KAPAA — Gadget guru Kasiah Vercelli has a working fan in her bedroom and it’s all because of a little up-cycling. Over her winter break from Kapaa Middle School, which stretched from December 18 until Tuesday, the 13-year-old said she
KAPAA — Gadget guru Kasiah Vercelli has a working fan in her bedroom and it’s all because of a little up-cycling.
Over her winter break from Kapaa Middle School, which stretched from December 18 until Tuesday, the 13-year-old said she did “a lot of stuff.” Her grandmother, Ruth Vercelli, was on Kauai over the holidays for vacation and the family took her to see South Pacific.
But it’s machines and electronics Kasiah can’t stop talking about.
She and her father Jason Vercelli took apart an old stereo over the winter break and reused the parts, an activity that’s become a family favorite.
“I found an old fan that was used to keep the systems cold and I hooked it up with a switch that I found the other day, and I made a new fan for my room,” Kasiah said. “We used electrical tape to put the wires together until we can permanently connect them.”
Though the wires still need that finishing touch, the fan is working. For Kasiah, though, it’s thrill of tinkering that keeps her going back to switchboards, spare parts and all things mechanical.
“I’ve always been really into electronics and stuff,” Kasiah said. “When I’m older, I want to go into the sciences.”
Kasiah was introduced to salvaging electronics three months ago when she and Jason dissected a broken radio.
“We keep the circuit boards and see what we can do with them,” Kasiah said. “That’s the coolest part, finding these things and up-cycling them.”
Kasiah is one of 9,310 students returning to school today and for her, it means switching gears from fans to magnets, and from tinkering to serious competition. That’s because she’s getting ready for the school’s science fair scheduled for February. The event requires students to submit a project and a research paper, as well as document the progress of the project.
“I’m making a model for this idea I have for a magnetic launching system for rockets,” Kasiah said. “It’s going to be scaled down because it would be really, really hard to make it big. I’ve already started my research and next week I’m going to start building.”
Last year for the same science fair, Kasiah made a small-scale model on magnetic levitation and bullet trains. And this year, she’s hoping to take her project to the islandwide regional competition in March. That means scoring high at her schoolwide science fair.
While she has her sights set on a science fair win, Kasiah is anxious to return to her classes and social life.
“I love school and I’m looking forward to seeing my teachers and friends again,” she said.
