By Zara Samdani, Copy Editor

On June 9, 2022, sophomores Charlie Gawthrop, Matthew Ma and Jeffrey Wang dropped a protected egg from the top of Teamer Field without breaking it. Not only did they build an effective contraption to protect the egg, but they also broke a Guinness World Record, allowing their egg to sustain a 44-foot drop. Their feat, however, was accompanied by a long journey.

In September 2021, when Chemistry teacher and Science Olympiad advisor Derrick Wood announced a Science Olympiad project – one in which students can pursue any STEM-related activity – the boys knew that they wanted to incorporate eggs into their project. Their main struggle, however, was finding a realistic egg-related venture.

“Our original ideas were really bad. We wanted to launch an egg in a rocket and see if it got fried, but that got scrapped,” Gawthrop said.

After conducting further research, however, the boys began generating realistic ideas. Taking direct inspiration from YouTuber Mark Rober, who dropped an egg from space, the boys decided that they wanted to break the world record for the protected egg drop.

“They thought it was doable because the world record was previously 39 feet, and it seemed like we could (break) that. So they were inspired, like ‘Hey, that’s what we’re going to do,’” Wood said.

When Wood approved of their project, the boys immediately got to work. They began by designing an effective contraption — consisting of an arbitrary assemblage of straws, notecards, cardboard, plastic bags and other common household materials — that would protect their egg. They created multiple contraptions and ultimately chose the most durable one for their official test.

With all their materials ready, the boys decided to attempt the record in January 2022. They dropped the egg from the top of Teamer Field without breaking it, but, unfortunately, did not receive the award they were hoping to win.

“It was a very snowy day, and we had to clear off the snow. We had the witnesses lined up and everything was done. We dropped it. It didn’t break. Hooray. We broke the world record (and) submitted it. We waited forever and found out that snow was on the ground, so maybe that cushioned the fall,” Wood said.

Despite this setback, the boys continued their project. They renovated the design of their contraption and continuously did practice trials on stairwells at school. Finally, they felt even more confident in reattempting their project.

So, on June 9, 2022, Gawthrop, Ma, Wang, Wood and an official Guinness witness climbed to the top of Teamer field. The boys placed their egg in the contraption and dropped it from a ladder. The sight of the unscathed egg filled the boys with joy.

“When Matthew texted me that we broke the world record, I was very excited and called him right away,” Gawthrop said. “I was a bit surprised though because I didn’t know if we were going to get (the award) after our first (attempt). But, just in general, I was very excited.”

Looking back, the boys understood the many benefits that came from undertaking this project. Besides developing a strong camaraderie, they appreciated the role of teamwork in their success.

“I think working in a team environment was much better than (working alone). It allows us to have fun with what (we’re) doing,” Ma said. “If I just did it by myself, (the project) definitely wouldn’t have been as enjoyable.”

Zara Samdani can be reached at [email protected].