“They really turned up their creativity.” Houston High hosts 2nd annual Gingerbread Build-Off

As students and faculty get ready for winter break, the warming scent of gingerbread was wafting through the halls and the Commons in Houston High School as wonderful gingerbread creations are once again on display for the 2nd annual Great Gingerbread Build-off.

Sponsored by the Mat-Su Homebuilders Association (MSHBA) non-profit division, Houston High School (HHS) students from the Culinary Arts, Construction and Design pathways came together to create, design, and construct an original creation made out of gingerbread. And this year, the students have turned up the creativity.

“We can’t really call them gingerbread houses, since the students really turned up their creativity,” said Heather Fortune, the Culinary Arts teacher for Houston. Indeed, there are designs of all kinds, including the Empire State Building, the Wasilla Clock Tower, the Christmas Machine (think the Mystery Machine, a la Scooby Doo), and an Ark.

“I told the students to think outside the box. It doesn’t just have to be a house, and I think they clung onto that. I’m pretty impressed with the craziness they created,” said Culinary Arts teacher Hannah Ford.

With the online ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ tallied, the Empire State Building pulled out the win, followed closely by the team that designed the Ark and a home complete with a lighted path to guide the car’s path home.

This year’s winners are Ashley Munn, Winter McClure, Raphael Parker, and Xavier Clayton.

“I wanted something that would pop out and the height of this would catch people’s eyes,” said sophomore Ashley Munn, who created the gingerbread Empire State Building. Munn says it was challenging to build her creation and after some trial and error, figured out the best method: “Having to figure out the perfect bread that wasn’t too hard or too soft, then having to put the different levels together, let them dry, it was harder than I thought.” She estimates that she easily spent 40 hours on her project, spending several days after school to complete her creation.

Of course, there are plenty of houses and cabins the student teams submitted, including one with meticulously painting mini marshmallows.

“There are people inside, a functioning door that works off of a toothpick, and Christmas lights left up all year,” says Ty Dominic, who had a story to go along with his cabin. “I painted the marshmallows because I wanted them to have the different colors like a log cabin out in the woods that’s been forgotten about for a few years, and someone bought the land and found it.” He entered not one, but two creations for fun, saying that while he has studied Culinary Arts for three years and Construction and Design for four, the third-year welding student plans to pursue welding after he graduates next year.

“I’m blown away by what these kids have done,” said HHS Principal Chad Martin, who complimented teachers Ford and Fortune for their work in the Culinary Arts and helping the students. “They’re amazing.”

“We love that it wasn’t just houses this year. The creative juices were flowing and I’m excited to see what they’ve done. It looks like there’s more excitement in what they’ve done,” said Sarah Lazzarotto, Executive Director for MSHBA.

Principal Martin hopes that the Build-off continues to grow, saying that the gingerbread excitement isn’t contained to within the school as a Title I event was built around the contest. HHS hosted a Gingerbread Gala, complete with S’mores, hot chocolate, cookie decorating, and a campfire.