COPES CORNERS – Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton High School’s 2006 Furniture Design course could just as easily be called “Real Lessons for the Real World.” Experiencing real set backs, real advances, and real success, the real-world-tested quality of work this year’s class produced is at worst outstanding.

“I’m looking for kids that are hard working and really dedicated,” said G-MU technology teacher Eric Sturtz, the class’ instructor. “If you’re going to do something this unique and special, you have to stack the deck.”

Tuesday night marked the culmination of the class, with their end of the year exhibit in the school’s cafeteria that brought out a host of family, friends, classmates, and community members.

The class officially began in middle of this school year, but the participants took pre-requisite courses and began interviewing last year, with designs starting in the Fall. Sturtz decided to stack the deck with sophomores Derek Frank and Peter Schmidt, juniors Drew Hartman, Pat Mosomillo, and Peter Simon, and senior Neil Parshall. The six students (with a little help from their parents) all incurred their own expenses for their materials, developed and designed their own furniture concepts, put in countless hours outside of school and the allotted class time, and with each other’s help, met the deadline together.