A gymnasium full of school students cheer as a train races along a bridge before it collapses, much like the famous scene in the 1957 movie The Bridge on the River Kwai.
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It may have not been on the grand disastrous scale as the movie, but the bridge crossings at Girton Grammar School on Friday, August 18 still carried its own share of awe and wonder.
About 200 Year 10 students took part in a Science and Engineering Challenge event which required some lateral and analytical thinking to overcome some unusual problem solving situations.
Gliders, towers and bridges
Among the tasks imposed on the students was building a Helter Skelter Tower, in which they had to design a tower that could withstand earthquakes.
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Then there was trying to find a way to send secret codes over optical fibres and building a glider and being assessed on distance and accuracy.
But the highlight of the day was the bridge building exercise in which students using the most basic of materials - think balsa wood, cardboard, styrofoam, string, masking tape - create a bridge able to bear the load of a small train.
After each successful ride across the bridge, more weight is gradually added until the bridge collapses.
Catherine McAuley College (CMC) students Caleb Tobin and Jay Thakar spent three hours building their bridge which survived several train crossings to the increasing roar of the crowd before finally collapsing under the weight of ingots totalling 4.6kg.
As well as CMC and Girton, other schools to take part in the challenge were Bendigo South East College, Weeroona College, Creek Street Christian College and Braemar College (Woodend).
The day was organised by the University of Newcastle in conjunction with Bendigo South Rotary Club.
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Science and Engineering Challenge team leader Peter Newman, from the University of Newcastle, said the day was aimed at getting the students to think hard about their future careers.
Future careers in focus
"There was lots of enthusiasm," Mr Newman said.
"You see the kids walk in with a lot of trepidation and they walk out with a massive confidence boost."
Mr Newman said he hoped the day was able to put a few students on a path towards a career in science and engineering.
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