Student Leadership Handbook
2013-2014
MESA Schools Program @ California State University, Fresno
2320 E. San Ramon Avenue M/S EE 94
Fresno, California 93740-8028
559.278.2976
559.278.4517 (fax)
http://mesa.csufresno.edu
September 2013
Dear MESA Student LeaderWelcome to the 2013-2014 school year! As a student leader, you know that MESA is a program
that teaches students like you about math, science, and engineering through hands-on projects,
competitions, and field trips. MESA also offers college planning assistance and advising
opportunities, as well as leadership development activities. Members of our Student
Leadership Group help plan and run all kinds of activities—both at CSU Fresno and at their
schools—and serve as important links between the CSU Fresno MESA Office and MESA students.
Now that we’re well into the new school year, we’re excited to get going with our MESA
programs. Last year, MESA students participated in a variety of activities, including two Student
Leadership Retreats in the fall and spring, four Saturday Academies, online MESA courses;
Regional MESA Day at CSU Fresno, a field trip to Catalina Island Marine Institute, an awards
banquet, and much more. After a summer of planning, we’re ready to build on last year’s
activities and lessons by offering some great opportunities for you this year. For example, we’re
expanding our MESA OnlineU to offer more materials for both high school and middle school
students. Additionally, students who qualify at Preliminary MESA Day will be representing
Fresno State MESA at the Regional Competitions, which will be held this year at UC Santa Cruz.
We’ll rely on our Student Leadership Group to help make these activities successful!
This handbook provides information to help you continue to develop the MESA program at your
school. We also want to encourage you to continue to use our website,
http://mesa.csufresno.edu. We’re adding new resources to it all the time! Don’t forget to
check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger sites, too! You can find links to them on our home
page. We always love getting input from our students—seeing what activities you’re doing,
hearing your ideas for field trips and fund raising, and doing whatever we can to help you reach
your goals. Please don’t hesitate to call our office at 559.278.2976 with any questions. We’re
here to help!
Sincerely,
Beatrice Prieto
Director
CSU Fresno MESA Schools Program
bprieto@csufresno.edu
Syreeta Martinez
Academic Coordinator
CSU Fresno MESA Schools Program
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Table of Contents
Section I: Some Background Information
CSU Fresno Mission Statement…………………………………………………………………………...………...3
About MESA………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………..3
CSU Fresno MESA Schools Program Website…………………………………..……………………………..3
Student Leadership Website……………………………………………………………………….…………….…..5
MESA StudentBlog………………………………………………………………………….…………….…………….…6
Fresno State MESA OnlineU……………………………………………………………………………………………7
MESA Parent Nights……………………………………………………………………………………………..………..9
Section II: Student Leadership Information & Forms
Outstanding MESA School of the YearAward…………………………………………………….............10
MESA Graduation Requirements………………………………………………….……………………….…..…11
MESA Scholarships………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...11
Section III: Calendars
Student Leadership Meetings………………………………………………………………………….……….....12
2010-2011 Calendar of Events……………………………………………………………………………...........12
Section IV: MESA Day
MESA Day Format………………………………………………………………………………….….…….………..…14
2010-2011 MESA Day Competitions…………………………………………….………………………..…….14
2010-2011 MESA Day Competition Rules……………………………………..………….…………….…...14
MESA Day Logistics………………………………………………………………….…………..………………….…..15
MESA Code of Behavior…………………………………………………………………………….………………….22
Section V: Deliverables
Monthly Activity Report…………………………………………………………………………..…………….....…25
Section: Resources
Leadership Activities……………………………………………………………………………….……………………24
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Section I:
Some Background Information
CSU Fresno MESA Mission Statement
To motivate and prepare in disadvantaged students, especially those from underserved
population, the knowledge and skills that will enhance their interest and prepare them for
professions requiring degrees in engineering, and other mathematics and science-based fields.
About MESA
MESA was founded in 1970, coming to Fresno ten years later. Currently, there are nineteen
MESA Schools Program centers around California. Collectively, these centers serve
approximately 15,000 students at 316 schools. The MESA program in California has served as a
model for similar programs in seven other states.
