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June 13, 2012

An epic race a year in the making will unfold this week: Geneva College has compiled a team of six engineering students to design and build a solar battery to power a canoe to the exacting specifications of the Solar Splash competition in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Solar Splash, the definitive international championship of intercollegiate solar/electric boating, takes place from Tuesday, June 12 through Sunday, June 17.

The travelers are: Genna Frederick, ’12; seniors David Harbor, Brandon Padgett, Markos Panayiotides, Marissa Panayiotides and Doug Terhune; and professor Dr. Dave Shaw. Others who’ve been instrumental in working on the project are: Steven Orvis; Justin Rodgers; Brian Corcoran; Ian Campbell; Dave Clark; and Karen Mlynarski of the Engineering Dept. The team would like to thank everyone else for their help, in areas ranging from fundraising to insurance to purchasing.

As the official website explains:

Technical Inspections are done on the first day, and the remainder of the time is occupied by five on-the-water competitive events. Points are earned in 7 categories starting with Technical reports that are submitted before teams arrive at the competition. On-site competitions include Visual Displays and Workmanship. On-the-water events begin with a Sprint and a Maneuverability qualifier. This is followed by an event called the Solar Slalom, which is a combination of speed and maneuverability. The final days are spent in the Sprint and Endurance events.

Visit the Geneva Solar Splash team’s website here.

Check for updates on the Solar Splash team’s facebook page.

Follow along with the team’s daily struggle here.

Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College’s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).