TSA (Technology Students Association) at OHS participated in state competition on April 16-17 in Joplin, MO. Multiple students placed high in their events — and some even placed first.

OHS students competed in  CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) Architecture, Architectural Design, On-Demand Video, and Photographic Technology. The team of Garrett Summerfield (12), Ryan Jokuti (11), and Logan Wyas (11) placed first in Coding. Other first-place winners included Clayton Brown (11) in CAD Architecture; in On-Demand Video, the team of Summerfield, Alex Schumacher (9), Kevin Nguyen (11), and Laureen Caliman (11); and in photographic technology, Katelyn Hopkins (12).

“Placing first in the state is a huge undertaking,” Summerfield said, “as there is so much competition between the other schools that are competing with a lot more firepower and funding.”

The rest of the winners include Sam Gindler (11), a top five state qualifier in CAD Architecture. In Architectural design, the team of Kiley Hurford (12), Gindler, and Kevin Wich (12) also earned a top five state qualifier.

“The significance of these events is absolutely something to strive for.” Summerfield said.

Students who qualified for nationals will be preparing this summer in Washington, DC from June 28-July 2. Summerfield, Hopkins, Caliman, Jokuti, Wyas, Schumacher, and Brown will be attending the national competition.

“I know that our students have grown academically since last year and I am very hopeful that they will perform well at Nationals,” said Dr. James Kreyling, who runs TSA. “I know that they will do their best regardless of how they place there.”

Compared to the seven students participating this year, last year only two students qualified for nationals, Brown and Thomas Gleiforst.

“I feel great about the competition,” Gindler said. “Last year we came away with only two national qualifiers. This year we came away with I believe four national qualifiers and two state finalists. The group has evolved a lot.”

For On-Demand Video Caliman’s team was given a sheet that stated what they needed to film and submit in the 24 hours that they were given. This year, Missouri State TSA (a non-profit Career and Technical Student Organization, or CTSO, devoted to the development of students in technology education) asked the teams to create a horror or a thriller movie. This “movie” had to be a maximum of one minute and had to include the following; a watch, a necklace, a pencil, and the phrase “but my phone is at 6%”.

“Cad Architecture is an individual, onsite event in which contestants are given four hours to create a model house according to the prompt given to us.” Gindler said. The CAD Architecture contestants are given access to different kinds of programs like Revit (a building information modeling software for architects, engineers, and others that is used to create 3D models of buildings) and INventor (a professional-grade 3D software for product design and engineering that provides mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools) to create their model for the competition. The students are scored on their ability to follow the prompt given, include all of the requirements, and their individuality/creativity.

In Architectural design the team of Hurford, Gindler, and Wich were given a prompt to also make a model house on multiple unique programs, as well as making a physical model of their house. The prompt for this year was to make a disaster relief tiny house. A disaster relief house is a home made specifically for people who live in locations that are common to have natural disasters like tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.