‘Enginerds’ and Natural Resource students spar
The College of Natural Resources and the College of Engineering went head to head in the annual Quiz Bowl Tuesday afternoon as a part of Natural Resources Week.
Dressed up as one another, the two colleges answered questions only the other would know and poked fun at the stereotypes of each college as part of a long-standing tradition.
Those from the College of Natural Resources were dressed up as “engineers” sporting taped up glasses, nerdy clothes, rulers and calculators with their own pet names.
The College of Engineering participants mocked the Natural Resources competitors by looking like they were ready to go camping or to Woodstock. The acting engineers (aka College of Natural Resources dressed up) answered lengthy math questions and referred to a dam project in which they would carelessly get rid of animals to build a dam. They also mocked the engineers by passing around non-recyclable paper.
But the College of Engineering wasn’t without it’s jabs as well. As they passed around trail mix to munch on, they made jokes about weed and Minnie Mouse being the smallest rodent in the animal family.
“The origination of the event stemmed from the ‘rivalry’ between the colleges,” Natural Resource Senator Jake Bonham said.
The rivalry goes back to the 1939, Bonham said. In the spring the CNR holds an event called “Paul’s Ball,” which includes a big dinner and open mic session. Bonham said engineers were never invited and in 1939 they stole the college’s mascot, Paul Bunyan, and held him for ransom in the hopes of getting tickets to the ball.
The tickets were not given, and the College of Engineering hung the statue. In retaliation CNR kidnapped an engineer, shaved his head at the ball and made him sit in front of the audience throughout the event.
“After that, every year they’ve done things to each other,” Bonham said.
The Quiz Bowl came about as a way for the colleges to make fun of each other in a tamer way, Bonham said. The bowl has traditionally been a joke between the colleges and over the last couple of years has included faculty members as well.
“There’s always a prank now and then pulled between the colleges but it’s definitely a lot tamer then it was in the past,” Bonham said.
The hope of Natural Resources week is to make the college more known on campus and offer students fun things to do. However, this year due to unfavorable weather conditions, many of the planned activities have been rained out, Bonham said.
Other events during Natural Resources week have included a nature art contest and display, booths in the Taggart Student Center International Lounge highlighting environmentally friendly products and a loggers breakfast. -hilaryi@cc.usu.edu