DANFORTH, Maine — For almost 20 years, the Oak Tag Rally has been a tradition at East Grand School.
Science teacher Andy Latvis made the rally one of the most anticipated events of the school year. The event centers around oaktag cars, which the students design and then build out of cardstock.
Racing their paper cars down a wooden track, generations of East Grand students have learned the basics of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Along the way, students learn to take a design from concept to reality, explore mathematical ideas such as surface area and statistics, and most importantly to the students, they find out who has the fastest car.
After Latvis’ untimely death last year, students were adamant that the rally remain a part of their school year. Several students vowed to construct cars with or without an official competition. Middle and high school faculty members incorporated oak tag racing into their coursework, keeping the Rally alive.
The 2015 rally boasted five divisions based on students’ grade levels, and an Open Division for faculty and upperclass students. Cars competed for fastest time and longest distance before going head to head in a tournament.
A car show capped off the event, where students could showcase their design and decorating skills. All students and staff were invited to view the cars and vote for their favorites in each division. There was a special Antique Section as a tribute to Latvis. He built a car every year, partly to model the project for his students, but mostly because it was something he loved to do. This year, each division featured an overall champion, with separate honors for the winners of the car show. Winners’ names are added to the “Latvis Cup.” Isaac Crone took home both the overall honors and Best in Show for the sixth-grade division. In the seventh-grade, Nathanial Farr was the overall champion, with Benji Gilman receiving Best in Show honors. Noah Sixberry took both categories in the eighth-grade division.
In the ninth-grade, Sydney Cowger captured both titles. Thomas Gilman took top honors in the 10th grade, while Aaron Sixberry’s car was voted Best in Show.
The highly competitive Open Division pitted faculty members against veteran student car designers. Peter Apgar, a junior, took the overall title, while math teacher Jennifer Gilman walked away with Best in Show.
Latvis believed learning through experience was the most effective way to teaching scientific concepts, and the Oaktag Rally continues to be a shining example of his vision.
