By Kim Westrick and Brandon Schroeder
Business Manager and Staff Writer
Senior Jess Phillips listens to instructions from one of the event’s volunteers.
Students from several schools powered backhoes, witnessed explosions, poured concrete and ate hotdogs as they experienced hands-on labor at the second annual Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs on April 8 at the Coeur d’ Alene Fair Grounds. Students also tried welding, putting up drywall, hammering, and tying fences.
“The main purpose of the Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs is giving students first-hand experience with the work force,” said Counselor Joey James. “It is also to give students exposure to the construction industry.”
Students learned to operate the machines and play games with them; they used the backhoe to pick up a cone and put it on top of another cone during the first hour. Next students spoke with construction workers and colleges about the construction career pathway. True to the event’s name, for lunch they devoured hotdogs, chips and Grandma’s cookies.
Machinery ranged from backhoes to bobcats. The construction workers were volunteers who demonstrated to students the dangers of power lines by placing objects like boots and kites too close to power lines. Showers of sparks rained from the high voltage wires.
Students from Timberlake High School and Jr. High, Lakeland High School and Jr. High, Mountain View, and Coeur d’ Alene Schools attended the two-day event.
Timberlake High students Jennifer Swann, junior; Sara DeHart, sophomore and Brennen Noury, sophomore each liked different parts of the day best.
Swann said, “I got to learn how to tie fence wiring; that was my favorite part ‘cause I never knew how to do it, and it looked really hard, and once I got to try it, it was really easy. Now I’d like to build fences as a side job.”
Although Swann enjoyed the event, she still plans to be a veterinarian or a nurse.
DeHart could not pick just one favorite event from the day. “I had two (favorites),” she said, “The first was riding on the machines and learning how to operate them. I rode on a backhoe and a bobcat.”
Although an instructor gave students directions, the students operated the machinery by themselves.
“Doing concrete was my other favorite,” DeHart said. “It was just really fun because I’d never done it before, and they said I was really good at it. It was just really fun to learn about it. So far I want to go into construction and lay concrete.”
Even though she wants a job in a traditionally male profession, she doesn’t have any concerns.
“One of the people there said their boss was a female. If she could do it, then I could probably do it, too,” said DeHart.
Noury’s favorite part included high-voltage flashes. “They had a demo that showed what would happen if you stepped out of your car if you crashed into a light pole or tried to fly your kite in the rain,” he said. “They have a kite where you could see the string of lightning 30 feet long. It was so cool. It taught you what not to do if you got in a car accident.”
Noury thinks he would enjoy being an electrician because he knows how to do it, adding “I maybe want to be an electrician because you get paid a lot.”
DeHart, Swann, and Noury all felt the event was beneficial.
DeHart said, “It teaches you what you can do with construction. It’s better than sitting in a classroom because you get to go out and experience it.”
Noury said he enjoyed learning what it’s like to work and seeing what he could do with his life. “I drove pretty much everything. If you can touch it or feel it, you can learn it quicker.”
Swann said, “For people who don’t know anything about a profession, you can go out and see what people do.”
However there were some things that Swann didn’t enjoy as much as the rest.
“I didn’t like driving the machinery because it’s hard for me to listen and do something at the same time. I have to be taught how to do it and then go and do it. Plus I knew it was a huge piece of machinery that I was scared of,” she said.
James felt student attendance helped make the day successful.
“A lot of students went to the Hardhats, Hammers and Hotdogs,” he said. “We had 100 students go from our district. I bet there were 1,000 students or more that went between the two days.”
“I think it was very successful. The students that went were more hands-on workers, so this was a good way for them to practice their skills.”
