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Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if a particular invention was never invented?

That’s exactly what three Bulls Gap Middle School students had to imagine.

Eighth-grader Hayden Good and seventh-graders Kyli Taylor and Nevaeh Thomas were encouraged to enter a contest with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education by their librarian, Kristen Riley. Academic Coach Brittney Rhoton helped guide them through their topic selections.

“I am really proud of these students,” Rhoton said, “They not only had to be creative, but they had to truly understand the STEM invention and how it impacted our world.”

The monthly competitions are open to middle school students all over the United States.

“I am thrilled that we have teachers such as Riley that encourage our students to broaden and stretch their minds in new ways,” Hawkins County Supervisor of Middle/High Schools Thomas Floyd said.

The Institute posed them with the question “what if.” The students were tasked with researching, then creating a movie poster demonstrating what the world would be like without a particular STEM discovery or invention of their choice. Good chose to research solar panels, while Taylor zeroed in on vulcanized rubber and Thomas focused on water filters.

Three winners were chosen from the sixth-to-eighth grade division. BGMS was represented well when all three were winners.

The students were awarded for their efforts by each receiving an iPad Mini, Apple Pencil and Sphero Bolt Robot.

“I am extremely proud of these students and the fine way they represented their school, our district, and their county,” Hawkins County Director of Schools Matt Hixson said. “I congratulate them on a superb job!”