2013 - The McMaster Engineering Society

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4
FRQ 16.04.13
4 | Editorial
- CONTENTS -
The Mac Eng Rag
5 | Sound Waves
Official news from the MES
6 | Becoming a Global Engineer
Recap from GEC 2013 hosted by Mac
8 | Our Valiant Champions return
Eng Musical Recap
Page 12-13
Troitsky Recap!
10 | Gearing Up
A preview of the 8th annual Formula Hybrid International Competition
12 | There Is No Bounds To Our Music!
The Eng Musical director talks about this years huge success
14 | Baja Plows into Laval University
The latest event competed in by those handsome devils
15 | Phase Shift
A look at what’s ahead
On the cover: Martin Bellamy, Nick Passingham, Ben Kinsella, Danielson Lee
Kim, Trevor Bruce, Jeff Jordison
- CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR
Nicholas Simard
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Kevin Barret
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jonathan Lae, Martin Bellamy, Barry Mason, Cassandra Cornall & Richard Elliott.
SPECIAL THANKS
MSU Underground, Ben Kinsella, Joanna Rutkowska, Brandon Uhl, Sheena Berry, Kirsten Weatherley, Adam Ross, Eric William Phillips-Sheldon, Zachary Strong, Mickey Mafrend, Martin Bellamy, Genna Conant
Frequency is published four times per school year by the McMaster Engineering Society.
The opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of the Society as a whole.
JHE 121 | 905-525-6140 x23221 | macengsociety.ca
April 2013
Frequency | 3
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4
EDITORIAL
| THE MAC ENG RAG
H
ello Engineers!
I have been appointed your new Frequency Editor for the 2013-2014 academic year and would like to personally thank you for picking up this issue
to learn about the McMaster Engineering Society. To give you a little
background, my name is Nicholas
Simard and I am from a small town
just outside of Windsor Ontario. I am
currently enrolled in Electrical & Biomedical Engineering II and some of
my interests include playing hockey,
canoeing and the outdoors, and
watching some How I Met Your
Mother. But enough about me; there
is a special season upon us! Some
might argue spring is here but for Mac
Eng, this means the grueling, frightening and never-ending Exam sessions
have arrived…
Final Examinations burden a great deal of stress and reluctant study
hours however, remember to eat right, stay active, get some sleep, and stay
healthy! In addition, find ways to stay motivated and neglect all forms of procrastination. Remember that the summer months are soon approaching and
you will soon break free from your iron shackles that have been the past academic year. Speaking of iron, congratulations to all graduates on their precious iron rings! Your contribution to Mac Eng is much appreciated. As for
the rest of us, be ready to welcome some fresh new first year faces in September.
I have many positive aspirations for this magazine and hope it will
help you find a complete awareness of what the McMaster Engineering Society (MES) can offer you. I hope to get you involved in all MES events next
year and if you have any questions or want to contribute to the Frequency,
contact me at frequency@macengsociety.com. Good luck on exams, have a
great summer, and see you next year!
Nicholas Simard
Electrical & BioMedical II
Frequency Editor, 2013-2014
We truly hope you enjoy this issue. If you have any
comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to
email us at frequency@macengsociety.ca.
4 | Frequency
April 2013
The previous editors, Ben Kinsella & Danielle De
Rango would like to thank all of our readers who
indulged in our literary adventure this year, and we
hope you all get involved in our wonderful Mac
Eng world
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4
SOUND WAVES
| OFFICIAL NEWS FROM THE MES
New MES Clubs!
McMaster Pumpkin Chuckin’
McMaster Pumpkin Chuckin’ finished their year off with
a Fundraising Social on Thursday March 25th, many
deeming it a success. After their first year of affiliate
status they have built a scale-sized catapult named the
‘Baby Chucker’. All executive members are looking forward to continue building better catapults and grow as a
club in hopes to enter some competitions next year.
