Fall 2015-2017 Whatever Floats Your Boat 

Pictured: (1) SWE team with 2015 boat (2) Completed competition boat from 2017 competition, (3) Testing the competed boat in a swimming pool, (4) Some of the SWE girls working on duct taping the boat

“FSU SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS WINS 2ND PLACE IN ANNUAL BOAT REGATTA IN 2016 AND 2017”

Highlights

  • Led team of 10 students to build boat of 100% recycled material; competed and won 2nd place

Summary

Whatever Floats Your Boat is an annual event open to the public hosted by the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab to promote recycling awareness and encourage creativity. The rules for the regatta are that the boat must be constructed of 90% recycled material and the other 10% must be pre approved materials, such as duct tape. Prohibited items include air mattresses and pool toys. All boats must complete a half mile lap with 2 or more people on board, and the winner receives a trophy, also made of recycled material. 

When I joined SWE in 2015, no one in the SWE chapter had previous experience doing the event. As President of the Environmental Club in high school, I had participated in a similar event twice before, so I volunteered to head the effort on behalf of SWE from 2015-2017 and we came in second place both in 2016 and 2017. 

Spring 2016-2018 Seminole Shack Showdown (Habitat for Humanity) 

Pictured: (1)  College of Engineering Team in front of their 2016 Shore Shack (2) Leslie Earp and her dog Casey in front of 2017 BattleShack (3) Luke Maeder (left) and Rachael Rosko (right) constructing a side window for 2018 shack

“FSU AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS TEAM UP TO COMPETE IN ANNUAL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EVENT”

Highlights

  • Organized team of 20 students to build shack of recycled wood, heightening campus awareness of substandard living while raising money for Habitat for Humanity. 
  • Coordinator in 2016, assistant coordinator in 2017, and mentor in 2018.

Summary

“Seminole Shack Showdown is an annual event at FSU that is designed to advocate, educate, and fundraise for Habitat for Humanity as well as connect various student organizations in an exciting way. The main purpose of this event is to make our campus and the Tallahassee community aware of the substandard housing crisis. Student organizations build wooden shacks and “live” in them for a series of 3 nights and 4 days. These shacks stand to represent living conditions of families that live in substandard housing. They also become 24 hour information kiosks for interested peers. The shacks will “panhandle” (any type of approved fundraising effort) throughout the days to raise awareness and money in an effort to eliminate poverty housing in Tallahassee. At night, students will have fun hanging out in the shack village and enjoy activities/events that are planned for entertainment. Facts are written on the outside of the shack to help raise awareness of the housing issues in the community and around the world. These facts serve to inform passersby of the event taking place, the reason for Seminole Shack Showdown, and why Habitat for Humanity is so passionate about ending substandard housing. Other functions during the event are designed to educate the general community on these issues as well as get them involved, working alongside Habitat, to eliminate substandard housing.” [1]

I stepped up as a coordinator in 2016, assistant coordinator in 2017, and mentor in 2018. Each year, about 20 collective students from the College of Engineering participated and helped design, construct, and fundraise for Habitat for Humanity. We stayed in the shack for 3 nights every year to showcase substandard living. 

[1] Seminole Shack Showdown, Nole Central, https://fsu.campuslabs.com/engage/event/3229651