Seahawk students and faculty showed off their inner creativity during the eighth annual Gingerbread Contest Dec. 16 from 2:15 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. The competitors assembled their houses in the cafeteria.

The houses were then transported into the lecture hall where they were judged Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 by faculty members.

Gingerbread houses were placed into categories based on their scenery, whether they were homemade gingerbread or graham crackers, and on their theme.

Some gingerbread house themes this year were portrayals of cinema classics including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the Polar Express, as well as the Notebook. Other teams chose to find inspiration from different landmarks around the country such as Nationals Park.

Many members from Human Education and Rights, Japanese Honor Society, and Muslim Student Association, decided to use the gingerbread contest as a way to bring attention to their particular club.

Some students felt the contest was a great time to bond with friends and take a load off of school work for the time being.

“My team members and I bonded with one another because we had to work with each other to construct the house,” senior Ashley Osborne said. “It took all of our efforts, not just one person.”

The event was coordinated by German teacher Cheryl Finley and sponsored by the German Honor Society as a way to bring German culture to fellow Seahawks.

“I initiated the competition eight years ago to bring a bit of the German culture to South Lakes,” Finley said. “I organize and plan as well as supervise the event.”

This year’s winners include:
Best Graham Cracker- Kinkakuji: The Golden Temple
Best Gingerbread- Cabin in the Woods
Most Thematic- Mosque
Best Multi-Dimensional- Bowser’s Castle
Most Whimsical- Winter Wonderland
Most Creative Disaster- Hulk Smash! No More Avengers
Best in Show- Willy Wonka’s Edible Factory
Faculty Award- Class of 2014 IB Candidates