The Oswego Technology Student Association (OTSA) at SUNY Oswego delivered another successful performance at this year’s Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) East Conference, earning top awards across multiple events.
The SUNY Oswego team went into nine competitions and placed in eight out of the nine. Oswego placed first in five competitions, which is the most top finishes they have ever achieved, OTSA President Reese Miller said.
The TEECA East Conference hosts a wide of higher education institutions around the region to compete amongst each other in a variety of different types of awards. SUNY Oswego is the only SUNY school that currently attends.
This year’s TEECA Conference was successful for the Oswego team for multiple reasons.
“This is also the most students we’ve ever brought in,” Miller said. “Twenty-five students, two of which are student teaching right now.”
While most members are technology education majors, any student from Oswego can join. “We are open to any type of student, anyone who’s interested in technology in general,” Miller said.
This year, three members of Oswego’s team came from majors outside of technology education. Because TEECA events range from manufacturing and robotics to poster design, communications and more, students can choose a competition that fits both their interests and their schedules.
One of the most impressive accomplishments of the weekend came in the manufacturing competition. The event requires extensive preparation before the conference and intense hands-on work once the competition begins. Manufacturing team member Ryan Van Steekelenburg explained that students must produce a complete product from raw materials while judges observe every step. This year’s team produced the classic game Shut the Box.