Locally, MESA involves a partnership between California State University, Fresno, area schools,
school districts, industries, and professional organizations. We serve students in 6th through 12th
grades. Major elements of the program include:
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Hands-on Projects
MESA Day Competitions
School-Site MESA Meetings
Saturday Academies
Field Trips
Academic Advising
SAT/PSAT Preparation
Study Skills Training
Career & College Exploration
Student Leadership Training
Parent Involvement
Professional Development for Teachers
CSU Fresno MESA Schools Program Website
Our website contains important information about MESA for students, parents, and advisors,
including:
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Announcements and updated calendar information
Access to online enrollment and event registration
MESA Day rules
“Project of the Month” tips to help you with your MESA Day projects
Picture galleries (you can submit pictures of MESA activities to bprieto@csufresno.edu
to be posted on the site)
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College and career information
Information for parents in English and Spanish
Forms
Links to the MESA OnlineU, MESA Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger pages, and other
important websites
Contact information
More!
Visit our website at http://mesa.csufresno.edu.
Student Leadership Website
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The Student Leadership page on the MESA website provides resources for student leadership
members, including agendas of all Student Leadership meetings, a copy of this handbook, a link
to an online Monthly Activity Report, and downloadable forms. You can find it at
http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/leadership.shtml.
MESA Student Blog
We will be continuing the student blogs this year. Every couple of weeks, different schools
provide entries about their MESA activities—both at their school sites and at Fresno State. Last
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year’s entries detailed field trips, fundraisers, MESA Day successes, end of the year celebrations,
plans for the future, and more. Leadership team members—or someone designated by them—
were responsible for providing the entries and pictures. We will then take care of posting
entries on the site. We’re hoping to involve as many MESA schools as possible. Sign-ups will be
available at Student Leadership Meetings. Entries can be about anything related to MESA,
should be 2-3 paragraphs long, and should be student-written. They should be emailed to
bprieto@csufresno.edu (pasted into the body of an email is fine) by the date you sign up for. If
you would like to include pictures with your entry (3-4 pictures), please send them in JPEG
format. More information will be provided at Student Leadership Meetings.
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Fresno State MESA OnlineU
Over the past couple of years, we implemented an online academy for MESA students—known
as the Fresno State MESA Online Academy. We now have expanded statewide and have
renamed it to California MESA OnlineU. It can be accessed online at http://californiamesaonlineu.org/. This academy offers basic information about MESA as well as more specific
lessons about several of the MESA Day competitions. Because it can be accessed anytime and
anywhere, it offers an alternative to attending weekly MESA meetings for students who have
scheduling or other conflicts. Participating students must still check in with their advisors and
attend MESA events at Fresno State, but are able to participate in MESA at a time that is
convenient for them.
We will be continuing and expanding this online academy during the 2013-2014 school year.
We have added more content to each grade level. For Middle schools there are two courses,
they include: Middle School Orientation and MESA Online 1 for Middle School. For High School
students we have five courses, they include: High School Orientation, MESA Online 101 for 9th
graders, MESA online 201 for 10th graders, MESA online 301 for 11th graders, and MESA online
401 for 12th graders. All students are encouraged to utilize it as a resource—either in lieu of
weekly meetings or as a supplement to them.
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The onlineU also offers information for parents. If you parents are interested in knowing more
about MESA or about financial aid or preparing for college, they can go to the onlineU form
information. Remember you will need an enrollment key to view courses. Please ask your MESA
advisor for the enrollment keys. It is a great resource for both parents and students.
This year, participation in the academy can also serve as a substitute for one Saturday Academy
for high school students. Students who complete the online academy requirements will only
need to attend one Saturday Academy in order to be eligible to compete in MESA Day. Check
with your advisor for specific requirements.
Students who have never used the site will need to create an account. Instructions are available
at the following website http://www.californiamesa-onlineu.org/login/. Those that used the
site last year should use the same login information. If you can’t remember your username
and/or password, use the links provided on the site or call our office at 559.278.2976 for
assistance. Please do not create a duplicate account if you have used the site in the past!
Courses will require users to enter an enrollment key to gain access. Check with your advisor for
enrollment keys.
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MESA Parent Nights
Parent involvement is an important part of the MESA mission. We want to make sure that your
parents know what MESA is about and what it can offer you and your fellow MESA students.
Many schools have found that Parent Nights are a great way to involve parents and let them
know what’s going on in MESA. Parent nights are a good place to:
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Create fellowship among MESA students and families (food can help with this!)
