News From
Around the Institute
Promoting Competition Between Students
We thank Beth Martell, Technical Production Commissioner, for letting us know about this great competition which will lead to an appearance at the 2015 Annual Conference & Stage Expo. This is what we call "planning ahead." News about the event is below.
Midwest Mechanical Design Competition
For the past seven years, students from The University of Illinois and Indiana University have faced off in a mechanical design competition, pitting dart launchers, tennis ball cannons, basketball shooters, and other small mechanical prototypes against each other to determine who had the best design. This year the participants will build baseball pitching machines, and it's your turn to join in. Theatre students – grad or undergrad – are eligible to enter the competition and compete in the shootout on May 10. The winner gets a free pass to the 2015 USITT National Conference & Stage Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio and a shiny acrylic trophy, courtesy of the Midwest Regional Section. To find out more click here. The competition is a ways off, but registration is limited, so act now.
Teachers, this makes a great project for technical direction students to hone their design and prototyping skills. This competition can be worked into a graded class. To encorporate this project into a class, e-mail bmartell@illinois.edu with anticipated enrollment so space can be held for the class.
Free Subscriptions to Costume Publication
The Costume Society of America is offering free electronic newsletter subscriptions to non-members. The newsletter contains information about current and future museum exhibits, new books, events, museum jobs, and similar topics. To subscribe, contact the newsletter editor at e-news@costumesocietyamerica.com
