by Douglas Abrams

Congressman Joe Kennedy toured the school E-block yesterday. He visited students and teachers involved in vocational programs and science classes around the school, and listened to presentations of student projects.

Upon entering the school, Kennedy was greeted at the front entrance by principal Jennifer Price, science department head Amy Winston, and students from Engineering 3, who showed the congressman projects they were working on.

Seniors Alex Cuccurullo, Haberly Kahn, Monica Kieff, Jovanny Lamisere, and Hannah Searles demonstrated a hovercraft that they built, which operated using a leaf blower and a design for a terra sailor.

More engineering students showed Kennedy work they were doing using a laser beam on the staircase by the entrance to set off a series of tones in order to create music.

“That’s incredible,” said Kennedy. “This is amazing.” He bent down to test out the beam over and over again. “How do you even do this?”

Later on during the tour, the congressmen talked to carpentry students about their work with Mass 9 for the 9th, a program through which carpentry and leadership students have gone to New Orleans to help rebuild homes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The last stop on the tour was the innovation lab, in which students showed the congressman projects ranging from using fungi as an insulative material, to reusing old whole foods shopping bags as crafting material.