UNT freshmen to compete in building large structures of cans during fall CANstruction
DENTON (UNT), Texas — Twenty-five teams of University of North Texas freshmen will compete for best structure built from canned food and other non-perishable packaged food items during this semester's CANstruction event Oct. 19 (Friday).
The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Courtyard of UNT's University Union, which is located one block west of Welch and West Prairie streets.
During CANstruction, participants will have two hours between 9 a.m. and noon to build a self-supporting structure from food packaging within an 8'x10' area. Construction must be completed by noon. Judges will vote on each team's structure, and trophies will be awarded to the winners by 1 p.m. Judges will consider the number of cans included in the structure, as well as size and creativity.
All participants in this month's CANstruction are students enrolled in First-Year Seminar, which is required of all students who have not declared a major. The course provides students with enhanced skills for academic success, such as time management, goal setting and critical reading. The students in the seminar also do self-assessments on their interests to help them choose majors, and receive better understanding of university culture. The course instructors encourage students to participate actively in UNT and to reflect upon their experiences.
The students in the First-Year Seminar classes have been collecting the non-perishable food that they will use to create their structures. After CANstruction, all of the food will be donated to the Denton Community Food Center.
UNT's Center for Leadership & Service has sponsored CANstructions that are open to all students, faculty and staff each spring semester since 2009. This is the first time that CANstruction has been set aside for students in the First-Year Seminar classes, said Amy Simon, director of the Center for Leadership & Service.
"We hope to make this an annual event," she said.
UNT freshmen who have not declared majors are also brought together when they enroll in a Themed Community, which includes two or more core curriculum classes that share common themes. This fall's Themed Community is Panic, Power and Persuasion, which blends political science with psychology to help students become more informed voters in this year's presidential election. The course is scheduled for two hours three days a week.
For more information on CANstruction, contact Simon at amy.simon@unt.edu or 940-565-3694.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
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