Exactly. According to another article, it was
an electromagnetic coil gun, which freshman Asa Ferguson submitted and was later confiscated.“It has [applications] in roller coasters and spaceships. It’s been theorized to be able to launch spaceships in space for cheaper,” Ferguson said. “I think that if I had said it was an electromagnetic propulsion system it would not have been taken out.”
Well, we don’t need kids to learn things that they may use to invent things anymore./sarc