During a first lunch hour, students in Mr. Kenny Lannes’ engineering class tested their popsicle bridges in Alumnae Hall. Mr. Lannes said it was a way for other students to watch how the class used basic physics to build their bridges.

Using glue and Popsicle sticks, the class applied their knowledge of shear loads and bending moments of bridges. Teams experimented with shapes to determine which ones were the strongest structurally, and they collaborated on design and construction. The weight-bearing test was the final test of their completed bridges. They started with a 500-gram weight and ended with 30 pounds of weight.

Dominican is the first Catholic high school in the New Orleans area to have dual enrollment for Introduction to Engineering in the Louisiana University System via University of New Orleans (UNO). The course work addresses civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering, plus naval architecture. Students completing the course will receive three credit hours that are fully transferable to any accredited university.

PHOTO GALLERY