Building Trades lays the foundation for competition.

Calvin Fry, Building Trades instructor, has issued the blueprints of the Habitat for Humanity Home to all of his students, and the students are not wasting a single second in order to be finished by Skills USA spring competition, which judges students’ ability to give back to their community.

Students work recently on leveling the foundation of the Habitat House.

“We should be substantially finished with the Home when Skills USA comes around,” said Stephen Rhodes, Career and Technology director. “As far as state competition, I would say that we will be working on cabinetry inside the house at that time.”

The students have remained dedicated to their goals with building the Habitat for Humanity even though there have been minor delays.

“Dealing with the weather slows us down and soon we will be slowed down by the electrical and plumbing,” Fry said. “The students are having a great time. We are having fun doing this project and everybody seems to love it.”

The members of Building Trades have fully committed themselves to all aspects of the project, as well as their teacher.

“My job is to do what Mr. Fry tells me to do, and what he tells me to do, I do,” senior Michael Spikes said. “If he tells me to pick up trash or nail boards, I do so.”

Building Trades is not the only organization that is giving back to its community. Kristi McDaniel, Family Consumer Science instructor, has provided her apparel class an opportunity to contribute as well.

“The project is a wonderful way for the students to give back to their community,” McDaniel said. “We plan on making curtains that are very neutral and can go with a lot of various decorations.”

Superintendent Roy Knight visited Lufkin High School this past week to encourage the Building Trades members to continue with their hard work on the Home. He reminded each student that this project will benefit not only the family receiving the Home, but the community as a whole.

“This project provides students with the availability to give back to their community unselfishly,” Knight said. “And the work the organization puts forth will strengthen the perspective in the community.”

Smashing fingers, climbing ladders, and pouring sweat in the heat of the day. These are the conditions every Building Trades student has to face in order to construct a proper home for humanity–that is, a Habitat for Humanity.

Over the past few weeks, the Building Trades classes have been striving to obtain and put to use all the knowledge that Calvin Fry, the Building Trades instructor, has for them.

The preparations project for the Habitat for Humanity home began at the start of the school year and has come along quite smoothly with just a few minor bumps and bruises along the way.

“We have been practicing measuring, cutting, plan reading, studying safety, and material estimating,” Fry said. “We are probably going to sell the storage building and put the money toward our building funds.”

The Habitat for Humanity Board held a meeting Sept. 29 in the drafting room to choose one of four students’ housing plans. Each house had to meet all the requirements of a suitable house. According to drafting teacher Robert Foley, the final decision was not easy.

“The board had eliminated three of the houses,” Foley said. “They had to get real picky about where a door was located.”

Clark Thannisch, the finalist for this year’s Habitat for Humanity home, plans to use his accomplishment to help him in college.

“I felt great when I got picked because I am going to Cockrell School of Engineering,” Thannisch said. “This is good basic knowledge before I go to Austin so I can be ahead of some of my classmates.”

The Habitat for Humanity Board will be covering all the finances necessary to build the home, and LISD organizations will be taking trips out to the site in order to contribute to the community project.

“If the student body pulls together as it appears they will, the Habitat home will get built and financed faster than most,” Foley said. “Also, each student will receive a chance to have community service, which will help them go further in college.”

The project has grabbed the attention of the state and national Skills USA organization, according to Brian Crews, Skills USA adviser.

“Students will document the project from start to finish,” Crews said, “and at completion of project, it will be presented to a panel of judges as a community service contest project for Skills USA.”

Building Trades students are prepared and ready to work on the Habitat for Humanity home. Junior Joel Walker plans to use the things he enjoys in a way that he can contribute to the citizens of his community.

“I hate having to sit inside all day, and with this class, I can do outdoor things and build,” Walker said. “I hope to be able to give a home to someone who doesn’t have a nice place to live.”