In a series of challenging but fun competitions, ranging from building a tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti straws to the annual egg drop event, the engineering students at Vanderbilt University will display their ingenuity and inventiveness to celebrate National Engineers Week February 20-25. In addition to showcasing the engineering field, the competitions and activities are designed to interest students in engineering and science. All events are open to the public. Activities include:
Hollywood Square Roots: Hollywood Squares with engineering faculty as squares. Student engineering societies will select one representative to compete on teams. Noon–1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20, Adams Atrium, Featheringill Hall at 24th Avenue South and Commodore Place.
Egg Drop Competition: Vanderbilt engineering students will have only one hour to transform an unassembled FedEx box and some odds and ends into a clever container that will safely cushion its cargo egg from a three-story high drop. Noon–2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21, Adams Atrium, Featheringill Hall.
Tower Competition: Students will design and build towers using marshmallows and spaghetti straws. Noon–1p.m., Wednesday, Feb.22, Adams Atrium, Featheringill Hall.
Fastest Geek Competition: Engineering students race to assemble a computer, with the winner receiving a free Dell computer and the runner-up to receive a PDA. 11a.m.–4 p.m.,Thursday, Feb. 23; Finals 12:30–1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb.24, Adams Atrium, Featheringill Hall.
Potato Gun Competition: Students will build potato guns out of supplied parts and will compete with regulation-cut spuds to see whose potato gun can propel potatoes farthest and most accurately. Noon–3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, at parking lot 74 located between Natchez Place and Vanderbilt Place
For a complete E Week schedule, go to http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ecouncil/. National Engineers Week was first established in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. It is traditionally held the week of Presidents Day, because George Washington was a military engineer and a land surveyor.
Featheringill Hall is behind the Free Electron Laser Center at 24th Avenue South and Commodore Place. For map: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/map.cgi?mode=1&bldg=jacobs.html
Map of parking lot 74:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/map.cgi?mode=4&zoom=4&panx=0&pany=0&bldg=sturec.html
Media contacts: Vivian F. Cooper, (615) 322-2762
>vivian.f.cooper@vanderbilt.edu
David F. Salisbury, (615) 343-6803
>david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu