April 25, 2018

ASCE Takes Second Place in Blitz Booth Carnival

The CMU ASCE chapter, for the second year, participated in booth for Carnival. Their theme was Carnegie Intelligence Agency and focused on the idea of a "deep state" on campus: outgoing-president Subra Suresh's departure, the search for a new president, funding from the Department of Defense, the hidden nature of the floors of many of CMU's buildings, and the privacy concerns arising from tech companies where many CMU grads end up working.  

"Ultimately, we wanted the booth to reflect recent political and privacy concerns and examine the role that Carnegie Mellon University plays in shaping these concerns," explains ASCE chapter president James Crnkovich. "Conspiracy theories surrounding the government have always been a part of America's cultural fabric but they became increasingly relevant over the past year. We wanted to mirror the national myths and legends these attitudes create by contextualizing them within the framework of CMU's search for a new president."

CEE seniors Rose Usnay and Gaurav Chatterjee were co-chairs with Crnkovich, each leading teams for logistics, booth and prop design, as well as the actual structure itself. The ASCE booth, modeled after Donner House, was the only booth to provide tours in character and featured a working periscope.

Congratulations to all of the students who tirelessly worked on booth for their second place win!