Event Location: Blatt Field

2016 Pumpkin Chunkin’ Information Event Date: Saturday, Nov. 12th, 2016 Event Location: Blatt Field

***Please be sure to make sure all participants sign a waiver and pay close attention to the safety and firing requirements.***

Trebuchet Requirements:  Without the arm, the trebuchet should measure no more than 3 feet wide x 4 feet long x 5 feet tall.  The counterweight can be a maximum of 200 lbs. Different counterweight weights can be used for the distance and accuracy portions if desired, but neither can exceed 200 lbs.  During the scored rounds, softballs will be launched.  There will be a bonus round for launching small pumpkins

Safety and Firing  The trebuchet is required to have a safety that can be disengaged from behind the firing line 20 feet away.  The trebuchet must also be fired from 20 feet away.

Scoring  Distance (25%): The furthest launch of the distance competition will be awarded the full 25% of points. All other launch distances will be scored as compared to the furthest launch. For example, if the furthest launch is 45 yards, that team will be awarded the full 25%, and a team with a launch of 37 yards will be awarded 20.5% [(37/45)*(25%)]  Accuracy (50%): A target will be placed 50 yards directly in front of the trebuchet and points will be awarded based on the proximity of pumpkin ball landing to the target. One point will be deducted for each yard beyond the target.  Presentation & Engineers Notebook (25%): A team of judges including USC Engineering students and professors will ask students from each team questions regarding their design/construction. Each team will also be required to have an engineer’s notebook that documents the design and calculations for the trebuchet. Up to 25% will be awarded based on the students’ understanding of and rationale behind their designs.

Prizes  $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. All participating teams/students will receive certificates. Prize money will be given to school science/engineering programs for students. Information for Scoring/Measurement

There will be three total launches and two teams will fire at a time. Each team will have a group of scorers/measurers that will mark and record their distances. Each launch is comprised of one practice throw and two official throws. Only the official throw with the most accurate or farthest launch will be recorded for points. Prior to competition:  Student groups will aid in judging with faculty based on rubric Group of scorers/measurers:  Watch where the ball hits and mark it  Measure and record distance on sheet  Give sheet to person at the scoreboard Scoreboarder:  Record scores of judging and launches on white scoreboard Launches: 1. Accuracy: to the 50 yard line  Measure distance from 50 yd line, each yard off is minus one point 2. Distance:  Longest distance of 3 tries is recorded 3. Pumpkins:  Place tarps where the pumpkins “should’ land Score Sheet:

Team Name: ______Advisor Name: ______Date: ______

School: ______

Accuracy Challenge (50%)

Distance From Target 50 Yards

Practice 1

Official Throw 1*

Official Throw 2*

*Best official throw counts

Distance (25%) Throw Distance Rank Percentage

Engineering Process Evaluation (Max 25 % Points) 30-20 pt. 19 – 15 pt. 14 – 5 pt. 5 – 0 pt. Engineers Very organized with drawings of Organized but missing Had notebook but was No Engineer’s Notebook at Notebook the trebuchet and other ideas that key information about unorganized; no real time of competition the team had. trebuchet explanations or drawings included Creativity (10pt) Have a theme Same design from last year or building design that you incorporated into the trebuchet. Understanding When judges walk around and Has understanding about Only able to answer Did not understand the way asked students questions, the the build of the trebuchet the most basic the trebuchet works when students have a complete but lacks understanding of questions about the asked understanding of what went into the reasoning behind the trebuchet making the trebuchet and why design they designed it the way they did. Teamwork At competition, the team works The team has a few Only have one or two No teamwork/collaboration together and gives equal people who aren’t members contributing between students opportunity to all of its members. participating or to the machine contributing. Total: Engineer’s Notebook Guidelines:

The engineering notebook is a valuable resource when a team is building or designing some kind of machine or product. This is where ideas are hatched and designs come to life. The purpose of the engineer’s notebook is to train you to observe every detail, no matter how small or insignificant it seems at first, because it could be that detail that makes or breaks your product. If that is the case then you should always keep track of the designs that are proposed and given.

As a new part of this year’s Pumpkin Chunkin Competition, Theta Tau is going to require an engineer’s notebook from each team with:

 All of the students names in the book with the advisors name and the team name  Everything in the book should be hand written in black or blue ink.  No pencils  Do not remove pages from this book, if there is a mistake, date the mistake and explain why it is a mistake  For every idea/design have a description of the trebuchet and the students name who came up with the idea/design

Concept Questions: 1.) How does your design work? 2.) What safety features are included? 3.) What changes did you make based on accuracy or distance? 4.) How did you come up with your design? 5.) What changes have been made to your design if you competed the previous year? Agenda

9:00 – 10:00 Teams check-in and sign waivers; begin set up 10:00 – 11:00 Mentors and faculty make rounds; faculty judges designs and notebooks 11:00 – 11:30 Welcome and warm-up/testing launches 11:30 – 12:30 Lunch 12:30 – 1:30 * First Launch - Accuracy (50 yards) 1:30 – 2:30 * Second Launch - Distance 2:30 – 3:30 * Scoring; pumpkin launching for fun 3:30 – 4:30* Winners announced/ Prizes given

 Times are tentative and are subject to change based on how long it takes to get through each team’s launches.