Women In Engineering
Another successful year of Women In Engineering concluded with a Spa
Night! On Thursday March 21st, Women in engineering were treated by
professional manicurists and the executives of the group prepared delicious smoothies for everyone. It was a fun event where women could
socialize, gossip, and chat about the year in review while being pampered. For more information on the society and future events contact
womenineng@mcmaster.ca!
Venture & Leap 2013
The ‘Baby Chucker’ in all its glory
McMaster Rocketry Club
The McMaster Rocketry Club has received affiliate status where members will discuss pertinent issues on designing, building, and launching a rocket. For club funding you can buy a McMaster Rocketry Club patch for a
low price of 5 dollars!
McMaster Fermentation Guild
The McMaster Fermentation Guild has bloomed into an
official affiliate of the MES, where they plan to provide
a venue for people to pursue academic, practical, and
professional skills on the topic of fermentation. Join if
you want to make BEER (as well as all types of alcoholic
and non-alcoholic beverages)!
Venture: Grades 1-8
Venture is a summer program that introduces children to the exciting
world of engineering, science, and technology. It is a one-week hands-on
program loaded with fun and exciting activities including 2 streaming
options. Find out more at venture.mcmaster.ca
L.E.A.P./Headstart: Grades 9-12
L.E.A.P exposes high school students to many different career and postsecondary options by exposing them to the Faculty of Engineering. For
Students entering McMaster Engineering in the fall, the Headstart program allows them to take 1CO3 and 1PO3 in the summer.
Find out more at leap.mcmaster.ca!
Special thanks to many McMaster Engineering Society members who are
contributing as administrators and instructors in the L.E.A.P. and Venture programs.
The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer
Congratulations to all Engineers who received
their iron rings and participated in the Kipling
tradition March 22nd. We are proud of your hard
work, accomplishments, and contribution to the
McMaster Engineering Society. Best wishes on
your future projects and endeavors!
MES Intramural Funding
Planning to stay active next year with
an intramural team? If your team has at
least 75% engineering students you are
eligible for funding! Check out the
MES website for full details.
April 2013
Frequency | 5
U
nlearning. It’s a concept not usually associated with education
on a higher level, and yet that was one of the main tenets carried throughout the Global Engineering Conference hosted at
McMaster University on March 2. Speakers from all across Ontario
came to speak about the rapidly changing world that engineers must
navigate through, and the challenges that face professionals nowadays,
let alone students. Innovation is the vehicle that will drive us to a better tomorrow. Systematic change must be undertaken if we as a society are to progress peacefully and successfully into the next era. This
means unlearning the concepts and accepted practices in order to
make room for advancement on a national and global scale. And it
seems these engineering students are the ones carrying it forward. The
status quo has never looked so fragile.
garbs are reflective of the anti-corporate and anti-consumerism
ideals he has developed throughout his training as an engineer,
and his work in the energy industry. The inquisitive discussion he
led with students involved brainstorming ideas on how to incorporate cooperative practices into their lives, and the benefits of
doing so. A personal highlight of mine came when he asked students to name their role models. An exercise meant to give students a chance to reflect on their inner values by giving merit
based on the actions of another. It was a stirring conversation that
invited inquisitive young minds to ponder the outcomes of their
actions and to put into question the morality in supporting largechain companies or TBTF banks.
