Engineers Take on Projects

Fundraiser supports student aid efforts in Honduras Dan HanowerTHE SANTA CLARAFebruary 20, 2014[dropcap]U[/dropcap]nder what is expected to be clear skies, over a hundred Santa Clara students will compete in a kickball tournament run by Engineers Without Borders this Sunday.While everyone may seem focused on the games, the real motivation lies much further. This will be the second annual kickball tournament to raise funds for the village of El Pital in Honduras.EWB is a club with two components. One part is at Santa Clara, where students raise funds and work on projects that will help those in need locally.The other element is what sets it apart from most groups. Every summer, some of the students in the club travel to where the projects that they spent all year working on will be implemented. While there, they install the mechanism and teach the locals how to use it.The club first started working to help the village of El Pital in 2009, with the first trip down to Central America in the summer of 2010.Senior Rob Golterman, one of the project managers for EWB, said it was the first trip to El Pital that has helped to inspire the current endeavor.“Our first project was the water project,” said Golterman. “What we learned our first trip down was that they needed this.”However, as the group gained a deeper understanding of El Pital, they were inspired to do more.“As we got to know the community over the next couple of years,” said Golterman, “we slowly started to realize that simply installing a water distribution system would not be adequate for us to really help this community, for them to really empower themselves.”This year, the group is working on three projects: water, sanitation and hygiene.Golterman believes that the club has much to offer participants.“It’s important to get first-hand experience in a real life project atmosphere,” said Golterman. “It is going to help (students) in whatever they choose to do in the future.”This club is open to everyone, and Golterman hopes that more students, not just engineers, will join and help work on the projects, which he says have the power to change lives.Those who want to help with a simple game of kickball, however, can attend the tournament this Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. on Bellomy Field. Contact Dan Hanower at dhanower@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.