Future Engineers to Battle in High-Stakes RecPlex Race
The annual School of Engineering (SOE) Walk on Water competition will take place at the Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Recreation Complex (RecPlex) pool on Sunday, November 18, at 1 p.m., and the competing engineers are hoping for their biggest audience yet.
The premise of the competition is that teams of engineering students put their “Fundamentals of Engineering” course skills to the test with this project-based design challenge that has them build a device that must “walk on water” or rather, align with engineering principles to get them efficiently across the pool in record time.
This project has traditionally been popular because it takes the students “beyond their textbooks” and forces them to work in a team setting where they must put their skills to the test. Grades are affected if the students do not make it across the pool, which makes this event extremely high stakes and adds suspense for both students and spectators.
Following the competition, the student teams will present their design process to the entire class and will be graded on design goals, creativity, performance, and problem-solving approaches, among other factors.
Spectators are encouraged to attend, with the pool bleachers open to the University community and the general public. Come and root for the team of your choice – you do not want to miss this chance to see the innovative work of Fairfield SOE students!
