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The Trout Creek Adventist School accomplished a successful journey in engineering at their fourth annual toothpick bridge building competition earlier this month. Eight students from grades 3-8 and around 80 family members and friends gathered at the Whitepine Grange Hall to partake in the competition, dinner and fundraising event.

"Every year they try to optimize their design," shared teacher Maurita Crew. "This year every student's bridge held over 100 pounds." The guidelines for the bridge include using a maximum of 750 toothpicks, measuring a minimum of 12 by 4 inches, and to have a 90-degree angle. They are also able to use the glue of their choice.

"It is quite the process, too. You have to design a blueprint, then make four spans, then you have to tape it in a wooden box and cross brace. It doesn't sound like much but it sure is hard," said fifth grader Akilah McKell.

When it is time for the competition, each student places their bridge under the "Tower of Power," the apparatus used to hold weight down on the bridges, and waits in anticipation as more weight is put down every three seconds. "The best part of the toothpick bridge contest was breaking the bridge and it was very exciting," said Steve McFarland.

Builder Serena Overbeck shared, "It's really exciting when the bridges hold 200 or more pounds because it's not that common."

The winner was third-year competitor Shannon McFarland. "When mine held the most, I was kind of in shock," McFarland said. "I went up to get my bridge out of the breaker and then all the kids started mobbing me. I had a great time." Her bridge held 275 pounds, which is the new record for the class using that design.

Crew said that this particular design is built at its max, so next year's design will be different and possibly include an arch. "I optimized my prototype by placing my toothpicks more precisely and adding glue to my joints. I haven't modified my design but I probably will next year," said second-year builder Colby Evans.

Overbeck pointed out that "most of the time the failure point is on the sides where the bridge sits on the breaker, but when it breaks in the middle, that means it held all it could."

Students received pledges based on how much weight their bridge would hold, usually 10 to 25 cents per pound or a flat donation. The funds raised go to science projects and field-trips. Crew said that their next field trip is one to Coeur D'alene to watch eagles, in collaboration with their lesson on predatory birds.

The theme for the dinner this year was "building blocks", said Crew. Blocks were placed on every table as well as the donation table.

This year's winners were Shannon McFarland in first place, Colby Evans in second place and Seth Overbeck in third place. Also this year's first time builder was third grader Hadley Evans who shared that it was fun and she liked watching the bridges go down. Her bridge held 105 pounds. "It was nice because everybody got over 100 pounds," shared Colby Evans.

The following is a list of the students, the name of their bridge and how much weight the bridge held: Amy Ficklin, Moonlight, 125 pounds; Steven McFarland, Flaming Black Hole, 165; Hadley Evans, Rose, 105; Akilah McKell, Cow, 165; Seth Overbeck, Eleven, 195; Colby Evans, Whinifer, 235; Shannon McFarland, Robin, 275.