MAGE Club Launches Rockets, Designs Planes
MAGE Club members build bottle rockets for a competition. Photo: Shirley Lin
By JONATHAN HART
FFFshshsh! The rockets blasted up hundreds of feet into the air as the students in M.A.G.E. anxiously waited to see the highest launch.
In Midwood’s Aerospace Group for Engineers Club, which takes place in room 253 during period 11 on Thursdays, students get to dive into the fascinating world of planes, rockets, and jets. In this club, participants get hands-on experience studying, building, and launching rockets.
Vice President Ivan Markov ‘25 said, “I joined the club because I was very interested in everything to do with aerospace, planes, rockets, you name it. I thought it would be fun to host friendly competitions with students.”
Joining the club doesn’t require any prior engineering experience.
“Most people think that they have to know physics, but they don't,” said Club President Emely Rivas ‘24. “We can help others understand without getting into the complicated levels of physics.”
The club hosts many fun events. “Back in November 2023, we had a bottle rocket competition to see who could build the best rocket to be launched the highest,” said Zongle Yang ‘25.
These competitions include planning, building, and launch phases where groups collaborate to aim for the win.
“Our field day was really fun,” said Yuuichi Naraoka ‘25. “We all launched our rockets and the teams all chanted.”
Markov added, “We were all basically jumping up and down in preparation for the launches; it was a really memorable experience.”
At a recent meeting, the club bought a new remote control plane and took turns flying it. They hosted a minigame where one person threw the plane across the hallway, and multiple people on the other side tried to catch it, like a football.
Maha Mostafa ‘25 said laughing, “I had a lot of fun trying to catch the RC plane, even though I almost got hit in the head in the process.”
The club is planning to do many exciting things with the new plane such as flying it through the Midwood field and hosting competitions. “Flying the RC plane down the hallway was a lot of fun, but I’m even more stoked to do new activities with it in the huge Midwood field,” said Elvis Redzematovic ‘25.
Hosting events like these gives the club members something to look forward to every Thursday after a stressful week of classes and tests. Trying out new things such as using more power, or changing the rocket’s designs, also gives students a reason to keep coming back.
On another day, teams built wooden airplanes and flew them in the school gym, testing different variables such as wing design and power output. Other innovative activities have included “building a rubber band powered glider and making paper darts,” said Yang.
Rivas added, “One time, we were creating a layout of an aircraft that would safely land an egg without breaking, and though we didn't get to build it, we were able to draw it out and it was still fun!”
With the club’s beginner-friendly, welcoming atmosphere, there’s no reason not to give it a try. So if you want to experience the excitement of your own rocket blasting into the sky, drop by M.A.G.E. on Thursday.