Engineering students use cans to construct a SMU-related strucutre in the Embrey building as part of a canned food drive competition. Students donated cans to their respected schools March 21 to April 2. The can designs will be on display this week. (REBECCA HANNA/The Daily Campus)

This spring, students from the Lyle School of Engineering, the Meadows School of the Arts and Dedman College competed to see which school could collect the most canned foods and money to go to a local food bank in Dallas from March 21 to April 2.

After the competition ended, each school used the cans to design a SMU themed structure.

Students from Ambassadors for Prospective Engineering Students (APES) and Dedman College Ambassadors (DCA) spent Sunday afternoon constructing SMU-related structures in the lobby of the J. Lindsey Embrey Building in the engineering quad and the reading lounge in the basement of Dallas Hall, respectively.

APES decided to build a replica of Dallas Hall.

“It’s a symbol of pride on our campus. When you think of SMU, you think of Dallas Hall as the most prominent building,” said David Meinberg, a first year electrical engineering major.

The APES model was constructed using approximately 375 cans, which the APES students collected in the Embrey building throughout the last week.

In addition to the cans, the group also raised more than $1,500 through donations and APES T-shirt sales, which were heavily participated by faculty, staff and students in the engineering program.

DCA’s construction features a model of Peruna, SMU’s famous mascot, constructed using about 150 cans.

DCA also raised approximately $65 from the student body over the course of the week.

Senior biology major and DCA President Brittany Fawcett said, “It’s a fun way to show school spirit, get involved in the competition and do something great for the community.”

The Meadows team, MAPS, due to the lack of adequate student participation, was unable to compete in the construction competition.

The can designs will be on display from Monday through Friday in the previously mentioned locations.

As part of the competition, the structures will be judged on the number of cans used and the overall quality and creativity of the design.

The structures will then be deconstructed at noon on Friday.

The canned food drive and subsequent design contest were held as a way to foster positive and productive competition between the different schools at SMU.

The Cox School of Business and the Annette Caldwell Simmons school of Education did not participate in this year’s canned food drive.