UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 6, Page 7
October 6, 1994
Contest kindles creativity

     Referee Robert Allen, a.k.a. assistant professor of mechanical
engineering, is shown dropping the opening Ping-Pong ball during the
Totally Awesome Squares tournament in which 49 mechanical engineering
seniors participated.
     Previously a private event, this year, the competition went
public and took place at Pearson Hall. The first class project for the
senior design class, taught by Allen and Michael Keefe, associate
professor, the object of the game was to move a Ping-Pong ball around
a square of four players without its touching team members' hands or
the floor, using innovative mechanisms made from a limited list of
materials.
     According to Keefe, the balls were floated, blown, rolled and
wheeled using a variety of contraptions. Teams were judged on the
effectiveness and construction of their designs, group spirit,
audience reaction and the logbook, recording the development of their
ideas.
     The assignment was to have fun while being creative and to help
prepare students for the challenge of their senior design projects,
Keefe said.