Automotive collision Repair
students polish their skills
by Staff Reporter
Buffers whirring. Sparks flying. The sounds and scenes on any given day in the Automotive Collision Repair Shop. Mr. Coutinho reported that he, Mr. Balanca, and newest addition to the ACR teaching staff, Mr. Aruda, have been keeping the students busy working on various projects. Mr. Coutinho shared that students in each class have been working to develop industry-standard skills. The instructors prepare the students to meet the expected standards in the areas of project preparation, safety standards, tool selection, types of fillers, fabricating, metal body work, metal work, welding, and efficiency, The sophomores are currently working on developing their MIG welding skills. According to Mr. Coutinho, "Students must meet industry standards before using them on projects. The end result is something they can be proud of." He was clearly proud of his students' progress. He shared pictures of their projects and pointed out several of the finished products displayed throughout the shop. |
The instructors were also proud to report that eight students will be representing the ACR Shop at SkillsUSA. Senior Stephen Fay, Juniors John Allen and Brian Miller, and Sophomore Nate Fisher will compete in the Painting and Refinishing category. Seniors Ryan Ellis and Fred Teed, Junior Tim Fitzgerald, and Sophomore Donovan Charis will compete in the Collision category. Donovan Charis, attending SkillsUSA for the first time this year, said "This is a great opportunity". When asked about his thoughts on attending Skills, Sophomore Nate Fisher replied, "It's a way to improve hands-on activity and progress to the next level of learning in the profession of body work".
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shop shorts
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
by Junior Shawn Robichaud & Staff Reporter Seniors in the Engineering Technology Shop recently completed their Capstone Projects. Senior Mathieu Bolduc-Clayton developed sensors for a Skill Crane which would prevent the device from crashing into walls. Mathieu reported, “One of the greatest challenges of this project was designing the arches, making sure the arches [for the crane’s claw] were correct before using the 3D printer.” He also had to develop a “sample and hold” device. In simple terms, this device increases the power output to the Skill Crane. The Juniors are studying industrial robot hydraulics. The Sophomores are making flashing eyes for stuffed animals. According to Mr. Oliveira, the students had to develop a design for the eyes, build the circuitry, design the housing, and print the housing using the 3D printer. Sophomore Drew Pierce stated, “We’ve been working on this project for a few weeks. Right now I’m testing the circuitry pulse to check the frequency of the eye’s flashes.” Mr. Oliveira reported that Engineering Technology recently accepted sixteen freshmen after Exploratory. Engineering Technology is sending teams to compete in three categories at SkillsUSA Districts at the end of the month. Juniors Kieran Donovan, Baruch Candeloro, and Josh Kowzic will compete in Technical Drafting. Seniors Jeremy Aanensen and Mathieu Bolduc-Clayton (Team 1) and Sophomores Andrew Pierce and Liam Orman (Team 2) will compete in the Mobile Robotic Technology category. Finally, Junior Maxwell Young and Sophomore Alex Koh (Team 1) and Sophomores Deep Kumar and Tim Lowney (Team 2) will compete in Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing. We wish these students the best of luck! ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY contributed by Senior Rhys Demelo & Mr. J. Kelly Tired of tripping up the last big hill of the fit trail? The Environmental and Horticulture shops have joined together to help you out. Not for the benefit of the students, but for the environment. Erosion has stricken the hillside for several years with no signs of letting up. To prevent this, both shops are coordinating to move the trail to a less steep location to the right of the existing trail. Early this spring, they will start cutting the shrubs back to make way for the new trail. They will then remediate the old trail with shrubs removed from the new location. The new trail should not create the erosion seen in the existing trail and should provide a more enjoyable experience. |
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
contributed by Junior David Coakley & Ms. Silvia The Juniors in Health Technology are preparing for the Nursing Assistant state certification test. They go out for clinical every Monday and Wednesday. The clinical site they are at now is JML in Falmouth, a Long Term Care Center. On Tuesday and Thursday they prepare for their Nursing Assistant test in the classroom, reviewing skills and patient care . On Fridays, they take a test based on material learned during the week. After testing, they go to the LPN lab and practice hands on skills. The Juniors are scheduled for state testing on March 10th and 11th. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Contributed by Junior Owen Martin Students in the IT Shop have no problem keeping busy. Students have been able to contribute their ideas and help plan the layout of the new IT building being constructed on campus. The Junior Class is currently studying networking in preparation for the Network+ Certification Test. Additionally, many students are using extra time to study and prepare for the A+ Certification Exam. Students from both the Junior and Senior classes alternate responsibilities working on the Student Help Desk to help troubleshoot and fix many of the IT problems around the building.Finally, students from the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes are attending SkillsUSA and will compete in the following three categories: PC Maintenance, Networking, and Computer Programming . tomorrow's writers todayThe Cape Cod Writers’ Center is hosting the Tomorrow’s Writers Today program. This a free workshop designed to enhance the writing skills of students in grades 7-12. The workshop is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 12th. Students will work with successful authors, poets, and journalists that will critique their work, share ideas and make suggestions to help them in the fields of professional writing, literature, poetry, journalism, and communications. Students interested in attending the workshop should see Mrs. Adams in the library for applications and additional information.