Terry Fallis, a gradThe day consisted of six talks showcasing a variety of speakuate from McMaster’s meers all with an engineering element, a panel discussion between the
chanical engineering prodelegates and four engineering academics hailing from McMaster,
gram has also taken an unQueens and York capped off with a keynote address by a professor
conventional route with his
performing a daring juggling act. It was, at the very least, an enlightencareer. Diving into politics
ing experience. The juggling act especially. In a way, the performance
upon graduation, Mr. Fallis
was allegorical – the display of an unconventional talent possessed by
soon found a niche in puba conventional engineer (Joel Hilchey holds a bachelors in Engineerlic relations consulting and
ing Physics and a Masters in Environmental Engineering) revealing
writing. His first novel, The
how diverse the profession has become. The demands of the everBest Laid Plans has won
changing economy has presented a new labour landscape which has
numerous awards across
altered the responsibilities and job description that accompanied the
Canada and is even being
age-old profession, giving birth to a new breed of engineer. The
made into a mini-series by
“global engineer” as many alluded to during the conference is one
the CBC. Upon giving a
who understands the social context of his/her work and is aware of
history of his life and the
Terry Fallis with his award
the implications that goes above the corporate boardroom, below the
challenges he faced in a
winning novel
earth and soil, and beyond the end user. I was lucky enough to attend
field often foreign to engitwo of the six talks and as a result gained a greater appreciation for neers, Mr. Fallis cited his engineering training as a useful tool to
the social issues side of engineering, a sign of maturity employers are have when overcoming the hurdles a public-facing career entails.
looking for.
He also credits his undergraduate education in providing him
with a methodology to write his novel, a daunting task made easNo one embodies the ier by his engineering approach. Mr. Fallis had a compelling deglobal engineering spirit more sire for change, and insight into the power of policy that built on
than Peter Ormond, a nominat- his engineering background, ultimately leading him to the success
ed candidate for the Green Party he enjoys today.
in Hamilton. Mr. Ormond holds
a bachelors degree in Mechanical
The opportunity to pick the brain of these two luminaries
Engineering, a masters in Envi- is extremely rare; I knew I had to seize upon the occasion. During
ronmental Engineering and an the Q&A portion of the oration, I asked them given their unique
MBA. He is currently working career paths, how students with comparable aspirations can work
with Horizon Utilities to help towards a similar vocation? Their answer was to get involved at
reduce energy usage by business- the grassroots level; volunteer for a political party you’re most
es, among other green projects aligned with. Explore the issues you feel compassion for by joinaimed at encouraging conserva- ing a local organization in the Hamilton area, or more convenienttion and sustainability. Dressed ly a community-active engineering club at McMaster. The call to
Peter Ormond at Hamilton Earth
in
the latest in thrift shop apparel action for young people to get engaged with the issues they care
day last year
(jeans, T-shirt, baggy jacket) he is for was an overtone consistent with both talks. Although standing
certainly not what one would envision when introduced with the list
behind two different political platforms (Mr. Fallis is an ardent
of credentials he has. But maybe that is the point. His simple
Liberal), their message was common, become involved in the
6 | Frequency
April 2013
world’s discussion. Only by doing so, will you discover who
you are and where you stand.
“solutions” originally designed to solve them. A quick fix may be possible, however long-term resolutions are needed to address society’s
ills. How do we go about change then? By unlearning cultivated attiNot all the conversations were harmonious however. Many tudes and accepted modes of practice. By engaging in discussion with
issues were confronted during the panel discussion where the es- those of differing opinions. By attending conferences like this one.
teemed speakers held opposing views, chief of which was how Opportunities to speak with industry leaders of this nature are very
marketable students are to employers. Academic knowledge was rare, even more so when you consider the prospect of having all of
preached as being too abundant, overshadowing the necessary them in one room. The people you chance upon at large events like
real-life technical skills needed to thrive
these all have experiences to share, wisdom
in the workforce. Opinions and arguto impart, and a story to tell. I had the
ments were traded between Dr. Heide- The “global engineer” as many chance to speak with the conference organbrecht, McMaster’s Acting Dean of the
izers and volunteers during lunch, which was
alluded
to
during
the
conferFaculty of Engineering and Dr. Janusz
a humbling experience to say the least. SeeKozinski, Dean of Engineering at York ence is one who understands
ing these full-time students devote what little
University, with the former defending
time they have to organizing events like this
the social context of his/her for the benefit of students like myself was
the stance that McMaster graduates are
well-equipped for the workplace upon work and is aware of the impli- inspiring. Getting involved has never been
graduation due, in no small part, to the
easier, whether you’re a career-minded leadeducation they receive in their under- cations that goes above the cor- er, a sympathetic community volunteer, or
graduate degree. Joel Hilchey, known porate boardroom, below the
simply an aimless scholar in search of anto many McMaster engineering stuearth and soil, and beyond the swers.
