Published: April 11, 2005

Students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are celebrating Engineering Days this week with a series of fun and challenging events including the annual college egg drop and rocket launch competition, and a new MacGyver Design Contest.

Hosted by the University of Colorado Engineering Council with events sponsored by various corporations and professional societies, Engineering Days is an annual celebration of the engineering profession and a chance for students to apply their engineering skills in fun and creative ways.

The MacGyver Design Contest, named after the ABC television series, challenges students to perform tasks using their intellect and very simple tools. The contest will be held Tuesday beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, Room 1B50.

The Theta Tau Egg Drop will be on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the courtyard at the base of the Engineering Center Office Tower. The event challenges students to design a device or mechanism that will protect an egg during an eight-story drop.

Students are building balsa wood rockets throughout the week and will launch them in Lockheed Martin's Vertical Takeoff Challenge on Friday at 2 p.m. on the field directly east of the business school.

All events are free and open to students throughout the campus. Pre-registration is required for some events. A complete schedule is included below. For more information, call (303) 520-2356.

Tuesday

*MacGyver Design Contest, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Integrated Teaching and

Learning Laboratory, Room 1B50 - Students will form teams and compete in MacGyver-esque Challenges.

Wednesday

* 'Engin-ego' Knowledge Bowl, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Discovery Learning Center, Bechtel Collaboratory - Students will form teams of up to four people including one professor; first-prize team wins four $50 gift certificates to the Cheesecake Factory.

Thursday

* Theta Tau Egg Drop, 1 p.m., Engineering Center Office Tower

* Poker Tournament, 7 p.m. (sign-up 6:30 p.m.), Engineering Center Lobby

* Capture the Flag, 8 p.m., Norlin Quadrangle

* Halo 2 Tournament, 8:30 p.m., Engineering Center, Room ECCR 265

Friday

* E-days Carnival, noon to 3 p.m., Engineering Quadrangle - Activities include Bouncy Boxing, Mechanical Bull, Velcro Wall, Gladiator Joust; longest rider on Mechanical Bull wins a TI Graphing Calculator.

* Vertical Takeoff Challenge, 2 p.m., Business Field - Lockheed Martin will be in the lobby throughout the week passing out supplies to build the rockets.

* E-days Concert, 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Engineering Quadrangle featuring local bands.