WEBER WINS ED DAVIS AWARD, PROBLEM-SOLVING TEAM PLACES FIRST
Students from the Hoxie Junior and Senior High School wood technology classes displayed their individual projects in the Fort Hays State University Technology Fair May 1 and 2.This was the fifty-fifth year of the Annual Western Kansas Technology Education Fair.Hoxie has attended this Fair for over thirty-five years.Over the years, projects have been transported to Hays using various forms of transportation, including a bus with seats removed, a cattle trailer without rain coverage, an old U-haul truck which came with quite a few unique experiences, and enclosed trailers.This year we were able to use two twelve-foot enclosed trailers. A big THANK YOU is extended to Mr. Leonard Weber for volunteering to give up days to help transport the projects to and from Hays.
This year Hoxie students entered one hundred twenty-four projects in the FHSU Fair.Of these, five received red ribbons representing excellent projects.The remainder all received blue ribbons indicating superior projects.Five of these were also deemed outstanding projects and received medallions.
Students receiving medallions include: freshman Tristan Porsch for his entries of two red oak nightstands and a cherry jewelry box, seniors Chase Kennedy for his walnut triple dresser display, Tyler Kaus for his red oak two piece gun cabinet and Chris Weber with his entry of a walnut triple dresser with attached swivel mirrors.
Chris’s walnut triple dresser was given a certificate which represented the best senior wood production project of the Fair which made it eligible for entry in competition for the sought after Ed Davis Award.This honor is awarded to the most outstanding production project of the entire Fair. There were several projects this year that were worthy of this award and made the competition tight. Chris was awarded the Ed Davis Award due to the time and diligence to detail he devoted to his project design, construction, and finishing.
Fort Hays State University TECA (student ) organization also sponsors several activities which included a problem solving activity.Five students brainstorm a solution to a given problem utilizing the tools and materials available. This year’s Hoxie team included seniors Chris Weber, Tyler Kaus, Chase Kennedy, and juniors Conner Katt and Josh Heim. They were challenged to build a boat that would float in a tub of water, holding more marbles than any other team’s boat prior to sinking.They were given paper, masking tape, string, and a few other tools. Their boat held two-hundred-sixteen marbles before sinking lacking only eight marbles from the total number of marbles available.WOW! was the comment from the judge that was in charge of the competition.The three criteria judged in this activity were problem solution design, problem solution fabrication, and problem solution output. The Hoxie team received the First Place Plaque for their efforts.