蘑菇传媒

Aidan Dubyn 鈥�27 says he didn鈥檛 know how to use a wrench when he came to the 蘑菇传媒 as a first-year student. The major had some experience with robotics in high school and wanted an outlet to continue working with his hands, so he joined 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 Baja SAE team and got involved with its group of mechanics.

The team, dubbed , has been active at 蘑菇传媒 since 1980. Entirely student-led, the organization gives members the opportunity to design, build, test, and race small, one-seater off-road vehicles, competing against teams from universities around the world in competitions run by the聽Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International. 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 team currently has more than two dozen undergraduates and welcomes students of any major, whether they are interested in hands-on engineering work or positions in operations or marketing.

鈥淚 found that it was a very open environment, and I always felt completely welcomed,鈥� says Dubyn, who started on the manufacturing team his first year and now serves as the team鈥檚 chief mechanic. He says diagnosing breakdowns, meeting competition deadlines, and working closely with teammates helped him develop skills that extend beyond the classroom.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very much changed how I work with other people,鈥� says Dubyn. 鈥淚 was never someone to gravitate toward leadership roles, especially not ones as intensive as this, but I was really able to develop leadership skills through Baja while having a lot of fun.鈥�

After working on their car for the past year, Yellowjacket Racing put their skills and hard work to the test at , facing off against 100 other teams from across North and South America in a four-day event that featured competitions in design, maneuverability, suspension and traction, hill climb, and a four-hour endurance race. The team was a formidable competitor in every aspect of the event, finishing 29th overall, in a tie for 29th in the design presentation, 39th in acceleration, and 34th in the four-hour endurance race.

鈥淓veryone wants everyone else to succeed, which I think is pretty unique for a competition like this.鈥�

In recent years, team members have traveled to Arizona and South Carolina for competitions, but they were excited this year to have an international competition practically in their backyard at the Hogback Hill motocross track in Palmyra, New York.

Nearly every member of the team attended the competition, spending four days troubleshooting problems, supporting one another, and cheering on the car through each event. After passing the dreaded technical inspection, Dubyn looked around and remarked: 鈥淎ll the closest people in my life are within a 10-foot radius of me right now.鈥�

Friendly competition

Each year, the team builds a car with specific goals in mind. Since they were able to re-use the frame they built last year, the team focused on improving the previous car鈥檚 durability, refining the handling, and modifying the front suspension for manufacturability and serviceability.

While juggling rigorous coursework, research, jobs, and their daily lives, the students put in long hours each week to refine the vehicle.

鈥淪ome weeks we鈥檇 be spending 40 hours a week together working on the car,鈥� says chief engineer and major Natalie Shank 鈥�26. 聽鈥淓ven last summer when people stayed in Rochester because they were doing research or working at local internships, we鈥檇 still show up on the weekends to work on it and hang out.鈥�

When similarly dedicated teams from across the country go head-to-head, one might picture a cutthroat atmosphere at competitions. But team president Ruby Perkis 鈥�27, an optical engineering major, finds the dynamic to be quite the opposite.

鈥淓veryone wants everyone else to succeed, which I think is pretty unique for a competition like this,鈥� says Perkis. 鈥淓veryone comes to win, but they all help each other out.鈥�

For instance, when a team from Brazil approached Yellowjacket Racing looking for some spare tubing to re-weld their frame, the 蘑菇传媒 team provided it without hesitation. The same happened when another team stopped by looking to borrow a rivet gun. On the flip side, when the 蘑菇传媒 team was making adjustments to their car under the hot sun, a team next to them from LeTourneau University offered them an extra shade tent.

鈥淲e鈥檝e all had tough competitions,鈥� says Perkis, 鈥渟o you rely on other teams to be kind to you, and then when you鈥檙e doing well, you pay it forward.鈥�

Finding another gear

While the team is methodical in its planning throughout the year, the Baja SAE competition requires thinking on one鈥檚 feet鈥攁nd thinking fast.

鈥淵ou spend the whole school year very intensively making choices with a lot of decision matrices, and the engineering is very well thought out,鈥� says Perkis. 鈥淭hen you get to the competition, and it鈥檚 all about making quick decisions. It鈥檚 a shift in dynamic, but that鈥檚 something fun about Baja鈥攜ou get both sides.鈥�

Troubleshooting becomes the name of the game. At this year鈥檚 competition, when the first round of technical inspections revealed the team needed to add a part to their gearbox, they quickly learned what the part was, secured one, and added it to the car.

The fast-paced environment also changes how team members approach problem-solving.

鈥淏efore I was doing Baja, it was very hard for me to let go of perfection,鈥� says Dubyn. 鈥淣ow my job is essentially telling people that, even if things aren鈥檛 perfect, they need to be done so we can move on. It鈥檚 very much changed my outlook on a lot of things.鈥�

Fueling future careers

The team鈥檚 faculty advisor, Professor , says that for mechanical engineers who want to work in motorsports or automotive industries, participation on a team like this is an important addition to their r茅sum茅s. But only about half the team members are mechanical engineering majors, and he sees everyone on the team gaining key skills for their careers.

鈥淥ne of the most important things they learn is the ability to transfer knowledge,鈥� says Muir, noting seniors like Kaan Aytekin 鈥�26, who previously held leadership roles but stepped down to let others gain experience and still stayed involved with the team. 鈥淔rom my perspective, it鈥檚 really important that there鈥檚 continuity and a culture where the older students can help the first- and second-year students learn.鈥�

As Dubyn found, the skills gained by participating in hands-on student organizations like a Baja SAE team can translate directly into internships and career opportunities.

鈥淚鈥檝e had great internship opportunities because I was a part of this team,鈥� says Dubyn, who was a research and development intern at Optimax Systems, Inc., last summer and is an optical design intern at Corning Incorporated this summer. 鈥淲hen I asked why I was chosen, they said a key decider was my involvement with Baja and the hands-on experience I already had working on an engineering team.鈥�

For Shank, who recently graduated and will begin a full-time job this July in Virginia at Scout Space鈥攁 space technology company鈥攖he competition was also a reminder of what made Baja such a meaningful part of her 蘑菇传媒 experience: the community she found along the way.

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 for class credit; no one is required to be here,鈥� says Shank. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e surrounded by people from across the US, Canada, and South America who just like to build cars, perform their best, and have fun with other people. It鈥檚 really cool.鈥