Page 5 - Graypvine October 2019

SPEC Engineering Hosts Second 5

Annual Junior Engineers Camp

At 8:45am on Monday, July 29, 2019, SPEC Engineering team completing their circuit bugs, the campers learned how to wire
members anxiously awaited the arrival of the newest recruits to an electrical control panel. They continued with process and flow
the SPEC family. learning on Wednesday, when the campers poured corn syrup,
At 8:53am the doors opened and in walked James, Billy, chocolate syrup, condensed milk, and then caramel syrup into
Shane, Jetti, John, Lilly, Prathic, Grayden, Joshua, Jax, Bryce, funnels and valves attached to a wall. After experimenting at
Paige and Pranikha. Ranging in age from 8- to 13-years-old, the wall, the campers decorated shirts by funnel painting. They
these fourteen young men and women represented the 2019 poured paint into funnels and used the funnels as paint brushes!
SPEC Junior Engineering Campers. This was the second year Thursday, the campers dove into chemicals and viewed a
SPEC hosted a week-long, three-hour-a-day Junior Engineering contained chemical explosion demonstration, watched the
Camp for youth from third through eighth grade. making of elephant toothpaste and then undertook the Oobleck
The camp was conducted by Stephanie Walker, a former Challenge! Oobleck is a slime-like substance made out of corn
elementary teacher in the Naperville, Illinois area. Each day starch, water and food coloring.
campers focused on a different engineering discipline. On the final day of camp, the campers were introduced to
In the first day of camp, the kids learned about pneumatics, new technologies including 3D printing, augmented reality and
the branch of technology concerned with the mechanical virtual reality.
properties of gases. After a presentation by a SPEC engineer, The campers truly enjoyed their week and said they were
campers proceeded to make balloon cars – air-powered cars looking forward to returning next year for the Third Annual SPEC
made out of household items and balloons. Once they built Junior Engineers Camp. 13-year-old Logan particularly enjoyed
and tested their balloon cars, the campers launched an air- and making circuit bugs, funnel painting and learning about 3D
water-powered rocket! printing and virtual reality; he said, “It was awesome!”
On Tuesday the campers enjoyed electronics projects. They As for Mrs. Walker, she too is looking forward to next year. “I
made circuit bugs out of clothes pins, pipe cleaners, pom enjoy hosting the camp and want to inspire young minds to think
poms, working electric eyes, electrical wiring and batteries. After about the world around them and find their passion!”

On the job(site) with

Ground Breaking Women

Gray's Ground Breaking Women recently visited the Buffalo
Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Composed of 41 team
members from the Lexington Office, the group checked out the
Mash House, Gray's newest project for the bourbon whiskey
producer. After their tour, the Ground Breaking Women enjoyed
lunch at the Buffalo Trace clubhouse, toured the distillery and
wrapped up the day with a bourbon tasting.