var so = new SWFObject(‘http://www.staterinteractive.com/player.swf’,’mpl’,’665′,’450′,’9′);

so.addParam(‘allowscriptaccess’,’always’);

so.addParam(‘allowfullscreen’,’true’);

so.addParam(‘flashvars’,’&file=GlasstronautsRachelCampbell.flv&image=http://www.staterinteractive.com/photos/spring12/0213screen.jpg&frontcolor=6666FF&lightcolor=EEEEEE&skin=http://www.staterinteractive.com/snel.swf&streamer=rtmp://flashmedia.kent.edu/fms-jmc/kentWired’);

so.write(‘tv2news’);

Students filled the Michael Schwartz Center Friday evening to escape the cold and warm up with a glassblowing demonstration.

The Glasstronauts, our on-campus glass club, displayed their talents for those in attendance as they worked together to create something big in the comfort of the glass studio.

“It is kind of different. It’s like you’re just watching, kind of like you’re not part of it,” said Carolyn Lindsay, senior art education major. “Once they pick up, it’ll be more of a community thing and they’re just going to start working more as a team and making a huge piece.”

That huge piece, as Lindsay revealed, would be a rocket ship, which she also described as “a play off their name.”

Although a rocket ship does go well with their name, The Glasstronauts have never attempted to create one before.

“That’s the first rocket we tried to make,” said Sean Mercer, associate professor of art. “In these open house demos, we tend to make kind of fun stuff … but that’s about the only time we do that. Usually we’re making vases [and] bowls; decorative things like that.”

Despite a practice run the night before, the body of the rocket managed to crash to the floor during the demonstration.

“It’s always a possibility that it’s going to break,” Mercer said. “I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it just jumped off of the punty and crashed on the floor.”

Contact Rachel Campbell at [email protected].