Students from ACS team supporting their glider (Photo credit: Lucia Escalera)
The engineering and computer science program held their first ever Glider Competition in the Events Building lobby on April 21.
During the Student Government Association sponsored event, students from Wright College’s engineering and computer science program were tasked with building a glider. Teams were organized as a STEM organization, such as the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), or the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The necessary materials were provided to students, and students were given an hour to work in their respective teams to construct a glider that could fly.
Before students began construction, each team had discussions as to how their glider would be designed, from the number of flaps to the length of the tail. Once basic construction was completed, students would intermittently test their gliders to see if the glider needed more or less support. Although each team had their own process of glider production, building off ideas from each team member was a necessary step.
Participants had three categories to earn points: best design, longest glide, and team spirit. Vivian Nguyen, a student in the engineering program majoring in chemical engineering, was the emcee for the event. When inquired as to why team spirit was a category for points, she explained that it was to bring people together. “This event is to help students in the engineering and computer science program to build a community … talk to people from other organizations,” she said. “Even if one team’s glider doesn’t fly a lot, having fellow teammates cheer you on helps a lot.” Being the first event of its kind, Nguyen hopes this will attract more students to join the next possible event.
Students test their gliders (Photo credit: Lucia Escalera)
Many students found building a glider to be a challenge. For Alondra Gonzalez, a student in the computer science program and on team SWE, being able to work with her team was an essential part in ensuring her team’s glider would function. “For me, the most difficult part was making sure it would fly. We already had another plane as a base so changing the small details was hard,” Gonzalez explained. “Bouncing off ideas from each other made the process easier rather than figuring it out by myself.” Gonzalez’s team decorated their glider with the SWE symbol and bold colors.
With the first-ever glider competition wrapped up, many students are looking forward to another event. Jasmine Patel, the student supervisor of the event, expressed how happy she was to see students collaborating and helping when other teams needed assistance. “Students worked with each other to make sure everyone had a shot,” she said. “If someone from another team needed help, somebody would give a hand. This event was successful because students made this competition fun.”
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