The "Can You Build It" Project

This week’s featured CTL project is the "Can You Build It?" project, which was developed and implemented by Shawn Fraver. The "Can You Build It?" project is used to help DDF 252 (Advanced Solid Modeling) students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to create duplicates of physical parts through the process of reverse engineering. Teams of three or four students are given Lego modeling kits to recreate. They measure the Lego pieces using calipers, and then enter the information into a rapid prototype machine (a 3D printer) using Solid Works software. Students are expected to produce products with the appearance and functional capability of the original Lego pieces. In feedback from surveys, most of these students report that the work they complete through this project is an accurate representation of their knowledge, and that they benefit from hands-on projects such as this one. —Submitted by Todd Martin (02.01.12)

CTL Archive

Focus on Diversity Archive

The International Club
Advisor, Sydia Gayle-Fenner, (704.878.4372, sgaylefenner@mitchellcc.edu)
The International Club explores a variety of cultural backgrounds for those who are interested in learning more about other cultures. Advisor, Sydia Gayle-Fenner, worked with her student team, and they hosted a panel discussion with a student from India, discussed weddings in different cultures with China as the main focus, and talked about customs and practices in different cultures. The International Club also co-sponsored the International Festival in April.

Mitchell Community College Christian Community
Advisor, David Moss, (704.878.3317, dmoss@mitchellcc.edu)
Mitchell Community College Christian Community allows Christian students on campus to get together for worship, Bible study, outreach, and fellowship. This club just started in Spring of 2011, and the Student Leadership Team worked with advisor, David Moss, to kick start an incredible program.—Submitted by Anita McGill (08.17.11)

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Tips for Greener Trash Practices
According to the Seventh Generation company, if every household in America replaced just 20 tall kitchen drawstring trash bags made with virgin plastic with 20 bags made with 65 percent recycled content, we would save 39,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 2,200 US homes for a year. We would also save landfill space and reduce air pollution needed to produce the plastic. Here are some ways to be greener with trash disposal:

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New Challenges: Memory Series
The brain can recall and store much more information than we generally think it can. To use more of it, we must first, as mentioned last week, give up negative self-talk. "I can," rather than "I can’t" must become our mantra. The Greeks developed mnemonics, later used by the Romans, and being revived today as a major method to remember lists of things. Short term memory involves mostly left-brain triggers such as order, sequence, and numbers. In addition to repetition, using right-brain triggers such as imagination, exaggeration, humor, absurdity, color and the senses, enhances the ability to move information to long-term memory and retrieve it more easily. If you were asked to remember and list the five Tudor English monarchs in order, you might think of going into a museum and in hall number seven (a lucky number) you see a portrait of Henry the Seventh. You think "how appropriate," and next to him is Henry the Eighth. Once again it seems logical. Then you hear over the intercom in a ghostly voice "EME" several times. EME is an acronym for Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth. Now, think of the story, visualize and listen to it. Name the five rulers in order. If you can’t, reread the story and try again. —Submitted by Employee Development (08.25.10)

Take a Break from Work
If you begin working early in the morning and don’t quit until bedtime, there will be no room in your life to focus on anything but your job. So, make sure you take some time for non-work activities everyday or at least several times a week. Here’s how you can spend some of your time away from work:

Health & Wellness Corner Archive