6th Annual Egg Drop Competition a Success

Engineering assignment becomes spectator sport

(Photo by Heidi Ramirez)

Roughly 40 spectators from all departments and majors on campus stood outside the Science Complex on Thursday to watch the 6^th annual Egg Drop Contest. The contestants were primarily students enrolled in the Introduction to Engineering course, taught by Hyun Kwon, chair of the Department of Engineering & Computer Science. The project required students to create a vehicle that would carry an egg safely from the top of the building to floor below. Contestants were judged on design, creativity and construction.

“Successful projects maximize the drag and the protection,” says Kwon. “Most egg drops incorporate plastic bags and cups or use a balloon. I discourage students from taking that approach. I want them to be more creative in the design of the project. Some students utilize wings and things of that nature.”

Brandon Injety, senior mechanical engineering major, was a contest judge.

“Although the concept of an egg drop competition is really simple, it brings the department together,” he says. “It’s a really fun way to experience engineering with a broad spectrum of age groups represented, breaking the ice between students in the department with the added bonus of relieving some of the tension of a typical college student’s—or professor’s—day.”

Contest entries featured designs including water, flour, cardboard, wings and even spinning portions.

“I based my design off of Leonardo Da Vinci’s helicopter model,” says Trinity Geary, junior engineering major. “I really liked doing this project and wanted mine to be really artsy.”

Although required as part of the course, students had fun completing the assignment.

“I enjoyed the project and I definitely feel like it was an interesting challenge to test our engineering skills,” says Isaac Smith, sophomore engineering major. “I was surprised at how well we all did, there were only a few instances where eggs even broke. I felt it was a great experience and brought us all closer as a department.”

At the end of the event, Geary, Bailey and M’saydez Campbell, received certificates as winners of the competition.

Karen Johnson, administrative assistant for the Department of Mathematics and adjunct professor of English, said, “Although this was my first time watching the egg drop, I had a really great time. I got a much-needed break from my day and this was a fun way to do it.”