Water wonder: Fountain Wars Design Team takes third at international competition
Monday, Aug. 10, 2015
The Kansas State University Fountain Wars Design Team and fountain. Team members, from left, are Phil Mahoney, Aaron Akin, Conner Legleiter, Kayla Wehkamp, Kevin Garman and Chloe Boudreaux. Not pictured are Devon Bandad, Alison Cioffi and Chris Shultz. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — A team from Kansas State University made a splash at the 2015 Fountain Wars competition by finishing in third place.
The competition was part of the annual international meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, July 26-29, in New Orleans.
Fountain Wars is a hands-on, real-time design competition where student teams must build and test their actual entry under a time limit. The teams design their fountain in advance and bring along the necessary construction materials — PVC pipe, couplers, fittings, valves, nozzles and pumps — to assemble during a 120-minute construction period. They also must make a brief, marketing style promotion about their fountain.
Awards are based on scores of a written report, the oral presentation, construction, technical tasks and aesthetic display segments of the event.
"This year, the team adopted a medieval-themed fountain, complete with a dragon-slaying knight as part of the aesthetic display and an innovative pitching wheel design with which to quickly and accurately shoot balls through a basketball hoop as part of the technical tasks," said Trisha Moore, the team's faculty adviser and an assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
The following students were members of the team:
Kevin Garman, junior in biological systems engineering, Burr Oak.
From Greater Kansas City: Chloe Boudreaux, senior in biological systems engineering, and Alison Cioffi, junior in biological systems engineering, both from Olathe; and Aaron Akin, senior in biological systems engineering, and Devon Bandad, junior in biological systems engineering, both from Shawnee.
Kayla Wehkamp, senior in biological systems engineering, Ingalls; Phil Mahoney, senior in biological systems engineering, Salina; Conner Legleiter, senior in mechanical engineering, Topeka; and Chris Shultz, senior in civil engineering, Wakarusa.
