Morristown students earned first place in the school division at this year’s Punkin Chunkin event in Clayton. The win not only shows off students’ skills in building a successful trebuchet, but also speaks to their dedication in helping their local community. Each year, the launch distance is just one piece of the winning puzzle; students are also tasked with hosting a food drive leading up to the event, and the amount of food donated is multiplied by their pumpkin launch distance to decide a winning team.
“By raising 823 pounds of food for our local community, our students demonstrated how engineering excellence can be paired with meaningful community service,” explained MCS Building Principal Corey Flynn. “They are a shining example of what it means to learn, achieve, and give back.”
Beginning at the start of the school year, students design and build the trebuchet they use to compete in the event. This challenge is a true testament to students’ dedication to STEM learning, teamwork, and problem-solving. The MCS-built trebuchet had a winning shot of 70-feet. Students were also involved in advertising their food drive to the surrounding community, hanging posters they designed to help get the word out.