Domino effect is designed in food

The design incorporated about 5,000 of the 10,000 food items collected.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- Boxes of macaroni and cheese, gelatin and corn muffin mix became art for a good cause at Trumbull Career and Technical Center.
During March, TCTC students collected more than 10,000 boxes and cans of food for Second Harvest Foodbank, which serves residents of Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
In science classes, students came up with designs to incorporate about 5,000 of the food boxes to cover most of the cafeteria floor. The idea of the structure was to create a domino effect so that knocking one box over collapsed the whole thing.
Juniors Scott Miller and Jim Lewis, both of Mineral Ridge High School, devised the winning design, a Superman emblem with "TCTC" in the center instead of the "S," explained Jim, who is studying power equipment at the school.
The boys each tapped a food box at an assembly Monday morning, putting the domino effect into action.
How this was done
Students in the science classes each received a copy of the pattern with instructions to help assemble the structure, said Scott, who is studying electronics.
The school does the food drive annually and last included a large food-box structure two years ago.
"We were at a staff meeting and someone said, 'We need to do something like that again -- something to pull the kids together,'" said Jean Morello, adviser to the school's National Vocational/Technical Honor Society.
The honor society helped organize the effort along with the Youth Leadership Club. The marketing education class sponsored a penny drive to benefit the food bank.
The auto collision class collected the most food with 3,349 boxes to win an ice cream social. Randy Hess, auto collision teacher, inspired his students' generosity by matching their contributions with his own money.
The power equipment class finished second with 1,393 boxes collected.
"It was a schoolwide project," Morello said.