Of Cardboard and Duct Tape

As we all know, LeTourneau University isn't your typical tail-gating, football-throwing, cheerleading university. Case in point: we do things like build boats out of cardboard and duct tape* and then race them.  

In honor of our recreational originality, we’d like to take a look at the past few years of one of the newer LETU traditions: the annual Cardboard Boat Races. For those unaware, the only rule each year at this fun Homecoming Weekend event is that each boat has to be created with two things, and two things only: cardboard and duct tape. Yes, some sink pretty quickly, but it’s shocking how well-constructed many of the boats are. (Well, not so shocking, if you're familiar with our students!)

Take a look:

In 2011, we watched this Viking-esque vessel make its way across the pond, carrying six men. Six – supported by cardboard and duct tape. LETU students know how to construct.

In 2012, in honor of the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic, T3's ship took a more cinematic theme, but still maintained its sound composition. The guys of T3 built a complete and accurate Titanic replica, and put the icing on the cake with a reenactment (I’m flying, Jack!) of the movie (including the dramatic sinking of their beautiful creation).

Check out LETU student Brandon Williams' video on Youtube here of the amazing T3 Titanic.

Homecoming 2013 brought us the U.S.S. Thor’s 'Hammer,' a sleek aircraft-carrier reproduction that took 12 LETU men to transport.

In 2014, T3 was back with a cardboard and duct tape version of The Black Pearl so realistic we were expecting Captain Jack Sparrow to show up at any second to take the helm.

(Video courtesy of LETU student Joshua Kucera.)

Sink or swim, here's to the not so "typical." 
We'll see you at the pond in 2015!

(*Yes, we know that 50% of you will argue that the product is actually "duck tape" due to its history of being used to apply to duck cloth in WW2 long before it was used to fix ducting. As best we can tell, both names are technically correct. And because "duck tape" was so commonly used, it eventually was branded as such. In the end, we used "duct" since it seems like a more generic term to use, but we'll stand by our favorite brand of it! )