Ice Cream Sticks Tower Competition Encourages Socializing

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At Popsicle Strong Man, students built towers and community out of popsicle sticks.

The event was held at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the clubhouse of The Heights on Pecan apartment complex. It featured a popsicle stick tower engineering contest, as well as free pie and ice cream.

The rules were that the towers had to be at least six inches tall, hold at least five pounds and could only be made from popsicle sticks, yarn and masking tape. If the tower held over five pounds or was more than six inches tall, its builder would earn one extra point per pound or per inch.

“It’s a good way to make friends with people you’ve never met, and it’s a good way to get them connected,” aerospace engineering junior Andrew Epps said. “It’s not fun hanging out with the same three people, so you get to hang out with a lot of people. And I’m here for the free food.”

Epps said the other team’s tower was too showy to win the competition. He compared theirs to a Lamborghini, while his was a Corolla, and he was going for gas mileage. His tower ended up being less than six inches tall, but he continued into the weight test.

“It started off strong,” Epps said. “I learned you have to keep repeating the same thing over and over, so I just decided to tape it. Like, all over.”

Epps’ tower fell at the 10-pound mark, but a team composed of biology juniors Cody Cowan and John O’Halloran built a four-inch tower that held more than 25 pounds.

They won first place. O’Halloran said he enjoyed the competition.

“It brought out everyone’s competitive side, so it made it easier for everyone to talk to each other,” O’Halloran said. “I feel like if everyone just showed up and didn’t say anything, it would be kind of awkward. Competition gives everyone a sense of unity, and that familiarity breeds comfort.”

Cowan said events like this encourage students to socialize with each other because they share a common goal.

“You get people that spend all day going to school, but then they come down and chill,” Cowan said. “I feel like I’m actually going to college now that I go to these social events.”

Epps said the event gave him a chance to make new friends and be a part of a greater community.

“I think that’s important because it makes you a better, more well-rounded person, and more social,” Epps said. “More ready for the real world.”

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