Introduce the advisor, leadership team, and MESA staff
Communicate the benefits of MESA
Discuss expectations and schedules
Introduce types of events and competitions (try doing a family sponge
activity/competition to help parents understand the MESA projects)
Talk about how parents can get involved
Show off accomplishments
Answer questions
Last year, Leadership Group members helped their advisors with all aspects of parent night
planning, including food, presentations, translations, and more. Depending on whether or not
food is being served, parent nights usually take an hour to an hour and a half. Parent nights can
be held at various times throughout the year:
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At the end of the preceding year as a recruiting tool
At the beginning of the year as a way to introduce the program and recruit students
At mid-year as a way to review Fall events and prepare for the Spring
At the end of the year as a celebration
After working with your advisor to decide when you might want to plan a parent night, please
feel free to call our office (559.278.2976) with any questions.
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Section II:
Student Leadership Information & Forms
Outstanding MESA School of the Year Award
CSU Fresno MESA awards a “MESA School of the Year” award to one middle school and one high school
each year. Award decisions will be based on total points earned at the end of the academic year. Points
will be awarded for each of the following criteria:
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Deliverables
o Student Enrollment Forms (PAF)
 20 or more students – 5points
 50 or more students – 10points
 75 or more students – 15points
 100 or more students – 20points
o MESA Day Preliminary Competitions – at the conclusion of the MESA Day Preliminary
Competitions at CSU Fresno, an overall winner will be determined (middle school and high school)
based on the points earned for every “place winner.” Points will be calculated from all official
MESA Day Competitions:
o 1st place school (50 points)
o 2nd place (30 points)
o 3rd place (20 points)
o 4th place (10points)
o Student Participation – participation in MESA events, both at CSU Fresno and at the school site.
o MESA Day Competition – 10points
o Saturday Academies – 5points each academy maximum 20points
o Regular meeting – 15points
o Field Trips – 10points (limit of 3 fieldtrips)
o Student Leadership – established officers attendance at monthly student leadership meetings.
o Established officers – 15points
o Attend meetings – 15points
o School plan / goal – 25points
o Bonus Category –
o Conducting a school site parent night (20 points each, maximum 40 points)
o Placing in the top three of the Prosthetic Challenge Competition at Regional MESA Day
Competitions (25, 15 & 10 points respectively)(Participating but not placing 2point)
school site field trip to universities, industry, or tech museum, non-MESA sponsored Robotics
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Participation in MESA OnlineU – at least 50% of student population completing orientation
module or more (10 points)
o Students complete or update an Academic Plan (detailing classes taken through senior year of
high school) (50 points for 100% of MESA enrollment, 20 points for 75%, 10 points for 50%)
o school site offers MESA period or class (20 points)
o other STEM enrichment activities (Science Bowl, CIMI, Science Olympiad, non-MESA robotic
competition, etc.) (5 points per activity, maximum 30 points)
o MESA Spirit Points – for demonstration of sportsmanship, gracious professionalism,
collaboration & cooperation at any of the Saturday Academies, Preliminary Competitions and
Regional Finals (up to 5 points each, per school per event)
o Enrollment Bonus – 15% or more of the school’s students are enrolled in MESA (25 points)
o cohort attainment: enrollment of at least 20 students per grade level (25 points)
 A short essay (1-2 pages) – outlining program activities and explaining why the school is deserving
of the award. This essay must be student-written and will be due in late April or early May. The
essay will be evaluated by MESA Staff, College of Engineering and/or MESA Board of Advisers. (100
points)
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MESA Graduation Requirements
Seniors and 8th graders who are active in MESA are eligible to apply for MESA Graduation. MESA
Graduates are honored at our annual end-of-the-year Awards Banquet. Applications will be
available in April 2014. See below for MESA Graduation criteria.
8th Grade Outstanding Achievement Graduation Requirements
Criteria include:
 Complete Algebra I
 Must attend at least two Saturday Academies
 Must compete in MESA Day Competitions
 Minimum cumulative GPA=3.0
 MESA Student Leadership (a plus!)
Certificate of Graduation
Criteria include:
 4 years of college preparatory mathematics
 4 years of college preparatory English
 Chemistry or Physics
 Minimum cumulative GPA=3.0
 MESA School Program participation
Outstanding Achievement Certificate of Graduation
Criteria include:
 4 years of college preparatory mathematics
 4 years of college preparatory English
 Chemistry AND Physics (an additional year of AP science can be substituted)
 Complete “a-g” subject requirements for University of California or California State
University.
 Minimum cumulative GPA=3.3
 Must be involved with MESA for 2 years and senior year must account for one of the
years.
