SCD partners with engineering students for new sign at Bob Jones
A new sign at Bob Jones High School resulted from partnership among engineering students and a Madison business.
Engineering students and Southern Construction & Design collaborated on the design.
Southern Construction & Design Inc. (SCD) has partnered with Bob Jones’ Engineering For Tomorrow Academy several years on projects like the Moon Buggy Race and Huntsville Botanical Garden treehouses. “SCD served on the Career Tech Advisory Committee three years,” SCD president John Allen said.
“We believe in the partnership of the business community with the education community to provide real-world, hands-on experiences to those students interested in how things work outside of an educational environment,” Allen said.
In 2011, SCD hosted student Kevin Kendrick as an intern. Bob Jones’ new marquee sign “was the perfect opportunity to provide construction experience for Kevin,” Allen said.
Kendrick supervised, designed, estimated, evaluated materials and constructed the sign. He matched existing architecture with brick and split-face blocks and used limestone and column caps. “Kevin chose a design fitting for future generations and large enough to be visible,” Allen said.
Kendrick also worked with the city’s engineering, planning and building inspection departments.
In 2010, Jeremy Raper taught his first engineering internship class, dubbed “The Magnificent Seven,” who considered seven ideas to design a sign. Raper’s class studied outside for drivers’ perspective of the sign. They applied “engineering design process” covered in Raper’s classes. Matthew Stewart completed the original design. “The current sign isn’t the same, but that’s the case with any project,” Raper said.
The new sign will have wireless control for LED flood lighting. Bob Jones Principal Robby Parker anticipates turning on red lights to signify a Patriot victory after a game. “Be sure to watch for the lights when you’re going down Hughes Road,” Parker said.
“The engineering students, especially Kevin Kendrick, did a tremendous job,” Parker said. “We couldn’t be more proud of the sign.”
The former digital sign quit working. “A new one would have cost more than $30,000,” Parker said.
Bob Jones Class of 2006 and engineering students donated for the sign to honor the Class of 2012. “It’s traditional for each graduating class to contribute for a campus project. The board didn’t pay a nickel,” Parker said.
“We couldn’t have done it without John Allen and are indebted to him,” Parker said.
