This week at Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Nashville, flags flew half-mast in remembrance of Senator Douglas Henry, the longest-serving member of the Tennessee General Assembly. Known for his elegant seersucker ensemble and his eloquent Southern accent, Senator Henry will be remembered for his half-century of public service, marked by uncommon courtesy and bipartisan collaboration. His legacy includes a building named in his honor at the Nashville campus of Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

Here’s what happened this week in and around the building that bears Senator Henry’s name:

Our construction class moved outside to install shingles and siding on the school’s utility shed. In the next couple weeks, we’ll hang barn doors carved with the school logo, which we built in the fall under leadership of our resident carpenter. So stay tuned. We are really proud of them.

Speaking of proud, look at those crisply cut and perfectly level fiber-cement shingles.

Whatever is the opposite of a bucket list, balancing between two ladders is on mine. Not gonna do it.

When it comes to break time, there aren’t many seating choices on the job site. It was either golf cart or forklift, and we’re pretty sure we’re not licensed for the latter.

In my ongoing quest to build fluency with power tools, I made yet another egg holder. This time I used table saw, miter saw, drill press and palm sander, plus a generous amount of sandpaper and elbow grease. I’ve got so many egg holders now that I’m going to need more chickens.

After a gritty week of Building Construction Technology, I treated myself to a $2 haircut courtesy of the cosmetology students next door to our classroom–yet another reminder of the educational opportunities available inside the Douglas Henry Building.