dents as the instructor for the Social
Ideas are the currency of the future, and
end
user
Responsibility course, placated the disgatherings like GEC are serving as the marcussion by posing the question of how
ketplace for trade. I had the good fortune of
effective the current 12-point GPA
attending one before I graduated, and I imscale is in determining a student’s academic prowess. He argues
that by grouping percentages into number or letter grades, the plore you to do the same.
distinction lost between a 90% and a 99% retrenches student’s
efforts. After all, why try for a 99% if a 90% will effectively grant Jonathan Lae
you the same grade? Dr. James Lee, Vice-Provost at Queen’s UniMechanical Engineering IV
versity, posited the idea of incorporating extra-curricular activities
into the calculation of grades. These outside-the-classroom efforts
are used as a metric by employers to gauge the strength of a job
candidate, so why are schools not doing something similar?
For those interested in EWB, visit mcmaster.ewb.ca for upcoming
events and more information on how to get involved
Maybe the problems we face today are a direct result of the
April 2013
Frequency | 7
The Troitsky Bridge Building Competition is held at
Concordia University, Montreal Quebec each year, where several teams of engineering students across Canada come to test
the bridges that they created. The competition is solely student
based and has been running for 29 years now. The materials of
the competition are what make it unique and challenging to all
competitors. The only materials allowed are regular popsicle
sticks, white school glue, dental floss, and toothpicks. This year
set a new record for McMaster Engineering attendance in the
competition, with McMaster taking 3 of the top 5 positions.
The competition has strict guidelines for the design of
the bridges. This is governed by a weight restriction of 6 kilograms, a minimum/maximum bridge deck height, an unsupported span of at least 1 meter, a clearance height of 15 centimeters, and a dimension restriction for the biggest member of
the bridge. This is where the challenge of Troitsky comes into play,
combining the materials in the right orientation and having the right
connections between the separate pieces. Most teams generally make
their bridge in various pieces for assembly in the 2-hour allotted
timeslot during the competition. The bridge is deemed at failure
when it either breaks due to shearing, or its bridge deflects by 5 cm.
Over the past four years McMaster has made a significant
impact on the competition, crushing the competition and setting
new records. The first bridge built by the team, named the League
of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG), entered the competition in
2010 and held a record-breaking 2468 kilograms. The bridge failed
under load with one of the compression member legs explosively
rocketing into the air during the crushing ceremony.
The new record holding team just hanging out by the crusher
The next year the competition expanded, with a number of
members from the original LXG splitting off to start their own team
and develop alternative designs to meet the challenge of the competition. The split fostered a sense of friendly competition within the
McMaster teams, with collaborative knowledge being applied to different designs to decide who could build a better bridge. Both teams
showed up with new designs and once again new records. It was
LXG led by Darren Berwick facing his teammates from previous
years: Neil Isenegger and Matthew Turner. Neil’s team used an innovative approach by using the first circular compression member A
–frame bridge the competition had ever seen, whereas Darren’s
bridge had taken a similar design from the year before and improved
upon it based on the analysis of the previous failed members. The
end result was the creation of the most robust bridge the competition had seen to date, with Darren’s holding an impressive 2906 kg
and stopping the ten tonne hydraulic crushing ram with only 29 mm
of deflection. This was the first time the crusher had been defeated
by a bridge.
The next year LXG returned, having analyzed the deformed
members, with an even stronger bridge. The crusher, still bent and
bowed from the previous year’s competition, was only able to provide 2209 kg before being stopped by the mighty bridge with only
9mm of deflection. The trophy again came home to McMaster,
though no new record was set this year.
