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Geeks to Get Busy At Oglethorpe
Atlanta – "Try to write the worst possible first sentence
to a hypothetical novel—not grammatically bad, but stylistically
egregious and distasteful. Don’t go overboard on length, just lay
the cheese on thick." These are not exactly the instructions one
would expect to hear from an English professor at a small, highly
selective liberal arts university, but from February 1 to 5, this is
exactly what one can expect from Oglethorpe University’s 10th Annual
Geek Week.
Begun in February 1990, Geek Week, described in the student guide
to Oglethorpe University as a "mid-winter series of programs
featuring imaginative and entertaining daily games and contests
which challenge students in academic and mental agility," has become
an honored tradition sponsored by Oglethorpe’s Circle of Omicron
Delta Kappa. Students compete for cash and prizes as individuals and
teams. All contestants who register and pay their $5 entry fee
receive a commemorative t-shirt.
Geek Week events range from foreign language spelling bees to
popsicle stick bridge building to a college bowl tournament. This
year, there are 19 events, each sponsored by one or more faculty or
staff members. Nearly half of Oglethorpe’s full-time faculty are
involved in sponsoring an event.
Fun for all, but not without controversy, Marshall Nason,
associate dean of community life and Omicron Delta Kappa advisor,
recalls one ugly situation:
"In perhaps the second or third year of Geek Week a heated
controversy arose during the course of the Tacoma Narrows Memorial
Bridge Building contest. In this contest, students created miniature
bridges out of fifty popsicle sticks and glue. Under the supervision
of physics professors, the bridges are tested with increasing weight
until they fail.
"This year one student, whose career goal was to become a civil
engineer, built a beautiful little span that looked like a railroad
trestle. His bridge held more weight than all the rest of the
bridges—except for one. Another student, heeding the letter of the
rules if not the spirit, had produced a bridge which was in fact a
block of epoxy resin with popsicle sticks scattered randomly
throughout.
"The first student was furious at what he considered to be a
flagrant case of unsportsman-like behavior. The physics professors,
in their Solomon-like wisdom, solved the problem by creating ad hoc
two categories, the mostly sticks and mostly glue, and awarded two
first places. The next year the rules for the bridge building
contest were revised."
No mishaps or serious disagreements were reported last year. More
than 65 students participated in Geek Week ’98 at Oglethorpe
University from February 2-6, and more than $500 in cash and prizes
was awarded to participants.
Oglethorpe University is an independent, highly selective,
coeducational liberal arts institution of approximately 1,200
students located in Atlanta. For more information about Oglethorpe
University or Geek Week, please contact the Public Relations Office
at (404) 364-8446.
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