You build an antenna to study electrical phenenoma
You crafted a rudimentary antenna — using some stolen copper wiring from the baseball diamond — in order to accumulate enough proof of concept data to get a grant from the Crumps. Just your luck that a great thunderstorm was predicted that very night!
And what a thunderstorm it was!
You made the front page of the local paper after the success of your first experiment resulted in your being electrocuted to death. You sure showed them!