Maia Doescher

 Hey Guys, THE LAST DAY!!!! I can't believe we are here. I have finally made it tot he last day of my projects which means I am that much closer to graduating. Today I researched a lot about concussions. While this is not my first concussion it does feel a lot like ones I have had in the past. I didn't quite think through the lasting issues that could rise if not treated properly with rest and care. It scares me to think that if I play in a basketball game, or slip that I could have permanent brain damage. I learned that more often than not football players get a concussion almost every game. It is not always present but it's there. So in the end we need to take care of ourselves and know when to listen to our bodies.  Thank you guys for coming along the journey!

 Hey Guys! Welcome to the week 3 day 1 update. Today I remained in my dorm doing research. I looked up techniques that painters use for different types of projects and how they go about it. I was able to get outside for a little bit before the blinding light caused me to quickly go back inside. I was so focused on figuring out how to find hours and ways to work on my project I forgot that I had a concussion. It wasn't until a girl in my dorm told me that I needed to stay inside and not be outside. Which I was forced to listen to, against my own judgement, which isn't reliable. 

 Hey Guys!  Week two started off strongly! We were able to finish putting up the wallboard with plenty of coffee and music. After going through plenty of drill bits and breaking wood pieces off to fit everything we accomplished our goal. Although we were not able to paint the boards, we finished everything else. The boards could be used now, they just need paint. On Tuesday I sustained a concussion that put quite a dent in my project. Although, I couldn’t paint the boards I was still able to get the majority of this project done with a great mentor, leaving a small portion left. I enjoyed this project more than I ever thought I would, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow throughout these two weeks!

 Hey Guys! Welcome to the day 4 update. Today I did my best to work outside but unfortunately failed. So my work consisted mostly of computer screen research. I researched different painting methods that I could use and how to do it. Even though I wasn’t outside I still was getting work done. Rather than sitting around and watching the time pass by I worked through what I could. The painting was a crucial part to this project but not the end of the world that it didn’t get done!

 Welcome to day 3! Today is a little different for me. Last night I sustained a concussion during senior basketball. While this was not planned and couldn’t be avoided, I took the day to just watch tutorials on how to paint and cock. These were quite helpful when my headache was not noticeable. Hopefully this will not keep from my project and I will be able to finish it before the year ends. The hot summer heat is not ideal for me to be as of right now, but will hopefully improve. We are so close to finishing this amazing wall for all tennis players. Come back for tomorrow’s update!

 Welcome to day 2! For day 2 I woke up later than usual and relaxed a bit before going to work. The first thing I did when I got to the courts was set out all of my equipment. After this was done I had to go go back and forth from Lindsay’s to maintenance then back up for supplies. We discussed the best way to tackle the wall with what little time we have left before weather hits. The goal is to have everything up by Friday night and have painting begun Thursday! While this plan could take many turns we think this is the best way to go about things. Maintenance has helped throughout every step of this project and which I am thankful for.

 Welcome to week two! I had to start my week off with a cup of coffee from the wise, which meant I was up bright and early. Today Lindsay and I were about to finish our boards with few casualties in the supplies department. We have broken a screw almost everyday since our project began.  On top of that our birds nest has not one but four eggs in it now. Our goal now is to be able to put the top boards up with as little trouble as possible. Unfortunately I chose a slightly dangerous project and need help with certain aspects because I could injure myself. I pretty independent when it comes to most things, but this is not one of those. I have spent a lot of time alone during this project because Lindsay has a life of her own that she has to take care of. That said, I usually go up early and do small things like fill in holes with putty until she can come help.  Come back for week 2, day 2 update!

 Hey Guys!  My first week on my project was a huge success! From day 1 to day 6 we did more than just get measurements and find out what supplies we needed. We were able to take down the boards and have over half the wall done by the end of the first week. I learned how to use a power drill and get over my fear of heights along the way. However, the black flies are awful everyday. That is the only minus to working up there if there is no breeze. I had fun blasting music and being able to do something fun on my own for the most part. Through the back pain, drill dropped on my back, and scrambled egg it was overall an incredible first week. I couldn't have picked a better project or mentor for Senior Project. I can't wait for next week. 

