Chelsea Bossert/Daily Mining Gazette In honor of Engineering Week, students at Michigan Tech concocted a giant slingshot. Participants can win a prize by shooting a snowball at the target.

HOUGHTON — It’s Engineering Week at Michigan Technological University and students have come up with a unique way to draw attention to the engineering professions. The MTU is often filled with all sorts of oddities and fun activities. Students often supply creative solutions to complex problems that the campus and the world at large face. Nothing rings more true to this philosophy than the College of Engineering Student Ambassadors (COESA) and the Engineering Ambassadors’ idea to draw more people to engineering programs — a giant slingshot.

The objective of the slingshot is to launch snowballs in an attempt to hit a target. Participating students can win prizes by doing hitting the bullseye.

The oversized contraption is a part of the Snowball Slingshot Challenge, a small component of Engineering Week at MTU. It is a time where the College of Engineering gears up to draw more and more students to their programs.

“It’s really ran by students and is for students,” Andrew Morehead, student manager of COESA, said. “It’s a great opportunity for students to kind of use their leadership skills and be able to plan these events.”

Morehead, joined by fellow Engineering Ambassadors Madeline McRoberts and Owen Baker, helped construct the slingshot to not only showcase their skills, but also COESA’s mission.

Other events during Engineering Week include: a Dean’s Panel, a Spaghetti Bridge and Marshmallow Geodesic Build Challenge, as well as an Engineering Week photo-op with MTU’s mascot, Blizzard T. Husky.

Although it seems like all fun and games, these students’ goals are not only to get more college students to be engineers, but to attract younger students as well.

“Our primary objective is to go out to local K-12 schools, give presentations on different STEM and engineering topics — do little activity with them,” Madeline McRoberts, President of Engineering Ambassadors at MTU, said.

According to the Engineering Ambassador’s official website, the group’s goals include “empowering talented undergraduates with leadership and advanced communication skills so that they can inspire future generations of engineers.”

It is a noble goal, but McRoberts, Morehead and Baker all believe that it is possible to help youth achieve their dreams.

McRoberts also believes by educating young people on engineering topics and interests, they can be the leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow.

“Engineering is problem solving and in today’s world we have to make sure we solve problems so that future generations can keep living with a higher quality of life.”

Further information about Engineering Ambassadors at MTU can be found at mtu.edu/mechinical-aerospace/people/ambassadors.

To find more activities to do during Engineering Week, visit the events page at events.mtu.edu.