Day 1: Making concrete connections

Day 1 of competition has arrived and the U of A is here to win!

We had a lot of fun today. There are teams, from UBC to SAIT to McMaster to Dalhousie. In total, 19 teams of engineering students from across the country are represented here. The opening ceremonies were fantastic. We were introduced to the host committee, the volunteers and, most importantly the spirit judges!

There will be several spirit challenges over the course of the competition, so our spirit captain is really going to have to bring it. The opening skits ranged from funny YouTube videos to improvised dances, ours fell somewhere in between. Our Tron-inspired performance was full of morph suits, LED glasses, light cycles and wicked beats. We’re all really happy to be here.

Interacting with other students from across the country is one of the best aspects of the competition and the opening ceremonies are a great way to break the ice. The energy in the banquet hall was incomparable—it’s a room full of 500 happy, outgoing people who are prepared to put a lot of energy into learning, competing and having fun. It is impossible to describe the positive, excited atmosphere of the first night of competition.

Now, off to bed for a good night’s sleep before competitor interaction day tomorrow at Nakiska ski resort. In past years competitor interaction day has been spent on the host university campus, playing games and getting to know members from other teams. This year, Calgary took advantage of their proximity to the mountains and is bringing everybody to Banff for the day. It should be a great opportunity to get to know students from across the country and showcase the beauty of the province.

GNCTR 2012 promises to be a great event, our team is competitive in all aspects of the competition, we are a lot of fun and are here with great spirit. We’re all looking forward to the next 3 days! I’ll keep you posted.

--Andrea Badger