‘We doing it in style, baby!’: Highschool holds soap box derby

By Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — When you’re in high school, life is all about getting a cool set of wheels. Well, the wheels out at East Hickman High Thursday were certainly catching attention. It’s the start of what may be a new homecoming tradition.

“Anthony, what is this you’re wearing?” I asked student Anthony Carillo.

He looked as though he’d been wrapped in aluminum foil.

“I’m not really too sure. Going for a futuristic look.”

Sometimes you just have to sacrifice comfort for style. Something was happening for homecoming, and Anthony was here to win it.

“Looks sharp!” he said, sitting in something created from bike wheels and sheet metal. “The Cyber Truck! It’s what we’re working with. It’s got a lot of speed. We did a lot of sheet metal work.”

What was happening was the idea of Coach Todd Collins.

“This is called the Eagle One Soapbox Derby race!” he said.

Any group, sports team, or organization at the school could take part. These were the rules.

“Use anything,” Collins explained. “They had to be seven inches off the ground, couldn’t weigh more than 175 pounds, had to have a working brake. There was a hundred dollar entry fee. Businesses had to pay it. Kids had to go out, do a presentation. Find a sponsor. Cross country looks like they took a water trough and put wheels to it. That’s engineering at its best.”

From the entry fees collected from local businesses, a winner will be picked. It’ll be determined by speed, presentation judged by a panel and a class vote.

“I know you’re burning up right now,” a student told Anthony, still sitting in the silver outfit.

“Pretty hot,” he answered. “I can say it’s pretty hot in these. It is not comfortable, but we look good doing it.”

One by one, the vehicles went up the hill at the school and came flying back down.

For Coach Collins, this was a lesson in engineering and teamwork. It did something else. When a cardboard vehicle looking like Ecto 1 from Ghostbusters had a little trouble, the day became a chance for a school to lend a little encouragement. They chanted and cheered as Ecto 1 crossed the finish line. This was making Homecoming Memories.

“Hey. Next year. Bigger and better!” Collins said.

Anthony and the HVAC class were up.

“We have a team,” he said. “The whole team is dressed up as robots or aliens today. We did pretty good for a week and a half, I’d say.”

“We ain’t goin fast, but we doin it in style, baby,” Anthony said as the vehicle glided in front of the school. “It’s all about the style, man.”

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