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what's up?
skillsusa |
aladdin, jr. |
ontributed by Ms. DeCosta & Staff Reporter
On Friday, February 26th, UCT will be represented by 120 contestants, including one State Officer Candidate, in the annual SkillsUSA District Competition. This year's competition will be held at Greater New Bedford Technical High School. In preparation for this year's Districts, UCT celebrated SkillsUSA Week this past week. Tuesday, February 9th was Advisor Appreciation Day. Skills students wanted to make sure the entire student body showed Ms. DeCosta and Mr. Yeaw how much the appreciate all their hard word and dedication to the program. Beginning this week, SkillsUSA began an Animal Goods Drive collecting food, treats, and toys that will be donated to a local no-kill shelter. Donations will be accepted through Thursday, February 25th. Please drop them off in the Plumbing and Heating Shop. The entire school community was invited to celebrate the end of SkillsUSA Week and show support for those competing on the 26th by wearing red, the primary color in all SkillsUSA uniforms. On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and administration, we wish those representing UCT the very best of luck! We know you'll make us proud! human rightsHuman Rights is hosting a March Madness Dance on Friday, March 18th. The dress is casual, but the school dress code still applies. Refreshments will be available as well as a photo booth. Tickets will be on sale for $6 or for a discounted price of $5 with a canned good donation. Sale details will be announced after vacation.
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by Shawn Robichaud
The Drama Club has been hard at work putting together the final pieces for their upcoming production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr, the Canalside Players’ first musical. Everyone in the cast is energetic and enthusiastic about the show.“It's a fantastic experience,” said Kaitlyn Vachon, cast as a townsperson in the play. “I get to work with a lot of new people. Everyone is nice and really we unleash our inner Johnny Depp.” The show will open on Friday, March 11th and run four shows. There will be a show at 7:00 PM on Friday March 11th, a show at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday March 12th, and a show at 2:00 PM on Sunday March 13th. Ticket prices are &10 for Adults, $7 for Senior Citizens, $5 for Students, and $1 for children under age 10. interact clubThe Interact Club is holding a food drive to help local food pantries. Non-perishable items with current shelf-life dates will be collected in all shops between February 22nd and March 18th. Please bring food items you wish to donate to your shop, or to Room 182. The shop with the largest total donation will earn a pizza party hosted by the Interact Club. Please help us help our neighbors.
