Bundy North dazzles with hot shoe shuffle

By Kallee Buchanan

A STORY about how shoes can define people has seen Bundaberg North State High School take out second place in the state titles of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge, and bring home a swag of other awards.

In one of their most successful years yet, director Robyn Kent said the students were ecstatic with their success in Brisbane.

"The rewards the kids get on those sorts of days are just invaluable," she said.

Coming second to all boys' school St Mary's College of Toowoomba, Ms Kent said the students narrowly missed out taking the top honour, but were rewarded in other ways.

"It was very closely contested - we were the best state high school," she said.

Ms Kent said the theme of the production was a light-hearted look at how shoes shape who people are, and it took seven months to bring it to fruition.

"We have the students involved right from the planning stage," she said.

Along with second place, the school also took home awards of excellence for lighting design, set design and function, stage use and initiative, and were voted most entertaining, and one special award.

"We won a very important award, the Gemma Dale Award of Excellence," Ms Kent said. The award recognises the school that embodies the spirit of the challenge, and it is also known as the "friendliest school award."

Year 12 student Mitchell Pohlmann said this was the one of the best rock eisteddfods he participated in.

"It's up there because it's the last year and you just want to make it so much better," he said.

He said it was a big achievement for any Bundaberg school to do so well, and he encouraged other students to give it a try.

"You've got to get out there and have fun, it's really good life experience," he said. School Captain Caitlyn Dexter, who played a lawn bowler, said the younger students were very excited by the school's result, but as she was finishing school this year it was her last rock eisteddfod.

"It's actually pretty sad to think of it as the last one - I'll definitely be back in two years to see what they do for the next one," she said.

She said the production was a whole school community event, with parents painting sets and the school's janitor building them, and she thanked the teachers for their input as well.