or staircase, with an unusual ergonomic design, where you climb up normally, but came back down backwards. I was told that the depth was of about 2,500 feet, in a radius of the size of a football field. They used two drilling towers that are still being used at the South Pole for ice core drilling. We also toured the giant warehouse that still is home to the isolated, soundproof metal containers used to calibrate the ROMS sensors. Outside in the yard there are still some small, medium to large metal containers used to ship all the tools and heavy-duty machinery needed to build the Ice Cube Telescope. Tons and tons of equipment, ranging from generators, drilling towers, drills, giant pools of cable used for drilling and to transmit the data from the sensors to the computer servers, was packed, sealed and deliver via truck to LA for shipping to Antartica, from this facility. With a budget of over $300 million dollars, funded in part by the US Government National Science Foundation, it was interesting to know that Ice Cube supported and still generates multiple job opportunities in Wisconsin. Next our tour guides, a young fellow, and a veteran engineer took us inside another warehouse, with a hard hat area, loaded with all kinds of heavy duty machinery, a candy store for any mechanical engineer. Once there we were showed a room where the circuits for the sensors were fabricated, and saw some new wired-sensors being fabricated for Japanese scientists researching Neutrinos.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN DISCOVERY LEARNING CENTER
Next we drove to the University of Wisconsin Discovery Learning Center, a brand new state of the art research facility, the result of a public/private initiative. Here in a carefully designed, environmentally and energy efficient building, surrounded by noble materials, glass, wood and metal, we met with a group of ladies from the Publication and Education division, and together visited the CAVE Virtual Reality chamber. Here we donned 3D goggles and with a wireless joystick we were able to virtually visit the Ice Cube ROMS sensors from under the ice. The joystick allowed us to display a menu chart on the screen where we could click and select the choices needed. We were able to Zoom In or Out at will, as well as virtually going “inside” the ROMS. This CAVEs technology is currently been developed to be used for applications ranging from medical studies, to academic applications. At noon we took part in a Power Lunch were members from different departments of the Ice Cube Project are able to interact one another socially, once every month. After lunch we had a meeting with the education department and we discussed the webcasts that I will be leading from the South Pole. I was informed that I would have to do about 5 webcast, involving students from schools in the US. I told them that I had 2-3 middle schools from my campus where I taught in New York, 1-2 high schools, plus my After School students to do a webcast. I mentioned the possibilities of doing a webcast with a Spanish speaking school in the Dominican Republic and perhaps in Turkey. The education staff was very interested in reaching out to English and Spanish classrooms in the USA, with an emphasis in local schools in Madison as well as some local after school programs. After the meeting at the Discovery Learning Center, we drove to Ice Cube headquarters, were Dr. Madsen introduced me around to various staff members. I was able to chat with some of the research staff that had been to Antarctica, who gave me a lot of sound advice on the nature of the work I was expected to do at the station, logistics, and work ethics. Talking to Mike Devoiriere was particularly crucial, since we will be on the ice on the same dates, and may even fly together on the same planes heading and coming back from the South Pole. He and others explained to me what probably will go down around the time I will be at the South Pole, which most probably will involve Computer Server Upgrade and maintainance, as well as helping pack sample tapes, and prepare equipment to be fly out of the South Pole at the ending of the season in February. I was told that my deployment dates on the ice are to be January 8-January 25, 2014, and that it was solid. Dr. Madsen even gave me all the necessary dental and medical forms needed for me to be PQ or Pre Qualified to go to the South Pole. I was told to start as soon as possible. The following morning I had a full breakfast after checking out of the Hotel, and waited in the lobby for Megan to give me a ride to the airport. Since my flight was not until 2pm, I used the time to work on my Independent Learning Project or thesis for my Master Degree. Later around 1pm Megan came and dropped me off at the airport for a flight to Chicago and later to La Guardia airport in New York City. All in all I learned a great deal during my visit ti UWRF and UW Madison. I came out of the Upward Bound programs with great ideas of hands-on STEM activities ranging from making a 3D model of a Neutrino ROMS sensor, to creating a model of the Ice Cube Neutrino array under the Antarctic ice, showcasing a Neutrino hitting an atom and transforming into a Muon or a Tao. I believe these activities will give my students families, and the general public a greater understanding of what are Neutrinos. Also for my after school program I am planning to introduce Rocketry and Underwater ROV as part of my NASA/Robotics and Boatbuilding Clubs. Finally, I came out of this experience with a greater and deeper understanding of my expectations and responsibility as part of the Ice Cube team at the South Pole. I have a greater knowledge of what to pack and not to pack, what to bring, what to expect when I am down there. A lot of mistery and fear have been lifted from my mind and I am more calm and confident about this new adventure. I almost had a panic attack down there while realizing the magnitude and responsibility that involves this expedition to the South Pole. I had thoughts of quitting and cancelling my trip, for fear of the huge responsibilities of writing and posting journals for Polartrec, publicity, webcast to conduct, as well as reports to submit. But by God, I will accomplish all these tasks to the best of my abilities.