黄色直播

During the fall semester, Faculty of Agriculture engineering students had the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular competition called The Gauntlet. Organized and led by Connor Mullins and Mandi Wilson, the event offered students a unique opportunity to showcase their technical skills, problem-solving abilities and teamwork under pressure.

The Gauntlet was structured as a knockout-style tournament spread across four rounds throughout October. Teams of two students competed in a series of engineering-based challenges designed to聽test a variety of skills essential to the discipline.

The rounds were strategically designed to ramp up in difficulty, ensuring each phase pushed competitors to their limits. After each round, half the teams were eliminated, leaving only the strongest and most creative pairs standing, Magic Purple Bats and H & H Workpare.

Facing off in a high-stakes design competition, they were presented with a problem and given eight hours to prepare a SolidWorks drawing of their solution. Their solutions were 3D printed culminating in a build and test day for the final round. The winners, H & H Workpare, comprised of first year student Caleb Hominick and second year student Robert Holmes, demonstrated their engineering expertise and ability to think critically under immense time constraints.

"The Gauntlet was an incredible experience because it tested our hands-on skills under a tight time constraint," explained Caleb Homincik. "We had to quickly brainstorm and develop a solution, leaving no room for procrastination. This forced us to prioritize tasks effectively and focus on constant testing and improvement," he added. 聽

"It was rewarding to apply the skills I had learned in class for the first time in a practical setting," said Robert. "The lessons I took away from the Gauntlet proved invaluable, as I was able to use them in later projects."聽 聽

The competition was spearheaded by two dedicated part-time academics and PhD candidates who recognized the importance of experiential learning in engineering education. Motivated by their desire to foster innovation, collaboration, and practical problem-solving, Connor and Mandi developed and organized The Gauntlet鈥痶o provide a platform for students to apply classroom knowledge in novel and fun ways.鈥�

鈥淭he Gauntlet provided students invaluable hands-on opportunities to apply their knowledge in practical and dynamic challenges," said PhD candidate Connor Mulllins.聽 "These events focused on experiential learning, enabling participants to bridge theory and practice and develop critical problem-solving skills while building community through teamwork.鈥� 聽

Beyond the technical challenges, The Gauntlet offered students a chance to build essential soft skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership. Working under time constraints and competing against their peers helped participants develop resilience and adaptability, traits which will serve them well in their academic journeys and future careers.

As engineering education continues to evolve, competitions like The Gauntlet demonstrate the value of experiential and collaborative learning. With passionate lecturers like Mandi and Connor on the Truro campus, opportunities like this will continue to enhance the student experience while building a strong community of learning.