MAColumn holding what’s left of their bridge
8 | Frequency
April 2013
After winning the competition in 2010, 2011, and 2012,
McMaster came to the competition this year with 36 McMaster Engineering student members from a wide variety of the engineering
streams to increase the diversity of teams and spread interest about
the competition. The winning team of 2012, LXG, again split up
into three teams, and the knowledge of workmanship around bridge
building could be passed down to yet another generation. On top of
the very unique designs, notable teams from McMaster who finished
within the top five included: 2nd place “Large Existential Gorillas”,
composed of Darren Berwick, Patrick Martin, and Francois Miljour,
who held an ultimate load of 3702 kg; the 3rd Place “‘Civil’ Engineers”, composed of Martin Bellamy, Trevor Bruce, Jeff Jordison,
Ben Kinsella, Nicholas Passingham and Daniel Leekim, who held an
ultimate load of 3020 kg; and the 5th Place “Mac in Black”, composed of Matt Hunter, Michael Peterson, Michael Kovacs, Matt Graça, Amber Dewar and Brian Peters, who held an ultimate load of
2750 kg. Darren’s team, the “Large Existential Gorillas” once again
smashed his old
record, and yet
again holds the
From the overwhelming success new one.
of McMaster University in the
years previous, winning the
competition in 2010,2011 and
2012 setting and beating new
records each year. McMaster
came to the competition this
year with 36 McMaster Engineering student members
Surprisingly, the entire
top placing
bridges from
McMaster did
not break or fail
via deflection
under the loading mentioned
above. It was the
crusher that was
feeling the stress,
as the machine
was unable to
crush the bridges during the competition. This was due to the eccentricity of the loading pin on the loading surface of each bridge. As
the loads get higher on the bridges, the smallest defect becomes apparent, especially since the materials used in the bridges can be very
inconsistent. This is a great learning parallel that can be applied to
real world situations. This is where the key structural knowledge and
application of material mechanics came into focus, challenging each
team to analyze their bridge to determine the failure mode (shearing
of a section or deflection of 50 millimeters).
Progression of the competition this year involved the integration of 3D Autodesk modeling learned in the first year 1C03 Engineering design course along with the use of the EPIC Lab. This is
where the 3-D printing machines were implemented to obtain a
physical representation of what the bridges would look like in a small
scale before the actual thing was made. This is anticipated to lead the
competition to places where it hasn’t gone before in terms of preliminary design alongside structural creativity.
The ‘league of extraordinary gentlemen’ showing off their work
As for next year and Troitsky 2014, we predict another
strong McMaster turnout as teams plan on starting earlier in the year
to get ready for the competition. We plan on bringing both new
robust designs as
well as several
improvements to
previous bridges.
We are planning
on including
additional preliminary design,
in depth structural analysis,
and much more!
If you would like
to get involved,
be sure to keep
your ears open
Mac In Black
for announcements in first semester. Information about the competition will be
given to teams at an earlier date so that McMaster can once again
come out on top!
Martin Bellamy
Civil Eng III
April 2013
Frequency | 9
Upcoming Competitions
T
he McMaster Formula Hybrid Team is entering its final leg of
preparation for its upcoming competitions in May. The main
competition that the team is competing in is the 8th Annual
Formula Hybrid International Competition, which runs from Monday April 29th to Thursday May 2nd at the New Hampshire Motor
Speedway in New Hampshire, USA. The team will also be competing
in the Hybrid portion of the Formula North Competition, which
runs from Thursday May 23rd to Sunday May 26th at the Barrie Molson Center in Barrie, Ontario.