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movie review
by Senior Jordan Desharnais
STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS Those bold, familiar yellow words struck the audience, all caught in nostalgic awe. In classic Star Wars tradition, the plot details scroll down the big screen, "Luke Skywalker has vanished." It's something we had all seen before, but with a brand new, J.J Abrams directed, multi-million dollar finish. For a lot of fans, such as myself, this film had a lot to live up to. Disappointed by the lack of effort and clearly rushed prequel films, we deserved a Star Wars film worthy of surpassing the high standards set by George Lucas in the original Star Wars trilogy. In my opinion, Star Wars: The Force Awakens exceeded those standards, and blew my expectations out of the water. J.J Abrams did an incredible job at directing a new, modern Star Wars film, without overly relying on CGI or cheesy effects. The plot of The Force Awakens is somewhat similarities to the original Star Wars, but not enough to remove the majesty and childlike wonder that this film invokes in its audience. The story of the film picks up about thirty years after Star Wars: Episode 6, which is the same amount of time that has passed between the film’s release. Harrison Ford fills the role of the still-charming Han Solo, an aged smuggler, who delivers his trademark snarky comments alongside his loud and hairy sidekick, Chewbacca. Carrie Fisher returns as General Leia Organa, now leading the Republic against the evil uprising of The First Order. The two on screen together shine through their nostalgically warm chemistry and great performances, considering they haven't shared the screen since 1983. The real surprise of the film does not come from the veteran actors however, but from the rookie actors filling the heroic roles left by Ford, Fisher, and Hamill. John Boyega gives an excellent rookie as Finn, a stormtrooper conflicted with his duties serving The First |
Order. In her film debut, Daisy Ridley plays Rey, a starry eyed scavenger, surviving by selling scrap metal from the
massive starships found on the beautifully vast desert planet, Jakku. She stumbles upon BB-8, a quirky, ball-shaped droid that, unbeknownst to her, is an essential part in keeping the galaxy safe. The owner of BB-8, Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac (Drive, Inside Llewyn Davis), is an all-star Rebellion X-Wing pilot who finds an unlikely friend in Finn, delivering naturally electric on-screen chemistry. The humor of the film was a pleasant surprise, thanks to excellent writing and great delivery. BB-8 doesn't speak a word the entire film, but sent audiences into fits of laughter with its modest rolling and humorous innocence. The film seamlessly balances serious scenes with witty dialogue and comic-relief, taking note from recent Marvel productions such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. I even asked myself at one point “is this Star Wars film too funny?” To contrast, an aspect that surprised me greatly seeing as that the Star Wars name is now owned by Disney, is the intensity and rawness of the film's villain, Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. Relentless leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren is a radical follower of The Knights of Ren, who looks to follow in the path left by Darth Vader. In the original trilogy, Darth Vader seemed unstoppable, he had no sign of good or deterrence from evil. Kylo on the other hand (no pun intended), seems like a flawed villain, it is clear he wants to be more powerful than he is, which grounds him as a character, but also enhances his villainy. The only problem I would say I have with the film is that JJ Abrams played it safe with the first installment of the new trilogy, having many similarities to the previous installments. This does not mean it is not executed with as much passion and grace as it is. The action in this film is top notch, stunning practical environments, mind blowing camera-work, and beautiful cinematography courtesy of Dan Mindel. Everything in the film just works, the writing, the acting, the dialogue, the fantastic blend of CGI and practical effects. Nothing feels cluttered, and the execution is a near perfect, lightning-fast paced sci-fi adventure that fans and non-fans of the series could enjoy. I give Star Wars: The Force Awakens a 9/10. |
Teacher feature: academic
Mr. Zaffini |
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Name: Donald Zaffini
Date of Birth: After WW2 but before the first "Star Wars" movie Hometown: Mansfield, MA College/Trade School Attended:
15 years in public school 10 years in the hi tech industry (hardware and software) How many years have you been teaching at UCT? 15 Have you been a teacher your entire career? No If you answered no to the previous question, what did you do before you started teaching? "I've worked for Metropolitan Insurance Company. I've worked as an automotive store /repair shop manager, a customer service supervisor in a packaging company, a new products development analyst for Data General, Wang Laboratories and Digital Equipment Corp., in disc drive new products development, and as a memory manufacturing software analyst and instructor for two software companies." When did you decide to become a teacher and why did you choose this field? "My original plan was to be a math teacher but changed my mind. After many years in high tech, I decided to change my career path." |
Did you know about UCT before you applied for a teaching position?
"I always knew about UCT. I had also taken night courses at other vocational technical schools in past years." What made you teach at UCT? "UCT needed a business teacher and I was certified in that area at the time I was making a career change." What do you like the most about UCT? "I like to see students grow and evolve within their vocational areas." How would one of your students describe you? "I would hope that they think that I am always there to help them learn and grow." What would one of your students say that they had learned after spending a year in your class? "I would hope that my students would say that their accomplishments in my class helped to prepare them for their next step on their way to college or the world of work." Have you learned anything from your students? If so, what is the most valuable lesson they have taught you? "I have learned that every student learns differently. I was also reminded that there is always some type of obstacle that students need to overcome in their education process." What, if anything, did you do related to your subject before coming to UCT? "I had 22 years in hi tech planning, manufacturing and software. I try to bring in my various work experiences and relate them to material that is in our curriculum." |
where are they now?