 Welcome to day 6! Today I woke up and instead of having coffee, I started the day off with water. Moving all the heavy equipment has caused me to realize how important water is. That said, today we began the day with screwing in the plywood sheets. We took a 4x8 sheet and began on the right side. The goal was to have at least half the wall done before the tennis match began. We took small wood blocks and put them under the board so that all the sheets would line up as we screwed them into the wall board. I applied pressure as Lindsay got to drilling, which made the process move along quite faster. After the first 5 minutes we realized we were being eaten alive by black flies, which was miserable. We applied so much bug spray that the entire area smelled like toxins and was awful to breathe for awhile. Aside from the black flies, Lindsay and I got quite a bit done in such a little amount of time. The project started at 8:30am and lasted till 11:30am because hunger started to kick in. 

 Hey guys welcome back for the day 5 update.  Yesterday Lindsay and I got our equipment moved from the main area so that the tennis team could play in their match today. We had 18 sheets of plywood that was way lighter than the old sheets we had. We took 3 sheets of our wood to the drama tech area to cut them in half so that they will fit on the top part of the unfinished boards. Our goal was to have an organized system going into today, so that putting the sheets up would be simple and quick. After we cut the sheets we used a school minivan to move the sheets up and down the hill rather than carrying them. In order for us to move forward each day we have to plan accordingly, which means weather factors, supplies, and other details. At the end of the day, we accomplished getting our wood prepared for the build!! See ya tomorrow!

 Welcome back for the day 4 update! Today was the day that I finally finished getting all the boards off the wall. After getting multiple splinters, I accomplished my first goal for this project. Later in the day, Lindsay and I took a trip to the store to secure the remaining items needed for this project. This list consisted of nails, gunk, paint, screws, and candy of course. After we got back from the store we dropped off the supplies at the court and discussed our next move. We decided the best approach is to screw one board in and apply a water proof substance that will seal the boards together, keeping out water and other unwanted things. To finish the day, I cleaned up all the old and rusty nails that had fallen to the ground and quickly left before being eaten alive by the black flies. 

 Welcome back for day 3!  This morning I woke up around 7:30 and again started my morning with coffee. After so, I headed up to the tennis courts to begin the deconstruction once again. In order to accomplish my goal, I have to overcome fear of ladders... Which I did so by not paying attention to it while listening to music. All that said I got 4 boards down without the help of my mentor shockingly. So at the end of day three I now know of the quickest way to accomplish getting the boards down!

Welcome back to day 2 of my project! So for today I started out my morning again with coffee, highly recommend, then hiked up the hill to start working. The first thing we did was find out which angle would be best for us to take the plywood down from. So after going from corner angles, bottom angles, and top, we decided to finish from the top. I found the easiest way to detach the boards is by taking a sledgehammer to the back of the board, which then loosens up the nails. This has saved time and energy on taking the nails out individually. Along my adventure, we did find a nest, with only one egg. The other eggs were scrambled on the ground in different locations near the courts. Although this sad discovery was made, we did indeed make a ton of progress on our boards! 

Hey Guys! So for my project, I decided to tackle the recreation of our Proctor Tennis Team's backboard. For day 1 I spent almost 6 hours working up on the tennis courts. I chose not to take the sleep in and begin at 8, after I got my coffee of course! First thing I had to do was take measurements, look for wood, and finally hike up what seemed an eternity of a hill. Once I got up there I began to work. Taking out the endless amount of nails and slowly pulling boards off seemed like no big deal till I realized how small I was. I used a crowbar and hammer to tear the board away from the edges, which was harder than I thought. So my mentor, Lindsay Brown, gave me a sledge hammer which I quite enjoyed using and got the job done. After all of this, Lindsay and I headed off to the store to price out the total cost of our adventure. Tomorrows post will show the progress we have made on the backboard!