The Team
For those of you who As an engineer, there is
don’t know, the McMaster
really no feeling like
Formula Hybrid Team is
watching something
McMaster’s contender in
the Formula Hybrid Com- you helped build whip
around a racetrack
petition. You may have
seen the gold and carbon
fibre black race car glimmering in the sun on Engfest or Eng
Olympics in September, or resting in the MSL throughout the
year. Although the powertrain of the car is a hybrid, racing fundamentals have not been forgotten. The body of the car is two-piece
monocoque that is made from a carbon fibre composite, which is
stiffer and lighter than a more traditional steel welded frame. Just
like an F1 car, high performance brakes and racing slicks are used
to allow for greater traction, and a fully independent suspension is
fitted to the car to minimize weight transfer. The hybrid powertrain consists of a high output 250 cc dirt bike engine coupled in
parallel with a 26 kW electric motor. Finally, weighing in just less
than 500 lbs, this hybrid race car has a power to weight ratio comparable to the top supercars on the market.
Competition Preparation
The Competition
The car has been going through a series of tests in the fall
and throughout the winter, both on the road and on the engine
dyno, and is showing good promise that McMaster will be a contender for a podium finish in this year’s competition. All of the
sub teams are now finishing up design iterations on components
that they saw could be improved during the testing. The suspension team has been working on making a set of carbon fibre rims
which are estimated to save 2 to 3 lbs per wheel of weight. The
chassis team has made new carbon fibre side pods with less drag
and have been updating bracket designs to be lighter and stronger.
The engine team has been testing the engine so it runs even better
and the electrical team has been making a completely new wiring
harness and updating the control algorithms to be more robust.
As the final few weeks approach, you will see the team working
hard to make sure the car is ready to compete in competition.
The Formula Hybrid competition is a design and engineering challenge for undergraduate and graduate students from both college and
university. Each year, the team must design and build an open-wheel,
single-seat, F-1 inspired hybrid race car to compete in a series of static and dynamic events. One of the most important events is Design
Judging. In this event, a group of 4 to 6 industry professionals from
varying backgrounds ask the team about the overall design of the car.
In this on-the-spot event, the respective designers and sub-team captains must be able to recall and explain their decisions with engineering reasoning. The dynamic events include a drag-race style 0-60 mph Competition Experience
acceleration event, where the fastest teams do this in 3 seconds or Although there is only one team who gets the reward of first
less, an autocross event with an F1 inspired circuit, and an endurance place, finally making it to competition after a year of spending all
your free time and resources towards making the car is a reward in
event where the car is evaluated on its efficiency.
itself. A big part of the competition is walking around, looking at
all the other teams’ cars and talking to members from other
10 | Frequency
April 2013
The team doing some prep at last years
competition
teams. And unlike in a
professional racing series,
everyone loves to talk to
you about their designs
and innovations on their
car. The competition is a
great time spent with
team members and new
friends from other
teams, watching car racing. As an engineer,
there is really no feeling
like watching something
you helped build whip
around a racetrack. That
in itself is a better reward than any trophy
and is the best part
about competition.
Competition Sponsored Awards
Ford Efficiency Award
Presented to the team that best engineers an energy-efficient
design, judged by Ford Hybrid engineers.
General Motors Best-Engineered Hybrid Award
This award recognizes the top three finishers within the GM
scoring criteria: introduction of new technology, remarkable
implementation of existing technologies, teams making a positive difference and finally extraordinary balance.
IEEE Engineering the Future Award
This award considers the multidisciplinary makeup of the team
and evidence that the vehicle contains the proper features of a
racecar.
IEEE Excellence in EV Engineering Award
This award focuses on the entire engineering process, judging
begins when sustainability reports are submitted and continues
through the whole competition based on performance during
the dynamic events and general quality of the car
How to Get Involved
We are always looking for hard working engineering students to join
the team. On the team, you will gain practical experience applying
knowledge you have learned in class to a real project, and experience
you won’t get in class such as learning about Carbon Fibre, Vehicle
Dynamics and Hybrid Powertrains. We will be having a formal recruitment session in May as well as in September. If you have some
free time before then and want to help out, email us at mcmasterformulahybrid@gmail.com! And don’t worry if you’re in your first or
second year, almost everything we do is above classroom knowledge
anyways, and we have senior members who are always willing to help
you out.
The team at last years formula Hybrid International Competition, also
in New Hampshire
Barry Mason
Suspension Captain & Team Exec.