Tony Tarantino, Class of 2010
Name: Tony Tarantino
Sending Town: Sandwich, MA Graduation Year: 2010 Shop: Carpentry Current Residence: Pasadena, CA Current Occupation: Clay Modeler, Tesla Motors Why did you choose to attend UCT? “I wanted to learn a trade—my father was always the handyman around the house and while I was able to learn a bit from him, I wanted to learn as much as I can. In addition, I really hate sitting at a desk all day so the shop/academic week flip-flop was very appealing. Carpentry turned out to be a great decision.” Were you involved in extra/co-curricular activities while you were enrolled at UCT? “I did the Relay For Life a few times, but that’s about it. Haha, I either wanted to work on my projects or just go home and drive around.” What, if anything, do you remember about Exploratory? Was your final shop placement always your first shop choice? Did you change your mind? If so, why did you change your mind? “Exploratory was actually a lot of fun; it was actually where I became friends with one of my best friends I still have to this day. It also exposed me to other shops and skills that I wouldn’t get in my own shop, so I was able to reach out to other shops later on throughout my high school career for things I wanted to do outside of my shop. I originally came in for automotive because I love cars and my father is a mechanic (as well as my older brother). However, those very reasons were why I changed my mind—because I can learn that from them. So I went the Carpentry route considering my perfectionist personality and that I like to create things rather than fix them.” What is your favorite shop memory? “Oh, man. The things that happened in that shop. There’s a whole lot of good memories in there like when we made a wooden “fire” (crudely drew a fire on a piece of scrap plywood), sat around it as if it were a real fire and did nothing while getting yelled at to do something, or when we were working in the bus barn and a snowball fight broke out because there was a bucket-loader parked in there with a bucket full of snow while the teachers were out for five minutes then came back with snow splattered everywhere…or when we had to hide in the small, dark carpentry storage room during the “code blue” practices and everyone was making, uh, politically-incorrect jokes.” If you could change one thing about your high school experience, what would it be? “You would think that after these past two questions I had tons and tons of fun in high school but that’s actually not quite the case…that was really only senior year. Other than that, I kept to myself a lot and was a person who sort of did what I was told as well as battling some demons for half of the time I was there. I wasn’t your typical teenager going out and ingesting all sorts of mind-altering substances and chasing the girls. I just worked. If there is a way that I could have allowed myself to have more fun without ruining the work ethic I have, I would. Plus I ended up going to art school, and really, they don’t care about grades at all. But hey, I know the Pythagorean Theorem! Also, this is beyond my control, but I really wish UCT had language. I remember I liked Spanish a lot in 7th and 8th grade and did really well at it, |
but then there was no language in UCT due to some politics that I can’t quite remember but also not necessarily totally agreeing with. Plus, had I known I’d be living in a place called 'Los Angeles' I probably would have tried harder to look for Spanish classes.”
What did you do after graduation? “I went to Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston from 2010-2012 then transferred to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2012. I’m currently still here; due to get out in December. While in Boston I still worked at the cabinet shop I worked at on co-op during high school in between semesters until I moved to California. I landed an internship at Tesla Motors as a clay modeler in May 2015, staying there for seven months until I unfortunately had to come back to school to finish. When I finish school I can go back to Tesla if I want, but I’ve also been offered a position at Honda.” How did your experiences at UCT prepare you for life after graduation? “Very well. When I was on co-op I picked up a few extra skills such as painting with an HVLP gun and honed my CNC skills (this was before we had a CNC at school...I think we got it in my late junior year?). Little did I know how well those would pay off, since I now use those skills to make an income while, ironically, at school. I’ll paint student’s models for cash…and a lot of people are afraid to paint their models on their own. In addition, I’ll occasionally build things for some extra cash.” How well did your experiences at UCT prepare you for your career? “Extremely well. If you work hard and well enough at UCT, the teachers will set you up with a co-op job which gets you real-world, hands-on experience that you can’t get in school. Plus, you get to not be at school and get paid! It gave me stronger work ethic, thicker skin, and more skills than I thought I’d get from the job. I worked at Chestnut Bay Cabinets in the Steven J. Bishopric company from 2008-2012. The fast-paced environment, careful craftsmanship and high work ethic required at that company prepared me extremely well, which is why I did so well at Tesla. Working there is chaotic since Mr. Musk will come in and completely destroy whatever schedule we had. Clay modeling is extremely precise labor—from the sculpting itself to the tools you make. I handled it no problem. It helps that I also grew up in New England where everything is fast-paced. I was told various things such as, 'I can tell you’re not from California because California kids normally don’t know how to do this stuff,' as well as, 'I can tell you’re a New Englander because you curse a lot and powerwalk everywhere you go.' So +1 to New England culture. One last thing—it’s hilarious to go to art school and handle table, miter, and circular saws as well as various other dangerous tools with ease while watching bearded hipsters struggle to use a drill.'” What advice do you have to offer UCT’s study body? “Grades are important, but don’t forget to enjoy yourselves. Have fun, go out of your comfort zone, and do the things teenagers do but within reason. Don’t underestimate the importance of work ethic and professionalism. Also, don’t just go to college just because your parents want you to. If you go to college, have a plan—you’re spending a lot of money. If you don’t have a plan or don’t want to go to college, continue on your trade you learned at UCT if you enjoyed it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with not having a college degree and there’s plenty to be proud of being a tradesman/woman. One more thing—take advantage of your shop’s resources while you can. It’s one of the best shops you’ll ever work in with more hourly access than you’ll ever experience in any other shop.” |
Valentine's Day
According to the staff at Boston.com, the following is a list of the 25 most romantic movies ever made. Follow the link to read the staff reviews. Click the title buttons to link to IMDB for more information including previews, a cast of characters, and a plot synopsis for each film.
