In recognition of National Engineers Week, College of the Canyons MESA program hosted a weeklong event where students had the opportunity to meet industry professionals, tour a local engineering business and partake in hands-on machine building competition in honor of Rube Goldberg Day.

“It’s a week of exposing our students to outside professionals,” said Eric Lara, MESA Program Director.

Lara came up with the idea to honor Rube Goldberg Day on Thursday by introducing the idea of a Rube Goldberg Competition, which are designed to encourage teamwork and out-of-the box problem solving among students.

Using a series of pulleys, levers and robots the groups the directive for this years project was for each group of six to attempt to get a sugar cube into a cup of coffee.

“We wanted to be creative and do something a little harder so we would stand out,” said Michael Diaz, MESA student.

The competitions were judged and winners got gift cards to Chipotle but the real benefits were what they gained from working together.

“What I wanted them to take away from this is teamwork and group work and the components of that,” said Lara. “But ultimately have fun and enjoy engineering because engineering is amazing.”