 MESA School Program participation (leadership participation a plus)
MESA Scholarships
Various scholarships are awarded at the end of the year to graduating high school seniors who
will be attending a four-year university or community college the following fall. Applicants must
submit an application form, a personal statement, and a high school transcript. Other factors
that will be considered include number of years in MESA (as an active member), leadership,
extracurricular activities, and honors and awards received.
Applications will be available in April 2014 and will be due in May 2014. Specific dates will be
announced in spring. (Note: MESA Scholarships are awarded as long as funds are available.)
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Section IV: Calendars
Student Leadership Meetings
Student Leadership Meetings will be held on the following days, location to be announced
September 21, 2013 (retreat)
October 8, 2013 (online)
November 12, 2013 (online)
December 10, 2013 (online)
January 25, 2013 (Spring Retreat)
February 11, 2014 (online)
March 11, 2014 (online)
April 8, 2014 (online)
May 6, 2014
2013-2014 Calendar of Events
This calendar is TENTATIVE! Please check our website for updated information.
September 2013
21th
Student Leadership Retreat
20th
EF Deadline for 1st Saturday Academy
February 2013
6th
MESA Chat Live
8th
Preliminary Prosthetic Arm
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Online Student Leadership Meeting
22nd
EggXpress Lab Reports Due 3:00pm
22nd
Fourth MESA Saturday Academy
October 2013
8th
Online Student Leadership Meeting
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First Saturday Academy
March 2014
8th
MESA Day Prelims
th
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Online Student Leadership Meeting
November 2013
1st
EF Deadline for 2nd & 3rd Academies
th th
6 -8 Catalina Island Marine Institute
12th
Online Student Leadership Meeting
13th
MESA Chat Live
16th
Second Saturday Academy
April 2014
3rd
Scholarship Application Available
Petition for Graduation Available
8th Grade Graduation App. Available
TBD
Regional MESA Day Competition @
Fresno State
th
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Online Student Leadership Meeting
December 2013
5th
MS & HS Monthly Advisor’s Meeting
th
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Third Saturday Academy
10th
Online Student Leadership Meeting
May 2014
6th
Student Leadership Meeting
TBD
Scholarship Applications Due
TBD
Petition for Graduation Due
TBD
8th Grade Graduation Application Due
TBD
End-of-the-Year Banquet
January 2014
22nd
EF Deadline for 4th Academy
24th
MESA Day Live
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25
Spring Student Leadership Retreat
31th
Prosthetic Arm Technical Paper Due
June 2014
TBD
Prosthetic Arm Nationals
TBD
Science Engineering Academy
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Section V: MESA Day
MESA Day Format
As in past years, a ‘cap’ will be in place on the number of teams a school site may send (per competition)
to the 2014 Preliminary MESA Day Competition. The cap for each competition will be announced in
early spring. The cap is to ensure that disqualifications at prelims decrease, that students are exposed
to the various MESA Day Projects locally, that each MESA school is well represented at each
competition, and for MESA Center logistical purposes. Additional teams on certain MESA Day
competitions may be provided to certain schools with larger numbers of student enrollment. Details will
be provided in early spring.
Each school site should conduct a prequalification for each competition locally and designate
representatives for preliminaries (e.g. 1st, 2nd & 3rd), as well as alternates (e.g. 4th & 5th) in the Fall of
2013 and early Spring of 2014. You can find webcasts on the OnlineU http://californiamesa-onlineU.org
You can always access MESA Day web resources at http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/project.shtml.
Students that don’t place in one competition should work to place in another project/competition.
MESA students must participate in two of the four Saturday Academies at Fresno State to qualify to
compete at MESA Day Prelims. Alternately, completion of the Fresno State MESA Online Academy
can take the place of one Saturday Academy for high school students.
Also as in past years, we will recognize the overall MESA school site winner for both the middle schools
and high schools at the MESA Day Preliminary Competition. At the conclusion of the preliminary
competitions, the middle school and high school with the most points accumulated from all the “place
winners” for each official MESA Day competition wins! Points will be designated for each of the place
winners: 1st place = 5 points, 2n place = 3 points and 3rd place = 1 point. The tie breaker will depend on
the each school’s performance in the Prosthetic Arm Challenge competition.
For example: School A and School B accumulated a total of 45 points each. However, School A
placed 2nd in the Prosthetic Arm competition and School B placed 5th. Therefore, School A will
be the designated overall winner of the preliminary competitions.
A perpetual trophy will be awarded to the school (middle & high school) with the most points. In
addition, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place schools will earn 50, 30 & 20 points respectively toward the Outstanding
MESA School of the Year Award.
