The world of engineering at Iowa State was open to the public for one day when the Engineering Student Council hosted its second annual Engineering Day at North Grand Mall, 2801 Grand Ave., Saturday.

“We use this day to reach the general public and help them grasp an understanding of what engineering really does,” said Kent Heitman, vice president of outreach for the Engineering Student Council.

Engineering Day helps the public gain a better understanding about what goes on in the College of Engineering, he said.

There were seven displays, ranging from a solar car to floating concrete, dispersed throughout the mall. The ISU chapter of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers displayed two tractors it will be using for a national tractor pull later this year.

Ben Vardaman, senior in agricultural engineering, answered questions about the tractor pulls.

He said each university is allowed to build a one-fourth scale tractor pull without modifications to it’s stock twin-cylinder engine.

“We haven’t captured the national title yet, so that’s what we’re after this year,” he said.

Several displays included hands-on crafts for children.

Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering provided a display where people could make their own slush drinks.

The Society of Women Engineers and The Engineering Ambassador and Mentor Program shared a table where children could help build tall buildings out of dry spaghetti sticks and gum drops.

The American Society of Civil Engineers showed children how to make their own concrete in a small paper cup. They also developed a small computer game to build bridges and assess the factors of construction, including cost and weight limit.

Other displays informed the public of their purpose at Iowa State. Materials Science and Engineering’s display informed people on the advancement of fiber optic cables and the use of strong magnets to help power refrigerators.

The ISU chapter of the Transportation Student Association promoted the hard work and integrity that goes into the construction of roads and highways.

Team PrISUm displayed its solar car from 2001, PrISUm Odyssey.

Sarah Shay, assistant director of Team PrISUm and sophomore in mechanical engineering, said the team’s new solar car, PrISUm Spectrum, is currently under construction and should be ready in July for the ten-day American Solar Challenge, a race from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Organizers of this year’s Engineering Day were pleased with the event and plans for next year are already underway.

One addition next year will be providing awards for the best displays presented by students.

Heitman said he hopes competition will push the groups to make even better displays for the public.