How will you celebrate?
A survey was conducted asking a random number of UCT students from each class what they thought would be the ideal Valentine’s Day date if they 1) had limitless funds to pay for the date and 2) had to plan a date on a budget. The following is a list outlining a few of those responses:
Money-is-no-Object Date
Money-is-no-Object Date
- Brazilian Grille and then a movie - M.M., grade 12
- a private jet to Dubai to stay at the Buri Al Arab - anonymous, grade 9
- “Take her where she wants to go and buy her whatever she wants.” - P.M., grade 12
- a big teddy bear, flowers, and chocolate - anonymous, grade 9
- a tropical vacation - anonymous, grade 11
- going to do something awesome like an arcade or carnival followed by a meal somewhere - Awesome Person, grade 11
- take a Mercedes to the air port, take a private jet to New Zealand - anonymous, grade 9
- a camping trip - T.B., grade 10
- “Spending the day together, snacking, talking, and maybe watch one of my favorite movies.” - anonymous, grade 11
- go to dinner at Five Guys - B.D., grade 11
- go to Chuck E Cheese - anonymous, grade 12
- binge watching horror movie and The Gilmore Girls - anonymous, grade 11
- make dinner at home, anonymous, grade 12
- a nice dinner at Olive Garden and just order bread sticks - anonymous, grade 10
- going on a date with a girl - A.M., grade 10
- take your date to a vending machine - V.P., grade 9
- watching YouTube - anonymous, grade 10
The Upper Cape Times Staff:
Jordan Desharnais, Senior
Shawn Robichaud, Junior
Bryan Richardson, Junior
Mrs. Smith, English Teacher/School Paper Advisor
Freelance Contributors:
David Coakley, Junior, Health Technology
Ms. V. DeCosta, Special Education Instructor & SkillsUSA Advisor
Rhys Demelo, Senior, Environmental Sciences & Technology
Mr. J Kelly, Environmental Sciences & Technology Instructor
Owen Martin, Junior, Information Technology
Ms. A. Silvia, Health Technology Instructor
Photo Contributors:
Mr. G. Coutinho, Automotive Collision Repair Instructor
Mr. J. Kelly, Environmental Sciences & Technology Instructor
Mrs. M. Smith, faculty
Tony Tarantino, UCT Class of 2010
Jordan Desharnais, Senior
Shawn Robichaud, Junior
Bryan Richardson, Junior
Mrs. Smith, English Teacher/School Paper Advisor
Freelance Contributors:
David Coakley, Junior, Health Technology
Ms. V. DeCosta, Special Education Instructor & SkillsUSA Advisor
Rhys Demelo, Senior, Environmental Sciences & Technology
Mr. J Kelly, Environmental Sciences & Technology Instructor
Owen Martin, Junior, Information Technology
Ms. A. Silvia, Health Technology Instructor
Photo Contributors:
Mr. G. Coutinho, Automotive Collision Repair Instructor
Mr. J. Kelly, Environmental Sciences & Technology Instructor
Mrs. M. Smith, faculty
Tony Tarantino, UCT Class of 2010