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Pumpkin Launch 2022

Kennesaw State students launch pumpkins in annual engineering competition

By Kennesaw State University

October 28^th, 2022

Spectators filled the bleachers and lined the fence to watch pumpkins fly at Kennesaw State University’s annual Pumpkin Launch.

William Brack and his team spent weeks building a launcher, and it was a clear winner the moment their pumpkin took off.

“Launch day was surreal and we had no idea we would win,” said Brack, whose team’s trebuchet launched a pumpkin nearly 400 feet before smashing into pieces on the Marietta Soccer Fields. The second place team launched their pumpkin 215 feet and the third place team hit 185 feet.

Pumpkin Launch, a Kennesaw State University event that began more than a decade ago, is a fierce competition for mechanical engineering students in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET). This year’s competition included more than 250 students enrolled in the Introduction to Mechanical Engineering course.

“This experience is invaluable to our students,” said mechanical engineering professor David Veazie. “It’s evolved over the last several years but remains an academically challenging event that the entire student body can enjoy.”

The goal of Pumpkin Launch is simple: build a device that can launch a pumpkin the farthest. However, the execution is more difficult than it sounds.

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Early in the fall semester, students formed groups and began planning how they would crush the competition. Each group put together a critical design review, where they had to detail what materials they would use, the safety precautions they would take, and how their materials could be used in other ways to increase the focus on sustainability. They were given size limitations and were told the device had to be purely mechanical – no explosives or electrical power are allowed.

“We had to quickly learn each group member’s strengths and weaknesses and use those strengths to work efficiently,” student Rihan Mammen said. “This project also taught us to get out of our comfort zones, to try new things, and definitely taught me good time-management skills.”

After building and testing their launchers, students were ready to show them off. Faculty and staff met with students for three days before the main event to select the 12 best teams to launch on the big day. Each of the 12 teams were given two opportunities to launch a pumpkin in front of an audience, which included President Kat Schwaig and SPCEET Dean Ian Ferguson.

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

While this project teaches students technical mechanical engineering skills, the soft skills are just as important.

“I recently interviewed for a co-op and was able to talk about the teamwork skills from this project in the interview,” student Daniel Pierce said. “Learning how to delegate and trust others to do their job is an important part of engineering.”

The winning team received gift cards to the University bookstore, their name etched on the Pumpkin Launch trophy, and bragging rights. All 12 teams that competed on Thursday will also be exempt from the final exam.

Once the event was over, Kennesaw State’s Office of Sustainability took the leftover pumpkins to a local farm for chicken feed and will be giving the building materials, like lumber and steel, to the theatre department, KSU Field Station, and several student competition teams.

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Below are the winning teams:

1st place (393 feet) - Will Brack, John Lopez, Andrew Fasano, Justin Kerr, Mihalio Blagojevic, Nathan Elson, Tochi Ugoji, William Velasquez, John Calling

2nd place (215 feet) - Ethan Foster, Donovan Gibson, Alan Rubio-Saavedra, Grayson Jordan, Ryo Yamazaki, Tony Arredondo-Segura, Ashton Wiley, Nicholas Gray, Matteo Guevara, Ethan Kessie, Grey Fowler, Peter Truong, Shannon Hall

3rd place (185 feet) - Tristan Thompson, Saul Hurtado, Danae Benefield, Brayden Strum, Caleb Lanham, Martin Barsch, Nick Padula, Joe Cordova, Colby Barton, Dante Galvin, Seth Grenon

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

All Competing Teams

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Pumpkin Launch 2022

“We had to quickly learn each group member’s strengths and weaknesses and use those strengths to work efficiently. This project also taught us to get out of our comfort zones, to try new things, and definitely taught me good time-management skills.”

-Rihan Mammen, student

Pumpkin Launch 2022

Footnotes

Story by Abbey O’Brien Barrows; Photos Judy Pishnery, Darnell Wilburn, Matt Yung; Videos by Bryce Hunter, Matthew O’Neill, Andre Quiles, Ben Versola, Phil Wirsig; Page Design by Nikki Wilbanks

FootNotes

Story by Abbey O’Brien Barrows; Photos Judy Pishnery, Darnell Wilburn, Matt Yung; Videos by Bryce Hunter, Matthew O’Neill, Andre Quiles, Ben Versola, Phil Wirsig; Page Design by Nikki Wilbanks

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