HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL) - The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way students compete in sports and other activities including construction.
Four Harris County High School students competed in the skillsUSA state competition. The students each competed in a different category. The categories included masonry, carpentry, plumbing and electrical work.
The competition is usually held in Atlanta, but this year because of the ongoing pandemic, students competed in a remote live setting. The setup involved numerous cameras to record and take pictures of the students working in addition to proctors.
Harris County High School's construction teacher, Jim Steel explained why the proctors are necessary.
"Basically the proctors are making sure we have the integrity of the contest," said Steel. "That I don’t talk to them, nobody else talks to them, they're focused on the competition, just like it was live in Atlanta.”
The competition usually takes six hours, but this year the competitors received reduced plans and only three hours to complete them. Grace Senette, a junior who competed in masonry, said even with a shortened competition time completing her plan took a lot more work than one would think.
“It was difficult like you don’t think about how laborious it is, by like just looking at it you’re like oh that didn't take that long, you didn’t think that would be hard," said Senette. "But it wears down on your back and your legs, you feel it after the first couple bricks."
The competition took place between two days, March 11 and March 12.
Steel expressed how proud he is of his four students competing in this years state competition.
"I get so excited to see them taking what they’ve learned, what they practiced," said Steel. "And they can show it off and it’s a memory they’ll have forever.”
Once the students were done competing the videos, photos and the proctors critiques are given over to the judges, but because of the competition being virtual remote, the results won't be in until sometime next week.
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