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That's Using Your Doodle

Tribune Photo by CANDACE C. MUNDY

Michael Mendenhall, 12, a homeschooled student from Odessa, designed a "doodle" for Google and was a national finalist in the design competition. Michael, an exceptionally bright student, likes to work on his laptop computer where he also created his Google doodle.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 14, 2008

ODESSA - Twelve-year-old Michael Mendenhall plays Neil Diamond on eight-track and compares the sound quality of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It" on vinyl to compact disc. He scouts eBay and flea markets for a mouse he can hook up to a vintage 1980s Apple computer.

He loves technology more than twice his age and is equally comfortable playing DOS-based video games as he is using modern software to sketch out a dream house.

He remembers the first time he got on a computer. He was 4. He used the paint program on Windows 3.1, he said, and drew a smiley face.

"That was the very first thing I drew," said Michael, a home-school student from Odessa.

He has since graduated from making smiley faces to sketching a Mr. Magoo-inspired fish that caught the attention of Internet behemoth Google and won him a trip to the company's California headquarters.

Michael, whose home classes in Odessa cover sixth- and seventh-grade material, competed in "Doodle 4 Google," a competition for kindergartners through high school seniors to design a "doodle" for Google's logo. The Internet search engine occasionally swaps out the traditional logo on its home page for variations that feature artists, historical events and holidays.

More than 16,000 entries were submitted, according to Google, and the winner got her logo design displayed on Google.com for the entire day on May 22, as well as a college scholarship and a grant for her school.

Michael became one of 40 regional winners. Winners were posted online for people to vote on a favorite. They chose a sun peeking over clouds, designed by a middle school girl from California.

Doodlers came up with images around the theme "What if?" Michael knew he could turn the "oo" in "Google" into glasses like cartoon character Mr. Magoo wore. A trip to The Florida Aquarium helped him link his design to the theme.

"What if fish could think," Michael wrote with his drawing, a fish with a thoughtful look. "Would they teach the world to think green? Small changes can make a difference. We switched over to biodegradable pesticides and less toxic cleaning supplies. Water pollution is a major problem. What are you going to do about it?"

He did a preliminary design with a Windows paint program on a laptop, then hand-drew it with colored pencils to submit.

Google gave each regional winner and a chaperon transportation and lodging to the "Googleplex," the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., for an awards ceremony in late May. Michael went with his parents, Mary and Robert Mendenhall.

The company gave each winner a T-shirt printed with his or her design, which the students wore for the event. Employees gathered outside to cheer and high-five winners as they arrived, and many commented to the children on what they liked about the designs.

They held a festival with electronic games and let students play on new software and design tools. Google webmaster Dennis Hwang, who creates the doodles, demonstrated his technique.

"Google really honored the kids and made them feel like they accomplished so much," Mary Mendenhall said. "It was almost overwhelming to have someone do that for your child. I almost wanted to cry."

Michael said he could see himself working at Google one day or getting into computer programming or inventing. His mother teaches him, and he also takes classes online, including ones on electronics. He loves to tinker, adding a motor to make a robot roll on a dolly or revamping old computers to accept new parts.

"I'm more like the guy who doesn't read the manual," Michael said. "I just click around."

When he is not working on his computers, he joins his parents to scout for antiques. His parents have accented their house with antique furniture. Michael seeks old electronics, but recently he has discovered record albums, often available for $1 at flea markets.

In his room, he spins records that his mother listened to when she was a teenager. He also likes to play the piano and has composed some songs, including one for his Cairn terrier, Tookie.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or

cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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