IU East, Richmond High School class form partnership to construct 'Hollywood Squares' game set
Life was full of X's and O's recently for members of a Richmond High School class, who gained hands-on construction experience by replicating a Hollywood Squares set for an event at Indiana University East.
Brad Walton's building construction class partnered with the campus to help build the well-known television game show set for its annual Guidance Counselors' Breakfast, held Nov. 3.
The Guidance Counselors' Breakfast is an event for high school guidance counselors from Indiana and Ohio where IU East provides information about its academic programs, admissions information and scholarships for the counselors to distribute to qualified students from their high schools. Each year, the university bases an information session on a game show. The Hollywood Squares was popular in 1971, the year IU East was established by the IU Board of Trustees. IU East is celebrating its 40th anniversary this fall.
IU East approached Walton to ask if his class would build the set. In two weeks' time, his class of 21 students constructed the set replica in Vivian Auditorium.
"IU East partners with Richmond High School in a number of ways, and the construction of this large and complex set, in a short amount of time, confirms the dedication and talent of RHS faculty and students," Assistant Director of Admissions Angela Schultz said. "We loved having them on campus!"
Walton said the partnership provided his students with the opportunity to build a residential structure on a small scale, to learn framing and wiring, and to work together as a team. The students were divided into five crews, each led by a foreman.
"When you make a commitment like this, it's all in. It's been a great partnership. IU East has been really great to work with," Walton said.
Junior RHS student Mitch Wesler, who served as foreman for a crew, said his classmates enjoyed being on a college campus to work.
"It's been neat doing a project that gives you professional experience instead of just being in the classroom," Wesler said.
