The Grover Cleveland High School’s Science Research Club swept their way to the school’s 11th consecutive victory at the Regional Bridge Building Contest at John Browne High School on Saturday.
The competition requires students to build a model bridge from basswood. The goal is to make the model as light as possible but capable of taking as much weight as it can until the bridge collapses.
Jeevan Bastola came out on top in the final round, as his bridge weighed just 12.7 grams and was able to hold over 24.4 kilograms before collapsing. He will now represent the Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island region at the 2019 International Bridge Building Contest at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore on Saturday, Apr. 6. Mingmar Tamang finished second, while Anisha Thapa, Dawa Sherpa and Nischal Thapa rounded out the top five.
Kirstina Zotolli, despite finishing seventh, was given the Aesthetics and Design Award for an elegant inverted arch construction.
The team also included Alba Cumbe, Erik Guerrero, Prateema Gurung, Sudeep Kandel, Jeffrey Mendoza, Billy Naranjo, Pranish Ojha, Alan Pinto, Mayra Rojas and Jonathan Rojas.
Grover Cleveland’s Science Research Club participates in Science Olympiad, Bridge Engineering, Envirothon, and First Robotics as well. The school believes the club strengthens students’ skills and prepares them for careers in the STEM fields.
