MedQuest students try their hand at the “Marshmallow Challenge,” during their visit to Morrisville State College. Pictured, from left, are: Dyllon Amodio, of Camillus (West Genesee High School); Swarnima Das, of Manlius (Fayetteville-Manlius High School); and Elizabeth Jesch, of Ithaca (homeschooled). Photo by Franci Valenzano, public relations associate.
(Morrisville, NY – Aug. 2015) Last month, teams of four students had 18 minutes and a few simple rules. Their task: to build the tallest freestanding tower out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string and one marshmallow, which had to be on top.
Dyllon Amodio, a student from West Genesee High School, and his teammates, relied on the string as the main component that helped them master their challenge and take home a win.
The “Marshmallow Challenge” team-building activity was part of a visit from MedQuest, a camp hosted by SUNY Upstate for Central New York students in grades 11 and 12, seeking science and health-related careers.
MSC’s nursing department and CSTEP (Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program) hosted the students for an afternoon to help them gain a better look at MSC and a host of science and health-related careers.
The group of 24 high school students was introduced to the college’s nursing simulation lab and had a chance to talk to nursing faculty, tour the college’s CSTEP facility and check out the college’s facilities and program offerings.
They also participated in team-building and career-specific activities aimed at raising their communication, problem-solving, and creative skills.
Susan Caraher, assistant professor in MSC’s nursing department, was among faculty supervising a team-building activity called “Save Sam.”
Four-member teams were tasked to save Sam, a gummy worm who can’t swim, after his boat (a paper cup) capsized. The only tools they could use to retrieve a life jacket (a gummy life saver), for him to float to shore, were paperclips. They weren’t allowed to touch Sam, the boat, or the life preserver with their bare hands.
The afternoon ended with a barbecue with members of the campus community.