Floating ideas at South Range

This year's event had 28 teams and drew about 200 spectators.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- Nathan Romeo and Dan White said they were determined their yellow boat wouldn't sink Monday afternoon.
The South Range High School sophomores used four layers each of cardboard and duct tape to build the craft they sailed at the annual Raider Regatta.
"We made sure no water was getting in," said Romeo, 16, of Beaver Township. "We sealed that baby up tight."
Clad in gorilla masks, Romeo and White, also 16 and of Beaver Township, set sail in the vessel they called their Banana Boat.
They traveled the pond behind the high school football field in Beaver Township, across and back with no problems.
Incentive
Their goal to stay out of the "dirty" pond water provided enough incentive to build a sturdy craft, they explained.
"I think we had a good design," White said.
"We just kept taping layer after layer together. And we made it. And we stayed out of the water."
Some 200 spectators gathered near the pond for the eighth annual event.
Mainstay
The regatta has become a mainstay in Laura Elder's curriculum. At the beginning of each school year, Elder, who teaches sophomore technical English, challenges her students to design and construct a working boat using only cardboard, duct tape and paint.
They must then put their boats into the water and try to sail across the pond and back, a nearly 150-yard trip.
This year Elder had 28 teams, ranging from two to five members each, from her four English classes.
The first week in October is marked off for the event.
"It's amazing each year to see what the students come up with," she said. "They love it. And it's amazing to see them work together to build something out of cardboard and duct tape and have it stay on top of the water."
Elder came up with the concept while channel surfing. She saw a report about a similar event and approached the high school principal with the idea.
"At that time we were getting more and more into hands-on lessons," Elder said. "He didn't say anything right away, but later came back and told me to go with it. So I did."
Today or Wednesday, Elder will announce winners of several categories including best of show, best sink, best themes, best costumes, best boat design and best teams.
"I don't know that I'll get any prize or anything, but I made sure I would get across the pond," said Kaleb Keltz, 15, of Beaver Township.
The craft created by Keltz and his partner, Tony Rice, 15, of Beaver Township, didn't make it the across the pond. But Keltz, holding onto the side of the wrecked boat, swam to the other side as onlookers cheered him on.
"I didn't mind being in the water," he said. "I think our boat was just too narrow or something. But I wanted to get across anyway. And at least we tried. It's OK to get wet if that's what it takes to get to the other side."