Quartz Hill High School is known for outstanding clubs and teams. Accordingly, it has a reputation to uphold. The LAGI Team has done more than meet the expectations; it has surpassed it by great strides by winning the first place title at the 1st L.A.G.I. Competition.

   LAGI stands for the “Land, Art, Generator, Initiative.” It is an international competition that requires its participants to incorporate art and design into a functional structure built for a specific site. This year was the first in which the competition was available to the public. Students from high schools all around the globe participate in this event, and the students at Quartz Hill definitely brought out their A-Game.

   The LAGI Team’s site was located in California, at the Santa Monica Pier. They created a piece called the “Octopus Garden.” This structure would act as a facility to house 11 indigenous species of the Santa Monica area and contained energy-saving components like windmills and solar panels. The Octopus Garden, as its name suggests, is designed to look like a two-spotted octopus.

   Mrs. Dhillon, head of the LAGI Team, stated: “The students competed in an international competition and submitted designs for structures. These structures were built for a designated space. They were judged by a panel of judges.”

   The final step of building their structure was to have their piece be judged by architects and engineers. This allows the structure to be reviewed from different perspectives.

   “Some challenges we faced was keeping up and learning about new technology. There is so much,” Dhillon stated.

   Once they had finished their projects, new ideas and technology kept arising, leading them to constantly change their work.

   “I think they did awesome. They dove right in– it came naturally,” Dhillon said referring to her students.

   The students of the LAGI Team delivered an excellent piece of art, deserving of a first place title. This was the first year that the competition was open to the public, and it allowed Quartz Hill High School to take a shot at the first place prize. The team won a total of $3,000 as a result of their hard work.

   Once again, the students of Quartz Hill High School never ceased to amaze others with their talent. The LAGI Team demonstrated their ability to think critically and artistically to create an innovative design.