ASCE Great Lakes Regional Conference

Students from the Valparaiso chapter of American Society of Civil Engineering recently attended the ASCE Great Lakes Regional Conference which was held at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago from April 14-16. The student performed admirably, participating in a variety of events and networking events.

The primary event of the conference was the concrete canoe races. The concrete canoe team began their work last summer and designed an entirely new canoe compared to previous years. This canoe was designed to be smoother on the outside so that it would float straighter and cut faster through the water.

The canoe team participated in five races, including a men’s and women’s endurance races, men’s and women’s sprint races, and a co-ed sprint race. Additionally, the canoe team was judged on aesthetics, a design report, and a public presentation. Overall, the canoe team placed 6th out of 17 schools, including Big 10 schools such as Wisconsin-Madison and Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

Students also participated in surveying, environmental engineering, materials design, a civil engineering quiz bowl, mystery design, and technical paper presentations. All of the students performed admirably, even if the results did not show.

Overall, Valparaiso placed 13th out of 19 schools in the Conference. Congratulations Valpo ASCE and best of luck next year at Milwaukee!