Two students at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood took first and second place in a bridge building competition, and their projects will now move on to the International Bridge Building Contest.
Tenth graders Derlis Gutierrez and Nestor Barrera took first and second place, respectively, in the contest that pitted 65 entrants from Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and the two winners will now compete in the International Bridge Building Contest on April 25, in Bellingham, WA.
“We were surprised, and we were proud,” said Lloyd Kiefer, who is an earth science teacher and co-moderator of the science research club where the students worked on the projects. “We did work very hard. We did spend countless hours after school helping the students construct the entries.”
However, with the contest only a few weeks away, Grover Cleveland is looking to the community and some of the local elected officials for help to raise funds for the students to attend the contest in person in Bellingham, WA.
“Normally, high schools around the country have students and teachers go in person,” Kiefer said, mentioning the great exposure and networking opportunities available at the contest.
The rules for the contest charged that students build bridges out of basswood sticks, and the bridges are judged on their efficiency. Students attempted to make the bridge take as much weight as possible, but at the same time, the bridge had to weigh in as light as possible.
In addition to the two first place winners, Grover Cleveland student Simona Mannino captured third place in the local contest at John Bowne High Shool and 10 other Grover Cleveland students submitted entries.
