| Students
do well at TSA competitions
Seven PHS students headed to Boise to compete in the Idaho Technology Student Association Convention Thursday, March 8th through Saturday, March 10th. The Prairie TSA Club competed against students from Wallace, Idaho Falls, Homedale, Rexburg, and Meridian, among others. This was the largest convention so far with 280 students competing. Before the awards ceremony, Claire Whitley was selected as the TSA State Reporter. Part of her duties as Reporter include; attending meetings in Boise, as well as attending the National TSA Convention this June in Nashville, Tennessee. Claire will be doing some fundraising this spring to offset her expenses to Nashville. First place winners from state competition also have the opportunity to attend the TSA National Convention. 1st place winners were: Matt Jungert, Drew Cochran, Claire Whitley and Josh Roeper in Architectural Design with an energy efficient building. 2nd place winners were Troy Lorentz and Josh Roeper in Manufacturing Open Division with a blued pine coffee table; Claire Whitley, Matt Jungert and Drew Cochran in On Demand Video with a 60 second public service announcement. The 3rd place winner was Troy Lorentz in the Technology Bowl pre-test. 4th place winners were Troy Lorentz, Josh Roeper, Hunter McWilliams and Bryson Higgins in Manufacturing Prototype with a desktop organizer; Bryson Higgins in Dragster Design. Other events the students entered in were; Vex Robotics – Matt and Drew; Technology Bowl – Troy, Matt and Josh; Dragster Design – Troy; Problem Solving – Bryson and Hunter, Josh and Troy; Structural Engineering – Bryson and Hunter, Josh and Troy, and Matt and Drew. It has been a big commitment on the part of the students to prepare for state competition. Some of the events took as long as 3 months to research, plan, and build. The club would like to thank Darla Whitley and Rusty and Laurie Lorentz for attending the convention and helping out immensely with the students, judging events, setting up and taking down equipment and displays for the convention, not to mention the hours of time they put into helping the students prepare for competition. Their help was greatly valued not only by the students and Mr. Richardson, but the event staff in Boise as well. Without the help of these individuals, it would have been difficult to accomplish the great achievements the students accomplished at state. Their desire and willingness to give the students every opportunity to learn and achieve is greatly appreciated by the students and Mr. Richardson. 
The students at state TSA. Front row – Hunter McWilliams; middle row – Drew Cochran, Bryson Higgins, Troy Lorentz, Claire Whitley; Back row – Matt Jungert, Josh Roeper and Mr. Richardson. |
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