Most MSU students have heard of the McCoy School of Engineering, but many do not know what exactly goes on in that small place tucked behind the Dillard building.

Last week marked the annual National Engineers Week that takes place every year during the third full week of February.

MSU’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) chapter observes this week by performing various competitions and holding events.

“Previously it’s been more simple stuff, like an egg drop, but we’ve tried to make it more advanced,” ASME-MSU Chapter President Zach Skelton said.

This year, they held events including an engineering banquet, a bridge bust and a robotic car race.

According to freshmen mechanical engineering majors Elisabeth Hare and Carlee Craig, S.H. Rider High School and Jacksboro High School were given tours of the engineering labs last Wednesday.

During their visit, they were given engineering demonstrations and high school students participated in a paper airplane contest.

“We do things for National Engineers Week and Homecoming,” Hare said. “This is the only time that we have back-to-back days of activities and competitions. Other times, we have meetings and tours of places.”

One of the big activities that occurred over the week was the robotic car race.

In this event, competitors had one hour to come up with a design and complete construction of the robot.

“Each team was given a kit, and we had to come up with the design,” Craig said. “It’s just like Legos with a motor.”

When the hour was up, the teams competed two at a time to find the fastest car.

After all eight teams competed or were disqualified for not being ready, Sophomore mechanical engineering major Jose Pedraza was found to have the fastest robotic car.

When asked if he took the entire hour to build it, Pedraza said, “I spent thirty minutes figuring out the design. Then I took the rest of the time building it.”

Runner-ups were teammates Alex Petree and Thomas Reardon, Junior mechanical engineering majors.

On Friday, ASME competed in a bridge bust competition.

“We make bridges out of Popsicle sticks and use a machine that measures the force it takes to bust the bridge,” Hare said. “Whoever’s takes the most force wins.”

The National Society of Professional Engineers began National Engineers Week in 1951 in association to George Washington’s birthday.

George Washington is considered the nation’s first engineer.