We strongly encourage you to review each of the competition rules/guidelines as well as the MESA Day
Code of Conduct. In addition, we have provided you in advance the competition logistics for the 2014
Central California Regional MESA Day @ UC Santa Cruz.
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2013-2014 MESA Day Competitions
Strand
Civil /Earthquake
Engineering
Communications
Solo Math**
Team Math**
Technology
Grade 6
Stick
Together
Speak Up
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Web Design
Mechanical
Engineering
Biomedical
Engineering
Mousetrap:
Distance
Model
Science: Eye
Aeronautical
Engineering
Balsawood
Glider:
Distance
EggXpress
Grade 7
Stick
Together
Speak Up
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Web
Design
Mousetrap:
Distance
Model
Science:
Eye
Balsawood
Glider:
Distance
EggXpress
*Prosthetic
Arm
Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
*Prosthetic
Arm
Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
Packaging
Engineering
National
Engineering Design
Competition
Robotics (Demo)
Grade 8
Stick
Together
Speak Up
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Web
Design
Mousetrap:
Distance
Model
Science:
Eye
Balsawood
Glider:
Distance
EggXpress
*Prosthetic
Arm
Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
Grade 9
Balsawood
Bridges
Speak Easy
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Grade 10
Balsawood
Bridges
Speak Easy
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Grade 11
Balsawood
Bridges
Speak Easy
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Grade 12
Balsawood
Bridges
Speak Easy
Solo Math
Team Math
Quest
Mousetrap:
Accuracy
Model
Science: Brain
Mousetrap:
Accuracy
Model
Science: Brain
Mousetrap:
Accuracy
Model
Science: Brain
Mousetrap:
Accuracy
Model Science:
Brain
Balsawood
Glider: Time
Aloft
EggXpress
Balsawood
Glider: Time
Aloft
EggXpress
Balsawood
Glider: Time
Aloft
EggXpress
Balsawood
Glider: Time
Aloft
EggXpress
*Prosthetic
Arm Challenge
*Prosthetic
Arm
Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
*Prosthetic
Arm
Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
*Prosthetic
Arm Challenge
Lego
Mindstorm
Lego
Mindstorm
*Please refer to Central Region MESA Day 2014 – Prosthetic Arm for new changes
**Please refer to Central Region MESA Day 2014 – Solo Mathematics and Team Math Quest for new changes.
2013-2014 MESA Day Competition Rules
The rules for the 2013-2014 MESA Day Competitions can be found at:
http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/rules.shtml
Please note that there have been some changes from last year’s rules! Please
also make sure that you are using the correct rules for your grade level.
MESA Day Resources
You can find resources for the MESA Day projects on the “MESA Day” page of the CSU Fresno MESA
website:
http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/mesaday.shtml
You will also find links on that page to a “Project of the Month” page
(http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/project.shtml) and a National Engineering Design Competition –
Prosthetic Arm page (http://mesa.csufresno.edu/students/national.shtml). We will be offering MESA
Chat Lives, so if at that time you have questions or need clarifications on rules log in and join us. Check
the calendar for dates.
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MESA Day Logistics
Central Region MESA Day 2014
Preliminary MESA Day at Fresno State: March 8, 2014
Regional MESA Day at Fresno State: April 5, 2014 (tentative)
Competition Logistics: In addition to each of the competition guidelines, the following are some
clarifications to the rules as well as team compositions and parameters for the Central Region MESA
Centers. Information in this packet is subject to change prior to Regionals.
Middle School / Junior High
BALSAWOOD GLIDER (Aeronautical Engineering)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Name(s), school, and center must clearly visible on glider. Do not use a separate tie-on
label, as this will be considered to be part of the model when it is turned in for
judging.
3. Each glider will be given 3 launches
4. Winner is determined by the combined longest distance + second longest distance
5. At least ONE of the student competitors on a team MUST be present during launch;
otherwise, the launch will be forfeited.
6. Limitations: 3 teams per center / 1 - 2 students per team.
EGGXPRESS (Packaging Engineering)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Participants must clearly label entry with name(s), school, grade level, MESA center (CSU
Fresno), and number of eggs in container. Any special instructions must be clearly marked
on container.
3. Computer generated Lab Reports for Prelims are due on February 22 by 3:00pm. For
Regional MESA Day lab reports are due in advance of the competition day (Due Date:
TBD).
4. Containers will be dropped by the judges from the recommended height similar to a 6-level
building.
