September 2018 Younger Members Corner

You’ve got to hand it to Texas – how many other places will you find people crazy enough to enjoy themselves in this wicked summer heat? Our Younger Members across the great state have turned up the heat by keeping things fresh with some cool events.

In the worst of this summer’s triple-digit temperatures, ASCE Austin Branch YMF co-hosted the second annual Summer Party Barge with fellow professional organization Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) on Lake Travis. With approximately 60 young professionals in attendance, this event provided a fun day in the sun! ASCE and YPT rented a double decker barge for the day, complete with sound system and slide, making it an easy splash into the waters of Lake Travis. As the boat traveled along the lake, members made connections with old friends and new faces, snacking, dancing, and hydrating along the way. 

For those ever-so-typical engineers who prefer to hang out in the corner, there was a pair of dice roaming around the boat being thrust upon attendees that ultimately determined the nature of their ice breaker dare, ranging from eating a mustard-covered Oreo to bellowing the lyrics of Don’t Stop Believin’ over the loudspeaker. The boat eventually anchored for members to swim and participate in lake activities while the boat captain transformed himself into a hotdog- and burger-slinging chef, keeping the attendees entertained and well-fed. Along the route back to the marina, the boat anchored at a 30-foot shear wall so that those with the courage could cliff jump into the brisk water. This was a perfect event for members to interact with young professionals in civil engineering who directly impact the greater Austin area. YPT and ASCE also hired a photographer to be on board so that all of the action could be documented.

Houstonians beat the heat by celebrating a more tenured tradition – 75 years with the ASCE Houston Branch! 45 Houston Branch members, half of whom were Younger Members, joined together for a celebratory Astros baseball game to commemorate the Branch’s anniversary. Attendees arrived at Minute Maid Park early for pre-game festivities, enjoying music, food from local vendors, and tailgating games for fans. The group spent time getting to know each other and sharing their love for sporting events, good food, and most of all, the 2018 World Series Champions, the Houston Astros! 

Each ticket purchased came with food and drinks to enjoy while watching the Astros beat the Detroit Tigers. This is the first birthday celebration of its kind for the Houston Branch. It’s easy to celebrate the success of the Branch in general, but it’s even easier when it includes a fun outing embracing local culture.

In addition to this outing, the Branch has sold commemorative 75th anniversary mugs and is designing a sand castle for the annual AIA Sandcastle Competition in Galveston in the shape of a birthday cake to ring in another great year. It’s safe to say that with how successful the anniversary celebrations have been this year, each anniversary for ASCE Houston is going to be one to remember!