Mechanical Engineering & Management IV
2012 RESULTS
DESIGN ( /200)
PRESENTATION ( /100)
TOTAL FINISHING POSITION
(HYBRID) ( /20)
HYBRID SCORE
175.0
68.8
9
(*Waterloo came 20th)
243.83
April 2013
Frequency | 11
O
nce again, the McMaster Engineering Musical put on a performance that blew
audiences away! This year’s show, The Bounds of M(u)=∫iC, attracted recordbreaking numbers, selling out two of the three shows. The Mac Eng Musical is the
result of the work of over 70 McMaster Engineering undergraduate students, and entertains hundreds more!
Starting in October, eager students audition for cast and band positions. After an
incredibly difficult deliberation, approximately 20 cast members and 30 band members are selected. Then the work begins; every Sunday people from cast, band, and
crew, vote for the songs that will be in the show and then write the lyrics. Meanwhile,
the executives partner with the writing crew to create the plot points that will define
the show.
Throughout October and November, the cast gets to know one-another through drama activities, while many band members transcribe the music. All of the sudden, exams come along and musical has to take a break. But
that doesn’t mean the work stops! Throughout the holidays, the cast dedicates their time to learning the new song lyrics!
In January everyone is back, hopefully well rested from the break. The work intensifies and rehearsals for cast take place over a
full weekend. For a month, the cast learns the choreography for the songs, while the band rehearses for a few hours every Sunday. Crew
meets on Sunday as well in order to build the props and sets for the show. While all of this is happening, cast, crew, and band members
are simultaneously turning the plot that was developed in first term into a full-blown script.
After the script is finalized, the cast must memorize their parts and learn the stage blocking. In early March, cast, crew and band
come as one, and piece together all the parts they had previously been working on separately. Then it’s the week of the show, and crunch
time begins! After months of hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding to see everything come together. When we hear the laughter from the
audience, it’s all worth it.
This year, several improvements were made to the show. The largest and most noticeable ones were the investment of face microphones for all members of cast and a larger investment into the sound of the show in general. This made it easier for audience members to hear all of the jokes and song lyrics.
12 | Frequency
April 2013
Although this year’s show has come to an end, we are already gearing up for next year! If you are interested in the Musical,
there are plenty of ways to get involved. For cast, auditions for next
year’s show will be held in early October – it’s never too early to
begin preparing for your audition by having a song and monologue
ready. The interest in cast increases every year – as does the talent
we see – but don’t let that intimidate you! Ultimately, we are looking for energetic, positive individuals who have a passion for acting.
If that sounds like you, we would love to see you out to audition in
October!
Band also holds auditions in early October. Our show is
unique in that the band is featured on stage alongside the actors,
and is even given the spotlight once in a while! If you are talented with a musical instrument and this sounds like something you would
be interested in, consider practicing early and have a few pieces at your disposal that you can play at auditions. Interest in the Mac Eng
Musical Band is always very high, but we are always on the lookout for new talent. If you play a unique instrument we especially look
forward to your audition!
If you want to be involved in Musical but prefer to stay out of the spotlight, or if auditioning just isn’t for you, consider becoming involved in the Musical Crew! This is the perfect outlet for a creative engineer – as a member of crew you will be responsible for
building props and sets, as well as for running things behind-the-scenes during the show. If you have a talent for writing, consider joining
the Writing Crew and assist us in writing song lyrics and script.
If you don’t want to get involved, please make sure you come out to see our show next year, in 2014! Thank you to everyone this
year who helped make The Bounds of M(u)=∫iC a success!
Cassandra Cornall
Director, 2012-2013
McMaster Engineering Musical
April 2013
Frequency | 13
F
rom February 15 to 16, the McMaster Baja Racing team traveled to Laval University in Quebec City to compete in the annual winter
Baja competition hosted by Laval’s Baja team. The team entered two cars into the competition. The old car piloted by Mike Manarin, Alex Fraser, and Lloyd Smith, as well as the current car, driven by Rich Elliott and Yohann Printer. The old car was used to
introduce newer members to the racing environment, teach them good
driving skills, and show them the kind of tracks that these cars race on.
