Published: November 02, 2009 08:20 pm         

Students to participate in Tech TREK at ISU

TERRE HAUTE — Nearly 500 high school students will use duct tape, trash and other household items as they strive to complete various tasks as part of Indiana State University’s 14th annual Tech TREK.

Teams will be using creativity and ingenuity to design and build robots, billboards and even a space station within the hour and 45-minute time limit. By participating in events such as “Awesome Automaton” and “Faster Dragster,” teams from Indiana and Illinois will be competing for first, second or third place in their respective categories.

Tech TREK, designed by the College of Technology’s outreach coordinator Bev Bitzegaio, is an opportunity for high school students to compete and have fun with technology. Tech TREK also allows technology and engineering education students to interact with the students and facilitate the events.

Following the Thursday morning competition, the teams will compete in the Technology Bowl in the afternoon. The Technology Bowl is a Jeopardy-style game with each school choosing the top four students to compete. Students from Greenfield Central High School will be defending the Golden Bowl Traveling Trophy, the prize for the Technology Bowl.

Tech TREK requires months of planning. Students and faculty organize the competitions, tables and displays, and create event t-shirts, but Bitzegaio thoroughly enjoys Tech TREK, even if it does always go faster than she would like.

“Honestly, I love the day,” she said. “I love the energy. The kids are so excited.”

The schedule of events is as follows:

8:30 a.m. — Registration and welcome in Tilson Auditorium

9:15 a.m. — Competitive events begin in John T. Myers Technology Center

11 a.m. — Lunch in Sycamore Towers

12 p.m. — Technology Bowl in Tilson Auditorium

1 p.m. — Awards ceremony

For more information about Tech TREK, visit indstate.edu/tss/techtrek09.html.