The Faculty of Engineering (FE) at Notre Dame University-Louaize North Lebanon Campus (NDU-NLC) organized on Saturday, March 11, 2017, an inter-school competition aimed at giving school students the opportunity to acquire some experience in applying early engineering skills, in developing their teamwork expertise, and in learning how to manage time efficiently.
The program started at 10.00 a.m. where students were received and ushered for registration. Students were given lanyards with nametags tailored with comprehensive information, such as student and school names, team nickname, competition category, and NDU logo. They also received NDU bags comprising of admission guide and application, new FE pamphlets covering all programs with the ABET logo, and a pencil.
All students gathered in the hall from 10.00 a.m. till 10.30 a.m. where they enjoyed a welcome snack, which was secured through sponsors. The students and their respective chaperons then gathered in the conference room (2nd floor) to attend a presentation about NDU and the FE where they demonstrated keen interest to the message, which encouraged them to enroll in NDU in the near future. The presentation emphasized the international accreditations (NEASC and ABET) as well as the following topics:
- Job opportunities and security;
- Quality assurance;
- Reputation;
- Continuing education;
- The diversified financial aid program (with some stats);
- The state-of-the-art engineering and computer labs, and other pertinent
facilities and resources, such as buses and parking lots;
- The academic program infrastructure and features, such as technical
elective courses, minor in engineering management, etc.; and
- Life on-campus and the activities organized throughout the year by FE
societies (IEEE, ASCE, ASME, ASHRAE), such as field trips, seminars,
extra-curricular events, etc.
Also, special attention was attributed to the new buildings via photos and detailed maps and the forthcoming drastic increase in quantity and quality of service, facilities, and resources for all type of curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Three categories of competitions were organized, as follows:
The Department of Electrical, Computer and Communication Engineering (ECCE) organized the “Multiple-Switch Lamp Competition.” Each team was provided with all necessary electric circuit components, switches, and related tools to achieve two different configurations whereby a lamp had to be controlled via multiple switches for on/off operation. Two parameters were measured: the time used to achieve a working configuration alongside the level of optimization in terms of the number of electric connections and their effectiveness. Winning teams had to achieve the best in both parameters;
The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) organized the “Paper Plane Competition.” Each team was provided with the required material in order to realize two flying planes. Two throws were then allowed and the best trial was recorded. Two parameters were underlined: the maximum distance traveled by the plane and the longest airtime measured from when the plane left the student’s hands till it touched the floor – a team was eligible to win once they achieved the best in both parameters; and
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) organized the “Spaghetti Bridge Competition.” Participating student teams were required to construct a bridge of dry spaghetti using glue. The length of the bridge was set at 31 cm (0.5 cm overlapping on both sides). The bridge had to be as light as possible and able to withstand as much weight as possible. Students were asked to measure and record the weight of the bridge, and to place a hook at mid-span to add loads. Winning teams were the ones who were able to construct “the minimum bridge weight with the maximum load sustained (10 kg minimum).”
Ten schools with an overall of 88 students (with initially 100 confirmed applicants) participated in the competition as follows: 30 students in 12 teams for the ECCE competition, 27 students in 11 teams for the ME competition, and 31 students in 12 teams for the CEE competition (team sizes comprised of two or three students).
After the general presentation, at around 11.15 a.m., students were ushered by category, each with their mentors to specific locations and/or classrooms where professors from different FE departments presented via PowerPoint their engineering programs with a glimpse about job opportunities and skills attained at graduation, and then explained the rules specific to their competition category. At 11.45 a.m., students started to prepare and implement their prototypes for later assessment. They were given until 1.45 p.m. when measurements and grading started. At 2.15 p.m., all gathered in the cafeteria for lunch in a pleasant atmosphere.
At 3.15 p.m., everyone again gathered in the conference room where the results were announced and a ‘Certificate of Participation’ was distributed to each student. Students were also informed that the winning teams from all inter-school competitions organized by various NLC Faculties would be called in at a later date to attend a special celebration.
The prizes in each category of the FE inter-school competition are as follows:
- First Place: US$500;
- Second Place: US$350; and
- Third Place: US$150.