The current car was used as a testing platform for several new components of the car, all of which worked and will be applied to the 2013 car.
After passing through the technical inspection without problems,
the old car set off to qualifying events. The events consisted of a tight
maneuverability course, and 2 suspension and traction courses. The 2012
car developed some engine issues during the tech inspect which were unfortunately not fixed early enough to complete good qualifying runs. By
the time the car reached the tracks, they were driven so many times that
every car was getting stuck in the churned-up snow. On one of the suspension runs in the 2012 car, the car bent one of the rear suspension
arms. Luckily for the team, they had a spare heftier arm ready to go. After
the help of the Laval Baja team to swap the bearing, the team was ready
to race the next day. Even still, the 2012 car managed to poll 24th and the
2010 car polled 28th.
That night the team interacted with the other Baja
teams and had a good chance to talk design with competitors
and learn more about other schools and their teams. We made
many new friends and met up with old friends from last year’s
competition.
Sunday marked the start of the endurance race, a 2hour long event in which teams try and complete as many laps
as possible in a head to head off-road race. The track was very
icy and pushed all of the cars to their limits. Within the first 15
minutes of the race, the 2012 car had managed to advance
from 24th up to 10th and was continuing to advance up the
field, until an aggressive pass was attempted over a jump and
the car rolled. The roll resulted in a bent frame, broken kill
switch, broken suspension arm and a broken driveshaft. Due
to the condition of the car it was not permitted to continue in
the race and ended up not finishing. The 2010 car, continued through the
entire race and made it to the final lap with only minor issues, until a ball
joint broke and the car lost steering ability to one of the front wheels.
Even still, the car managed to place 21st overall.
A lot was learned at the event, a new gear ratio was dialed in and
many design ideas were brought back. The team has decided that it is best
to scrap the totaled car and build a new one for their competition in
Rochester, NY, in June. The team is busy with design and is on their way
to having an amazing and very competitive car ready for the summer
competition.
Richard Elliot
Baja Team Captain
B-tech
For updates or to join the team please visit the teams new website at:
www.mcmasterbaja.com or like our bookface page “McMaster Baja
Racing” or follow on the twitter @McMaster_BAJA
14 | Frequency
April 2013
PHASE SHIFT
- UPCOMING EVENTS Tuesday April 30th | First Year is Over!
Engineering Level I students finish their exam session with Materials 1MO3. Can’t wait to
see you next year and congrats on completing your first year in engineering here at
McMaster!
May 4-5th | Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference
Canada's largest and longest running undergraduate technology conference has reached out to
4000 students and worked with 150 industry leaders to help hundreds of students
find jobs. If you would like to participate in this expo of 30+ breakout sessions
and workshops, there are 50$ subsidies for MES students and also a Hackathon
where you can win some serious prize money! The event is held at Ryerson University, Toronto, On.
May 10th | Last Day to add courses
Staying for the summer? This is the last day to add Term I courses.
Sat. May 11th| May @ Mac
McMaster’s annual open house! Encourage prospective students to attend McMaster helping with campus tours,
lab demonstrations, sample lectures or simply provide some upper-year guidance.
May 11-12th | Engineering Experience Weekend
This outreach program intended for high school students and prospective McMaster Engineering Undergraduate
students is a two-day event demonstrating the life of an engineer. Volunteer as a team leader or help
answer first year questions.
May 29th | Grade Release Date
The Final Grade Reports are unveiled on MUGSI.
All Summer | Interested in Volunteering at Mac?
Contact goeng1@mcmaster.ca for information on how to get involved this summer
Keep an eye on macengsociety.ca and facebook.com/MacEngSoc
for details on these events, and more!
April 2013
Frequency | 15