2008 Woodie Awards
Catapulting into the final weeks of spring
Engineering students test their knowledge of physics and mechanics to have fun
Ben Jackson
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
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"Yes, that is the goal," says engineering instructor Jeremy Wilson. This is his first year with this project and he is hoping to have many more.
This is Wilson's second year at MJC. He worked at Hewlett-Packard for four years, then Pelco, which is a video surveillance company.
Students have to build a catapult or cannon-like device to launch hacky-sacks across the air and land in buckets set at 10 and 15 feet away.
How does that sound for a final?
But they are not simply graded upon whether or not the sacks make it in the bucket.
Students are expected to turn in a sheet of trajectory calculations built on Microsoft Excel, along with a full set of 3D drawings done on a program called Solid Edge, a drawing package, plus a full set of assembly instructions easy enough for Joe Blow to understand.
Various styles of "hacky sack launching devices" have been conceived by the groups in the class; everything from traditional catapults made of wood and some duct tape to more complex models involving welding and looks more like a spring cannon.
One of the more complex models consists of welds and a large spring powered barrel with a recoil spring to reduce the shock. It still sounds like someone slamming a hammer against a metal door.
"I guess we could have done it a simple way, but it wouldn't have been as fun, we could have built a catapult like everyone else, but eh," said Jeremiah Hernandez, engineering major.
The competition will be held Thursday April 19 at 10:30 a.m. in the gym, and anyone is welcome to attend the event.
Wilson will be video taping the event as part of a video project he will be working on this summer, to create a promo video. The piece will be used to help recruit engineering majors from the high schools.
Wilson wants high school students to know that MJC is a good option to try and save money before transfering to a four year school.
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