Racing ahead
Duncan ‘need for speed’ race immerses students in STEM
DUNCAN — For hundreds of middle and high school students from schools in the Red River Technology Center district, the recent CO2 car race competition at the Duncan Area Youth Engineering Contest was all about the need for speed. From the perspective of the event’s organizers at the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation, the annual competition is a not-so-subtle attempt to generate interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among area students. Students learned problem-solving skills as they overcame engineering challenges to build a competitive CO2-powered race car out of a block of wood, said Lyle Roggow, president of the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation. “We give each student and their teacher the instructions and rules to go along with the kit,” Roggow said. “What we’re trying to do is get them exposed to engineering and STEM occupations.” At the recent competition at Duncan Middle School, young car builders from schools in the Red River Technology Center affiliated school districts crowded into bleachers in the gymnasium to watch their creations race down a 90-foot track. The 2018 participating schools were Duncan, Marlow, Bray, Central, Walters and Empire. The fastest cars shot down the track in one second or less each, powered by CO2 cartridges. Dozens of volunteers, many of them engineers from Duncan area companies, shuttled cars to and from the racetrack as they competed in heats, two cars at a time. Some cars were painted bright colors and carved into unique shapes, including one that was fashioned into a No. 2 pencil design. Cash prizes were awarded to the fastest car, for engineering and overall performance. A “People’s Choice” award was chosen by the students.
So, perhaps it was no surprise that the overall winner was a pre-engineering student. Gavin Banks, 18, is a Marlow High School senior who participates in the Red River Technology Center’s pre-engineering academy.
Banks won the engineering competition, and his “X-wing”-themed car finished second in the race itself from among hundreds of entrants.
“If you are interested in engineering or anything STEM-related, this competition teaches you a lot about math, with all the measurements that go into it,” said Banks, who plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Oklahoma Christian University.
It was mission accomplished for both Gavin Banks and the Duncan Area Youth Engineering Contest.