Last week, the Makerspace Innovation Suite in Building 4N at the College of Staten Island held a contest for students, sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Club. This contest was a bridge building competition where students got into groups of four and used teamwork to build their own designs.
Club President of the ASME club, Melanie Diaz, greeted the participants making sure to note that the bridge building contest was inclusive of all students here at CSI, not just those interested or studying Engineering at CSI.
The event was buzzing with excitement as many students gathered to try to compete and win, using trail-and-error to prefect their structures. The Strongest Bridge Design would take home a prize during the competition, but other winners would be named for Most Creative Design and Best Failure.
Once the students arrived and got into groups, they were able to map out their designs on paper at first and then digitally. Then, by using popsicle sticks and hot glue guns they were able to bring their ideas to life. piecing together their bridge designs.
Students were encouraged to use their own creativity and problem-solving skills to improve their bridges. But the main goal was the teamwork aspect of the event, with different students coming together for a common goal.
The groups were given an hour to finish their projects and to complete any final changes. However, because of the overwhelming turnout for the event the groups were not all able to finish on time, so the event will continue at a subsequent club meeting date where the winners will be announced.
If you cannot catch that event, be sure to visit the ASME Club during club hours for more opportunities and engagement.
