5/1/08
Scott’s Branch High student wins strongest bridge contest
By Jerriod Grizzle

JERRIOD GRIZZLE/Manning Times

Scott’s Branch High physics teacher Harold Ehnhuus holds plaques that were awarded to the school and to freshman Aundrey Richardson for his Popsicle bridge construction.

Scott’s Branch High School physics teacher Harold Ehnhuus and freshman Aundrey Richardson now have a great idea of what it takes to win and just exactly how to do it.

Using his wit, imagination, a bottle of glue and 250 Popsicle sticks, Richardson designed what turned out to be a very popular Popsicle bridge. And what do you do when you have a bridge made out of almost 250 sticks … you submit it to be crushed of course.

On April 12, at the Central Carolina Technical College campus in Sumter, Richardson, Ehnhuus and two other building teams from SBHS along with other regional competitors from Clarendon and Sumter counties submitted their bridges to be tested to their weight limit.

The result left even the judges surprised when Richardson’s bridge held up under 95 pounds.

“It was pretty much all in the base,” said Richardson. “If it has a strong base it can stand.”

Richardson said he used almost all of the 250 sticks he had, only throwing away the bad ones and the ones that just didn’t fit into his design.

His reaction to his bridge being destroyed before his eyes was a little anxiety filled.

“It was a little scary watching everyone put the weights on my bridge to see if it would hold up,” he said.

Ehnhuus said that he was very proud of his student and that he hoped Richardson would win more awards for his design skills.

“This is the second year we have participated and it turned out great,” he said. “Considering the fact he is a freshman and that he has a great talent for building, he could win four more first place plaques.”

Originally, the Popsicle building was going to be done by two teams of four but Ehnhuus said that Richardson decided to strike out on his own and it paid off well.

Since his big win, Richardson said that there hadn’t been that much fanfare and for now, all he has are his bragging rights.

The plaques presented to the high school will be proudly displayed at Scott’s Branch High School.