Drafting Team presents project to the Society of American Military Engineers

      The Mount Michael Drafting team took a solid project to the annual Society of American Military Engineers’ contest at UNO but came away empty handed once again.
     This year’s project was a renovation of the drafting room on the lower level of the school. The room was built in the 1950s as a recreation room and was later used for art class. The room was not equipped for the outdated computers from recent computer lab upgrades and would need a total makeover to become up to date.
     The team’s project included not only an upgrade in student computers, but also a new student desk that would incorporate both manual drafting and AutoCad and a teacher desk with SmartBoard technology. The realignment of the room provides for more of a lecture-style setting and for a better use of space as a greater number of desks would fit in the facility. Removal of asbestos and the additions of carpet, and new heating and cooling system and thicker insulation were all incorporated into the project.
     Juniors Sam Weitkemper and Tim Prost and senior Stuart Anderson presented the project to four Omaha-area engineers, and the rest of the team fielded questions following the presentation.
     “While our presentation was very pleasing, not earning an award was disappointing,” commented junior Grant Mathey. “It was a bit surprising because our judges did not ask many questions and seemed to understand our concepts.”
     One of the biggest struggles for the team this year was coordinating ideas and seeing plans through while the team was divided into three separate classes. Last year, the team was only divided into two groups. The idea for the renovation project arose from this problem along with the technological deficiencies.

-Article by Scott Lindgren and Photos by Scott Lindgren & Grant Mathey