High school English project really floats their boat

The South Range students were ecstatic when their
cardboard boats made it across the pond.

By VIRGINIA ROSS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NORTH LIMA — The crew of the Disney Magic Cruise had one objective Monday: Make it back and forth across the pond behind the South Range High School football field without getting water in their boat.

“We did it,” said Prince Charming, aka Matt Jaskowak. “Not one drop of water. It was amazing. I’m so relieved it’s over.”

The Disney crew also consisted of Kassie Cole, Kearisten Ketterer and Nicole Alflen. The Beaver Township teens, all 15 years old, set sail as part of the 10th Raider Regatta.

“We’re so happy our boat didn’t sink,” Alflen said after the journey. “We just wanted it to make it across and back in one piece.”

The annual 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, all divided into teams, to design and construct a working boat using only cardboard, duct tape and paint.

They must put their boats into the water and try to sail across the pond and back, a nearly 150-yard trip. Each boat has its own theme, and the project calls for each vessel to carry at least two people across the pond.

The students use math, science, art and English skills to build their crafts, decorate them and write technical manuals.

Lots of teamwork

“It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork,” Elder said. “They have to work together and pull it altogether if they want to keep themselves out of the water.”

This year, Elder had 30 teams, ranging from two to five members each, from her English classes.

“It’s amazing how well they’ve done this year,” she said. “The teams each make a prototype and then we talk about what will work and what won’t. There’s a big difference between that and actually being on the water, though. But every year, the students have a great time with it. It’s amazing the ideas they come up with.”

The first week in October is marked off for the event. 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. The tradition grew from there.

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 think we’ll win something,” said Jordan Stear, 15, of Beaver Township. “I would do it again in a minute. It was so much fun. We made it. We made it. We made it. That’s what really matters. Now we can breathe.”

Stear and her crew, the Picnic Pests, made up also of Danielle Pendice and Tori Scheetz, 15 and of Beaver Township, sailed in a giant picnic basket decorated with fruit and cheese — made out of cardboard, of course.

“We kept saying ‘No problem’ and that we would make it,” Scheetz said. “But you don’t know for sure until you try. It’s a great feeling, though, when your boat stays up and gets across. I didn’t realize how happy I’d be. Whew! It’s one less thing to worry about.”