The University is taking part in a nationwide event that celebrates engineering through activities ranging from think tanks to marshmallow tower building.

The week long celebration, E-Week, is hosted by the Engineering Council, an umbrella organization for many of the engineering societies at the University that is sponsored by several different corporations and businesses. The nationwide component is organized by DiscoverE as a way of engaging students in engineering.

The celebration was first observed at the University in 1951, and Engineers Week 2014 began on Feb. 16 and will end on Feb. 22.

“It’s a time for engineers to just relax and have fun,” said Sid Sethupathi, junior in Engineering and E-Week director.

Every day the Engineering Council has something called “Cheap Lunch” explained Sethupathi, where they sell food from local restaurants at a discounted price at the Engineering Hall. 

“We do a bunch of different types of events,” said Troy Meehan, junior in Engineering. These include “relay type events, engineering type events (and) silly type events.”

The winning team will receive a trophy and $250.

It’s not all fun and games though, as most of these events are competitions. Engineering students pair-off into groups and compete against each other in the games. The more events they win, the more points they accumulate. There are about 46 teams with more than 400 students competing, Sethupathi said. 

“The events are pretty cool — it’s a fun way for all engineers to come together,” said Michael Norek, freshman in Engineering.

Bryan can be reached at [email protected].