Section C
University Daily Kansan
Friday,
April 19, 1957
FEATURES
—(Dally Kansan photo)
SHELL REIGN OVER EXPOSITION—Her beauty makes it obvious why the engineers picked Barbara J. Everley, Eudora sophomore, as their exposition queen. Marvin Hall, the building dearest to the hearts of the engineers, is in the background, but Miss Everley looks as
if she's gazing across the campus at the building which probably means the most to her—the Chi Omega House. She was chosen queen at the annual Hob Nail Hop March 16. Her attendants are Anne Gillespie, Kansas City, Mo. junior, and Gladys Knupp, Washington, Iowa freshman.
Modern Exposition Result Of Feud
Exhibits ranging from a Kiss-o-meter to a scale model of the Kansas Turnpike have characterized the annual Engineering Exposition since its first show in 1923.
Demand Great For Engineers
To be assured of several job offers upon graduation, transfer to the School of Engineering and Architecture. It doesn't make any difference what field of engineering it is. The demand is the same percentage as the number of graduates turned out by the school every year.
"For six or seven years, or since the war, the demand of industries has been far greater than the universities can supply." T. DeWitt Carr, dean of the school, said.
The number of graduates of each of the 11 departments of the school that grant undergraduate degrees is proportional to the demand for that type of engineer. This is in line with other schools in the country, Dean Carr said.
The total demand for engineers will continue to rise as it has in the past because of the new products being developed and the need for more advanced products, he said.
"With the converting of our industrial plants from peacetime goods to new and improved wartime materials, the demand for engineers has grown," he continued.
"The industries began making products no one had heard of before, such as jet engines and atomic bombs, thus opening up a new phase of scientific effort.
"Then after the war, a completely new mechanization took place. Products developed after the war which we had never heard of, such
(Continued on Page 2)
The exposition, an opportunity for all the departments of the School of Engineering and Architecture to display their talents through intricate technical displays, really dates back much farther than 1923, however.
Back in 1909 it was known as Engineers' Day and the engineers celebrated with elaborate floats and egg throwing. One year, however, the floats were plastered with rotten eggs.
Engineers Strike Back
The engineers blamed their arch rivals, the law students, for the damage and, in retaliation, decorated Green Hall with rotten eggs. Chancellor Lindley promptly put a halt to the feud before it went further by abolishing Engineers' Day.
P. R. Walker, dean of the School of Engineering, then suggested that the engineers turn their efforts to something constructive as a display for their talents . . . and the Engineering Exposition was born.
Technical displays which before had been only a sidelight of the day became the whole show. They included such items as a pop corn machine which popped one kernel at a time, a photo-electric counter which tabulated the number of people passing a beam of light, and a power machine which determined a person's power by the turn of a crank.
Some exhibits which have attracted special attention include the above mentioned Kiss-o-meter, which measured the kissing power of a person, the model of the turnpike and surrounding terrain, a faucet which ran water continuously, and "Human City," a scale model of a modern city covering about 150 square feet.
Narration Of Exhibits Called A Big Problem
To explain engineering to non-technical persons is one of the biggest problems of the Engineering Exposition.
At least Kenneth Vaughn, Yates Center senior, chairman of the exposition thinks so.
KENNETH J. VAUGHN
Six To Choose Winning Exhibits
Sigma Tau, honorary engineering fraternity, will furnish six judges to determine the winning exhibit of the Engineering Exposition.
Judging will be based on how well the exhibits are presented, quality how well they support the central theme of the particular department they represent, and originality.
The petroleum engineers will be trying for permanent possession of the first-place trophy. After winning two years in a row,
"Each exhibit must be displayed and narrated to tell everybody a little about the problems displayed and to help them understand," he said.
Students gain experience in talking to people who do not understand technical terms.
Students from 20 engineering and architecture departments, four ROTC departments and industrial design classes are taking part. About 1,800 have been working on the projects, Vaughn said.
To help engineers talk to persons in non-technical fields is a trend in engineering schools throughout the country, Vaughn said.
"We think rivalry in controlled competition is good," he said. "It gives the students incentive to spend the time working out their problems."
"We expect this exposition to be better than ever before," Vaughn said. "Last year about 20,000 attended. This year even more are expected." he said.
The exposition gives students the opportunity to show and explain their work. At the same time, persons in the area can see what students are doing.
The displays have been planned and assembled entirely by students. Grades are not based on participation in the projects.
Last year the champions won first with a working model of an off-shore oil drilling rig. This year they are displaying the complete process through which oil goes, from the drilling to the time it is ready for use by the consumer.
a third victory will mean the trophy is theirs.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED-This is how the hyperbolic paraboloid looked before its downfall Tuesday morning. Weights up to 48,000 pounds were to have been suspended on lines hanging from the roof, but the structure, a campus landmark for the past year didn't quite make it. Only a few weights were hanging at the time this picture was taken. Having been
—(Daily Kansan photo)
erected a year ago for the exposition, the paraboloid probably underwent some sort of weather testing. The back-breaking straw came when students testing the durability of the structure applied 55 pounds of pressure per square foot in the form of cinder blocks. The paraboloid was designed to support only 20 pounds of pressure per square foot.