Can-do ideas pack school’s hunger drive

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By Mary Louise Speer | Tuesday, November 7, 2006 1:13 AM CST | () comments

Kevin E. Schmidt/QUAD-CITY TIMES Rivermont Collegiate freshman Honda Wang puts cans in place as he helps build a “Canbook” computer sculpture Monday morning at Becherer Hall. Several student clubs at the school built sculptures in conjunction with the Student Hunger Drive that concludes this week.

Initially, sophomore Shravan Chintalapani’s entry into the first Rivermont Collegiate Can Sculpture Competition seemed too simple. He set a single can of corn on a stand while student groups built more elaborate structures involving dozens of cans in the school’s Central Hall.

But it was the message Chintalapani placed next to the corn that made his display resonate: “Fighting hunger one can at a time,” it read.

Those words also spelled out Rivermont Collegiate’s focus for this year’s participation in the 2006 Student Hunger Drive, he said. In past years, some students lugged in large quantities of food as a one-time donation. This year, classes have been encouraged to bring in a few cans at a time to keep the spirit growing, he explained.

Rivermont is an independent, nonsectarian school in Bettendorf. The drive against Quad-City region hunger, which began Oct. 2, ends Thursday.

The can challenge was inspired by a design-and-build construction competition in New York City, said teacher and student council adviser Monica Weeks.

Entries in Rivermont’s competition had to be made of nonperishable food, which will be donated to the hunger drive, she said. Judges rated the entries and awarded prizes for first, second and third places.

The construction turned out to be a learn-as-you-build experience, Weeks said.

“Some of the designs changed and we weren’t sure how much time to allow for construction,” she added.

The computer club and its adviser spent most of Monday morning trying to finish up the Can Book computer entry that was framed with canned vegetables and a keyboard fashioned from boxes of jello.

The student council exercised its patriotic side with red, white and blue soup cans.

“We liked the idea of the American flag because you could use the different colors to make it look really cool,” sophomore Angie Bahls said.

Weeks, who hopes to hold a contest again next year, said the can sculptures will stay on display until Thursday. “We’ll load them up and bid them a fond adieu,” she said.

Contact the city desk at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.

Raw Video: Rivermont Cans