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2025 Student Competition – A Bridge to the Future
NSPS has held many competitions over the years testing everything from students’ ability to perform complex field
surveying tasks to their knowledge of emerging technologies. Many of them suited for furthering the knowledge of
advanced concepts and preparing them for their roles in the workforce. Building on the success of the last few years’
competitions, the NSPS Young Surveyors Network (YSN) wanted to keep largely the same competition and make
improvements based on the feedback from the students and professors. To further inspire networking and
intermingling between the current professionals and the soon to be professionals this competition is designed to both
test the students and bolster the future relationships of the Society. The competition will be split into two parts, a social
exercise and a technical field exercise.

Day 1: Monument Hunt Day 2: Measurement Exercises
The first portion of the competition will be a staged scavenger hunt type The second portion of the competition will be the evaluation of students’
event. The basics of which are listed below. technical ability while requiring some knowledge of historical concepts.

Monuments: This will be a four-part exercise. Transportation and equipment to be
• A list of DC area monuments are assigned a point value and provided. The basics of the four separate portions are described below.
provided the day before the event. Route Layout
• The ones farther away or more logistically challenging are • Students will be asked to layout a route using a baseline and
assigned higher values due to plans provided using a
the risk of finding less. Trimble Robotic Total Station.
• Monuments will be older and have significance to the history of • Performance will be graded on the following criteria:
surveying in the area. ű Accuracy of calculated points vs plan
Teams: ű Amount completed in time allotted
• Teams will be released from the Hotel in 30-minute increments Traverse
and have 6 hours to compete. • Students will be asked to perform a 4-sided traverse with a
• Teams must always stay together. Teams will be provided with chain and compass.
metro cards. No other mode of transportation will be allowed • Performance will be graded on the following criteria:
(No bikes, scooters, etc). Disability accommodation will be ű Closure
made on a case-by-case basis. ű Accuracy of leg distances
• Teams will be accompanied by a member of the YSN or if ű Accuracy of internal angles
unavailable a member of NSPS.
Triangulation
Scoring:
• Students will be asked to complete a triangulate exercise of an
• Teams will accumulate points based on the point values of the unknown position from 2 to 3 known positions with a theodolite.
monuments visited.
• Proof will be given in the form of a photo with timestamp or ű Performance will be graded based solely on the accuracy of
the missing variable and an additional requirement this year
group photos at the location. will be the calculation of the area between the theodolite
• Extra points will be provided for social media posts with those stations and the unknown position.
photos using #NSPS and #YSN.
ű The missing variable could be either coordinates of the resultant
position, distance to known positions, or internal angles.
Boundary Reconnaissance
• Students will be asked to calculate a series of points given any
number of information that one might find on a deed/plat and
utilize those in locating specific real-world points utilizing a
Leica GPS Unit.
• Students should be prepared to translate/rotate information any
information will be given in assumed coordinates.
• Performance will be graded on the following criteria:
ű Accuracy of calculated points vs plan
ű Amount completed in time allotted

EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 61 • NO 1 2025 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 25