Colorado Mesa University hosted a Manufacturing Day barbecue in the Maverick Innovation Center Oct. 12, in recognition of a major component of the industry. Lead by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Sarah Lanci, this marks the second year that the day has been celebrated at CMU.

Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing, to recognize a part of an industry that may often be overlooked by the majority of people. It is possible to forget that almost everything that modern society uses needs to be manufactured: cell phones, televisions, etc.

There were several activities provided at the event, offered to draw interest from a broad spectrum of students and faculty, even if they aren’t part of the science, technology, engineering, math and business (STEM-B) program.

The main feature was the barbecue, but outside the food placement, there were events designed to be enlightening and fun for those in attendance to take part in.

A segment of the event was presentations from three keynote speakers. Each speaker gave a presentation about how they got to where they are now and gave some advice for the business, engineer and manufacturing majors, among others, to go out and seize their dream.

“It’s important for [students] to get a different perspective on what they can do outside of school and to let them know there is support in the community to help them do that,” Lanci said.

According to Lanci, it can be invaluable for students and prospective participants of the workforce to know that the path they are on isn’t leading them towards a dead end, and that is why these speakers were such an integral part of the barbecue.

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There were multiple representatives from businesses at the barbecue to talk to students and faculty about their projects and offer a chance for networking and considering possible internships if the business was looking for one. Part of breaking into the working class, and life in general, is networking, so this was created as an opportunity for outreach into the real world and some exploration into whether this career path is right for them.

There was a final competition for any of the attendees willing to have a little fun and possibly make a fool out of themselves. Teams of two or three were tasked with creating a hat with the given materials in 15 minutes, then give a 30-second “elevator pitch” to the judges.

The hats were described by some to be both creative and hideous, and participants said they had a great time racing against the clock. The experience was supposed to be a fun dip into the world, which the barbecue was advocating. A pillow hat was the winner, and another hat that gained attention was a rainwater hat.

Lanci loves the opportunity the barbecue gives to students and the spotlight it puts on manufacturing and is looking forward to hosting it in the future for Manufacturing Day. However, Lanci is advocating for a networking event at least once a semester.

“[…] offer these casual events to keep the community together and keep students seeing the big picture,” Lanci said.

The barbecue is supposed to be the first step towards opportunities and a positive outlook for students. If Lanci has her way, the barbecue will be one of multiple networking events to connect students and local leaders of industry.