ADVISORY/Drexel University News & Photo Opportunity.

700 Drexel Engineering Freshmen Test Skills;

175 Student-Built Bridges to be Tested for Weight Capacity

in Rousing Design Competition

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Storyline:   After only four days as college students, more than 700
             Drexel University engineering freshmen will put their
             skills and imagination to the test in a spirited design
             competition to see who can design and build the
             strongest bridge.
Where:             Drexel's Physical Education Athletic Center, 33rd and
             Market Sts., Philadelphia
When:             Friday, September 25, 1998;  12 - 1:30 p.m.
What:             Working in teams of four, the students have designed
             175 multi-colored bridges, each measuring 40 inches
             long, and at least 19 inches high.   Each bridge has been
             constructed with hundreds of plastic rods and joints.
             Testing five bridges at a time, each span will be loaded
             with metal weights until, in the words of a professor,
             "It's destroyed."        The bridge that holds the most weight
             for its size wins the competition.  The top designs will
             be reassembled and placed on display.
Visuals:     Multi-colored plastic bridges crumbling under the stress
             of metal weights as hundreds of Drexel students cheer and
             groan.
Background:  Drexel's innovative approach to teaching engineering has
             been designated a national model by the National Science
             Foundation (NSF).        Drexel's undergraduate engineering
             program is ranked among the nation's top 50.
News Media
Contact:     Preston M. Moretz, Drexel News Bureau 215/895-1715