By MELISSA WALKER

Staff Writer

Playing with food may be more productive than one previously thought.

The American Institute of Architecture Students and the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana are currently preparing for the "Canned Creations" competition, in which architecture students will construct creations made up of can goods.

Richard King, executive director of the food bank, said there are two main goals for this project.

"The first goal, although minor, is to get food," King said. "The really important goal is to raise the level of awareness about hunger, especially in Lincoln Parish."

Christal Beach, vice president of AIAS and a senior architecture major, said she hopes to accomplish these goals.

"The 'food-raiser' is a competition between the architecture department classes," Beach said. "It is a good cause combined with architectural design issues."

The event begins at 2 p.m. in the Student Center, Main Floor.

Students will have one hour to build their can creation, which cannot exceed a height of more than five feet.

Five architecture faculty members will judge the creations at 4 p.m. Awards for most cans collected and best design will be given.

Beach said she encourages non-architecture students to get involved.

"All cans brought by faculty or non-architecture students will be divided up evenly to the competing classes," Beach said. "We are hoping to get a lot of cans and help from students."

King said he also hopes these goals will be met with success.

"There isn't any reason it should not be a success," King said. "Success depends on the how much enthusiasm and passion the people involved have. The more involvement we have, the more successful it will be."

King said he thinks the competition element will add to the end result of the canned creations.

"Any time you get a bunch of kids competing against each other, you get more [turnout]," King said.

She would also like to see the "food-raiser" become a yearly philanthropy project for the AIAS.

"I would like to make it an annual event," Beach said. "AIAS wants to get more involved with the community."

Beach said AIAS has also been working to raise $2,000 for tsunami victims, because it only takes $2,000 to build a house for those afflicted.