Event includes a STEM Fest celebration for families
The UTSA College of Engineering and its Student Council will host the sixth annual Monster Mash Pumpkin Smash and STEM Fest from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1 in the Valero Energy parking lot adjacent to the UTSA Main Campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will include pumpkin-launching catapults and a celebration to engage youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Monster Mash Pumpkin Smash challenges UTSA students in any major to design and build a catapult that will launch and smash a pumpkin in competition. In recent years, winning teams have launched pumpkins more than 700 feet. This year, participants will compete in a distance contest and an accuracy contest.
In addition to destroying pumpkins, a STEM-themed festival will include engaging hands-on science activities for kids, a virtual-reality roller coaster, a moon bounce, a dunk tank, a costume contest and other family-friendly activities. Engineering student organizations also will sell food and drinks to raise funds for their activities.
The College of Engineering Student Council (COESC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting and advancing collaboration between UTSA engineering students and society and provides guidance to College of Engineering students to increase their participation in UTSA campus life, activities and events.
The student council organizes the Pumpkin Smash each year to promote engineering to the community and to allow other UTSA students to see that engineering goes beyond just math and science.
To learn more, visit the UTSA College of Engineering website or contact Brandy Alger, UTSA coordinator for engineering outreach, at 210-458-5069.