By Jonathan Tolman
They do not wear cleats or jerseys, but teams of students from the construction management department are sweeping the competition nation-wide.
Derek Bowen, 26, a senior majoring in construction management from Asheville, N.C. is a member of the team that won first place in New Orleans last week. Bowen and three other students pitted their skills against seventeen other universities to complete the best project in five hours.
“We actually get to take what we learn in class and use it in a real situation,” Bowen said. “We”d been meeting and practicing for the competition since early October of last year.”
Jay Christofferson, an Associate Professor in the School of Technology, is one of the team”s coaches.
“The team was given five hours to do management, cost estimations, and safety plans for 15,000 square feet of a real commercial building,” Christofferson said. “We just give the students the project and they run with it.”
The competition was organized by the Associated Builders and Contractors and took place in the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints.
Early in February, another group of students traveled to Atlanta, Ga. for a competition funded by the National Association of Home Builders.
BYU beat out twenty other universities and was the first school ever to win first place two years in a row.
“We blew the other teams out of the water, especially with our interactive CD we made for the judges to work through,” said Darrin Sweeney, 25, a senior from Belfair, Wash., also majoring in construction management.
“Our team was awesome. Our presentation was on target, professional, and the best one you saw that day,” said Tom Erekson, Director of the School of Technology.
While attending the national competition, students are exposed to many potential employers. Students are often recognized for their hard work and efforts in such an intense and real-life experience project, Erekson said.
“I think we have a world-class program,” said Jeff Campbell, an assistant professor in the School of Technology and coach for one of the teams. “The curriculum is demanding and it prepares the students for the workplace.”
BYU will be hosting its own competition this weekend. Local schools including UVSC and Weber State are among the scheduled participants.
