Nerd Power!

Above: What work looks like for me some days

Today I will, once again, work to answering the ever nagging question: What exactly do I do everyday?

Normally, every day is different but I thought I would share some projects that I have been working on with you. 

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been working on developing a computer laboratory in the local high school. 

The room selected had been a storage room for the library and had been cleared out about two months ago. It was small, cement and completely unwired save for a line of florescent lights in the ceiling. I spent a few hours a day for the first couple of weeks installing desks with the shop teacher. He directed me in the fine arts of making cheap materials look nice and he even let me bevel! After we installed the desks (simple plywood beveled down and then stained) we had to wire the room. 

All things electronic tend to get me irrationally excited so I loved this part of the project. I got to sit down with a big spool of electrical wire and ethernet cord and run electrical wiring through PVC piping around the entirety of the room before installing outlets to pop out through the desks at each computer station. 

After electrifying the room, I sat down with the ethernet cord and stripped and put heads on about 30 different pieces. You know that little plastic head that fits into your computer? I went ahead and put those on. Pretty easy to learn, but it was so cool to do!

After that I had to return to the states for about 2 1/2 weeks and, sadly missed much of the work with the computers and final electrical wiring.

The other day, however, I was able to participate in the installation of about 15 disembodied hard disks that were stacked in a corner awaiting installation. When I entered the room and dusted off my first lobotomized computer and attempted to bring it back to life I knew I was in for a treat. As I brushed off the faded “Made for Windows 2000!” advertisements, I wondered just how much fun bringing these computers back from the great beyond would be. I spent a good three hours taking apart these modern antiques. I’ve included some pictures below for your enjoyment. It is my hope, that after this laboratory is finished, the average high school student will have a place where they can feel free to explore the internet and pursue academic or personal interests in the carefree nature that many US students take for granted.  

Below: Everything that used to be in the storage room. 

Below: one of the computers in need of a hard drive

 Below: Various hard drives stacked for my convenience

Above: the wiring we were working with along with the ethernet cabled that I had to "head" - go ahead and take a look at one of these sometime, they're surprisingly intricate

Below: the room as it was when I put everything back. Only a few more steps to go!