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NEWS
| October 30, 2003
Sky
Papers
Fun and education combine in a
group’s 1st tower-building contest, organizers say.
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| The Shorthorn: Suzanne Countryman |
| Mechanical engineering junior William
Christin, left, and mechanical engineering graduate student
Alec Bouaphanh construct their first-place tower, measuring
75 1/4 inches tall, Wednesday in Woolf Hall. Student teams
worked with one sheet of computer paper, a roll of tape
and a pair of scissors to create the tallest free-standing
structure during the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’
impromptu design contest. |
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By Crystal
Apodaca
The Shorthorn staff
With three minutes left on the clock, pressure mounted as team members
scrambled to add finishing touches to paper towers. Some of the
structures stood high and sturdy while others wobbled as team members
glanced nervously at the judges who circled their creations.
Six teams competed Wednesday afternoon in the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers’ impromptu design contest in which engineering
students created paper towers in 20 minutes.
Teams had a brainstorming session in which they tried to choose
the best strategy to build the tallest tower that could stand for
at least 60 seconds. The supplies offered were one sheet of computer
paper, a roll of tape and a pair of scissors.
As the groups worked on their designs, contest sponsors walked around
the room to observe the students’ strategies. One team taped
the structure to the ceiling but was disqualified after a judge
pointed out the structure was not free standing.
The winning team found that the tape dispenser made a good base
for its tower, which measured 75 1/4 inches high.
Mechanical engineering junior William Christin said the project
makes students assess the importance of structure.
“In this case, it was all about a strong base,” Christin
said.
First-place winners had the society’s $25 membership fee waived,
second-place winners received a T-shirt and third-place winners
won an engineering paper pad. Mechanical engineering graduate student
Alec Bouaphanh, a member of the winning team, said he saw a flier
posted in Woolf Hall advertising the event.
“It was a good idea to come down here,” Bouaphanh said.
“I got a free membership to ASME and some nachos.”
This is the organization’s first year holding the contest.
“I think this is a good way to get people involved and show
a fun side to ASME,” said Chris Brosovic, the society’s
vice president and a mechanical engineering sophomore. This contest
required a team effort, he added.
Brosovic said the contest was fun and a good learning experience.
“It’s like giving a child a toy to play with that teaches
them at the same time,” he said.
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