Notice anything different? Yes, this is still your alumni magazine — with a few changes. This spring, we introduce you to the updated Missouri S&T Magazine. The look is fresh, and so is the content. We have designed it to be more interactive and to add value that will better serve our readers.

Our new order begins with Around the Puck, a section that keeps you informed about the people and research happening at your alma mater. We move next to the feature section, which won’t always have a theme. There will be a cover story, but you can expect other interesting stories to be in the mix. In the final section, we move Beyond the Puck to profile alumni, tell you about upcoming section events and give you updates about your friends in the class notes section.

For those of you who are really busy, we’ve pulled out a few fast facts and given you new entry points leading you into the magazine. Bigger photos and more links to the internet will give you the details when you want them, and an opportunity to move on when you don’t. We think you will find the font type and size easier to read, too. Give this a couple of issues to get used to and we think you’ll love the new look and feel.
Experience that counts

The rental car’s “max air” and highest fan speed could not keep pace with the sweltering heat during the last solar car race. The interior hovered around “tolerably cooler than the exterior,” but never reached cool enough. Oh, how I wanted to complain, but as I exited the car onto the asphalt pavement in Topeka, Kan., I caught a glimpse of our solar car driver. He’d just endured four hours in the driver’s seat with only a tiny fan to combat interior temperatures in excess of 105 degrees. And, he wasn’t complaining. He was strategizing with teammates about his next run.

Why do students spend hours tweaking their design of the Formula car, testing the concrete formulas for the latest canoe, retooling the electrical systems on the solar car, recalibrating the best gear ratio for the human-powered vehicle, or making other upgrades into the wee hours of the night?

It’s not the pay — they don’t get any. Few even receive course credit for their countless hours. So what drives them?

I’m convinced that hands-on engineering produces a sense of pride and a buzz — a high of its own sort — through a combination of “I built this with my own hands,” and the powerful bond between the machine and the teammates. When everything works (and the duct tape sticks), the air electrifies with a spirit of achievement like no other. To witness an event that is part rock concert, part first-one-across-the-finish-line, part rocket launch, come out to a student design competition and see for yourself.

Inside, you’ll find a handy list of section events timed to coincide with team competitions. We hope to see you there!