If you have talked to any of the upperclassmen at Hawthorne High School, you may have heard about the famous roller coaster project that the Pre-calculus Honors and CP students have been working on. On June 7, Mrs. Cheryl Pasquale and Mr. Ryan McMann judged the students’ countless hours of hard work.

The coasters’ requirements were an inversion, high drop, two camel backs, and a clothoid (in English- a sick loop de loop). The students’ projects also must have worked at least eight of the ten runs, but points were taken off if more runs failed. Regardless of functionality, however, the roller coasters were all undoubtedly gorgeous.

Pirates Cove Coaster: This beachy, pirate themed roller coaster featured detailed palm trees, a sea monster, beautiful cellophane waves, a treasure chest filled with gold, a realistic pirate ship, beaches complete with real shells and sand, and whole lot of character.

Daredevil McMann:  This coaster was quite what it sounds like- big drops, a triple loop, and a ring of fire about “the shark-pit,” which was a menacing gold fish. It was a very fun roller coaster that definitely captured the essence of daredevils.

Expedition Egypt: A  taste of Egypt is what you could’ve found at Expedition Egypt. This extremely detailed roller coaster featured camels, a jeep with sculpted tourists, hieroglyphics, and overall beautiful designs and artwork provided by the talented junior Carly Weinstein. You could even take pictures with Egyptian crowns provided by the group!

Clash Coaster: The Clash Coaster was a simple but fascinating roller coaster with painted crowns and an elegant burst of excitement.

Candy-land:  One of two Candy-land themed roller coasters, this one had candy-cane striped beams, cotton candy clouds, the pathway found in the Candy-land game, and decorations of lollipops and gumdrops.

European Attractions: This group decided to feature popular European attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Colosseum. The flags of Europe were also painted across the bottom of the display.

Mt. Fuji: This roller coaster definitely had a lot of interesting vibes and character. While cool Asian music played in the background, you could have observed the detailed greenery, a beautiful red and gold house atop a mountain, and a running water display. It was extremely captivating and very calming to watch.

Monstropolis: This coaster was based on the Pixar movie, Monsters Inc. With characters scattered around the display, the Monsters Inc. Headquarters, the desolate snowy scene, Boo’s room, the scream capsules, and the doors and frames from the movie, you might as well have gone to Pixar studios!

Woody’s Roundup: Just what it sounds like, Woody’s Roundup was Toy Story themed. It featured characters like the army men, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, Jessie, and of course Woody on a beautiful blue background that transitioned into the night sky on the upper portion of the roller coaster. With “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” playing in the background, it was quite an amazing experience and coaster.

Allison N. King Coaster: Modeled after the Allison N. King field, this roller coaster was an exact replica of Hawthorne High School’s athletic area. There were football players in position on the field (completed with field goals), a bear, and even a model of the Den. There was an especially exciting end when the marble jumped through the field goal after zooming through the last clothoid. Very exciting!

Rainbow Road: Mario Kart’s extreme course, Rainbow Road, is what this roller coaster was all about. There were power-up blocks all around, a ton of color, and a very appropriate ending with the marble landing in a cloud.

Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket: Featuring Oompa Loompas, golden tickets, Willy Wonka cutouts, and mystical purple and gold beams, it was everything you would expect Wonderland to be and more.

Animal Crossing: This Animal Crossing themed roller coaster had characters and houses from the game and tall wooden dowels as beams. It was a very cute coaster with lots of quirks.

Welcome to the Jungle: With exotic animals scattered about, trees and foliage, sand, stones, and birds, this absolutely beautiful roller coaster was a much cheaper trip to Africa’s wilderness.

Candy-land 2: The second Candy-land themed roller coaster was also captivating, to say the least. The massive project featured a handmade lift by Jonathan Martone that brought the marbles to the high drop, the path from the Candy-land game with the little game pieces on it, huge lollipops and PVC candy-canes. There were the names of locations from Candy-land such as Peppermint Pass, Gummy Hills, and Licorice Lagoon. This roller coaster was so inventive, fun, and once it caught my attention, it never let it go.

Observing the roller coasters and seeing how our peers used different principles to construct such fascinating creations is truly amazing. The Clarion thoroughly enjoyed seeing the roller coasters and the gorgeous designs that these talented students brought to life, and we are sure that everyone who viewed these projects can say the same. Congratulations to the Pre-calculus Honors and CP students on such amazing work.