By David Fleet
Editor
Brandon Twp. — On Thursday, 18 boats set out on a two lap tour of the Brandon swimming pool.
Only half returned.
Duct tape, cardboard and a swimming pool were part of the 17th annual cardboard race boat physics project that was all about staying dry and staying afloat.
Brandon High School students from STEM Chemistry classes raced boats in a lesson on buoyancy, teamwork and speed. Classmates had one day to plan their watercraft, two days to build before grabbing a paddle and venturing one lap across the school swimming pool.
Each boat was required to carry two students and be no longer than 7-feet. Duct tape could be used to cover only the seams of the boat, but the rest had to be made of cardboard.
Five boats sank at the beginning and 25% made it halfway. The winner was “Nacho Boat” skippered by BHS students Ella Compau and Brianna Howden. The team covered the required one lap in a blistering 1:00:82.
The races were coordinated this year by BHS STEM Coordinator Elisabeth Rawling.
“There’s plenty of fanfare watching the event,” said Rawling. “In addition to the superintendent along with administration in attendance, there’s also sophomores watching who will get a chance to compete next year in the races.”
There’s an ingenuity and creativity element in the project, added Rawling.
“All the boats do not look the same,” she said. “Our ultimate goal is sparking the passion for engineering, and emphasizing the high demand for both mechanical and civil engineers.”