5. Containers will be opened by the judges to determine number of survivors and verify legality
of packaging materials.
6. Judges should be able to easily open the packages and determine the number of eggs
survived. It is to the judges’ discretion not to count possible survivors if the package or egg
is deemed unable to open. For example, if students package their eggs with materials that
“stick” to the shell of the egg and makes it difficult for the judges to determine if the eggs
has a “crack” – then that egg will not be counted as one of the survivors.
7. Participants need NOT be present at time of drop. Since the specifications check location
may be different than the drop location, it is to each team’s discretion to move its own
package to the drop location immediately prior to the drop or to have it moved by the
judges. Packages not moved by teams will automatically be moved by the judges.
8. Limitations: 3 teams per center / 1 - 2 students per team.
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MODEL SCIENCE: “The Eye” (Biomedical Engineering)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), school, and center directly on the display/model.
3. Participants must be present at time of competition questioning. If more than 30 seconds
pass after the judges call a team for competition without the team being ready, the team will
be considered a no-show and judges will move on to the next competitor.
4. Perishable items may not be used. Items considered "perishable" are those that spoil or
attract bugs such as candy, sweets, fruits, vegetables, etc. However, dried food items such as
dried beans and pasta are fine. Items that must be refrigerated or that attract bugs are NOT
legal.
5. Limitations: 3 teams per center / 1 - 2 students per team.
MOUSETRAP CAR: Distance (Mechanical Engineering)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), grade level(s), school, and center directly on the
vehicle.
3. The contest will be held in a building hallway on a concrete/tile surface. The surface should
be smooth.
4. Mousetraps must be Victor Brand standard mousetraps. Use of any other brand or type of
mousetrap will result in disqualification.
5. Creativity and Engineering Design category will be posted and winners will be recognized
prior to launch. Winners in this category do not advance to Regionals.
6. At least ONE of the student competitors on a team MUST be present during launch. If
more than 30 seconds pass after the judges call a team for a turn without the team being
ready, the turn will be considered a forfeit and judges will move on to the next competitor.
7. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 1 - 2 students per team.
NATIONAL: Prosthetic Arm Challenge (STEM)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Students must clearly label their names, school, and center directly on the device (or on a tag
attached to their device).
3. Technical Papers for Regional MESA Day are due in the Fresno State MESA Office no later
than 5:00 p.m. on <TBA>. They must be submitted electronically – in Word or PDF
format. At the Regional competition, Technical Paper winners will be posted at the
academic displays site. Technical Papers for the State competition will be due on a date to
be determined.
4. Two participants must be present at times of performance tasks and ALL participants must
be present for oral presentations. If more than 30 seconds pass after the judges call a team
for a turn/presentation without the team being ready, the turn/presentation will be
considered a forfeit and judges will move on to the next competitor.
5. Project Introduction (pg.14) – “Teams must be prepared to introduce themselves to
Academic Display Judges and respond to questions about their project and academic
display….(5 minutes max)…” Not applicable in prelims and regionals, only at state and
nationals.
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6. For the academic display, one 30” x 72” x 29” table will be provided for each team. At the
Regional competition, upon completion of academic display judging, winners will be posted
on site prior to public viewing of displays.
7. For the oral presentation, teams may speak for a maximum of 5 minutes at prelims and 7
minutes at regionals, followed by a 3- minute question and answer period. State
Championships will be 10 minutes. Oral Presentation winners will be posted at the
academic display site at the Regional competition.
8. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 2 - 4 students per team.
SPEAK UP (Communications)
1. 6th – 8th Grade; 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place will be recognized for each grade level at Prelims and 1st,
2nd, and 3rd will be recognized for in a 6th grade division and a combined 7th/8th grade division
at Regionals.
2. Students may drop off visual aid materials at designated competition location during checkin period. Students should “check-in” and “load” PowerPoint Presentation (if applicable) to
ensure compatibility of software and hardware equipment.
3. A computer with a CD and USB (flash) drive and LCD projector will be provided by the
host center.
4. Please note the host center is NOT responsible for any technical difficulties arising from
students’ inability to open files. Students are highly recommended to have a back-up
presentation with other forms of visual aid.
5. An overhead projector and flip chart stand will also be provided by the host center.
6. Please note that students must give their presentation in the order drawn. If more than 30
seconds pass after the judges call a student for competition without the student being ready,
the student will be considered a no-show and judges will move on to the next competitor.
7. Limitations: 3 students per grade level for Prelims;1st place in each level (6th-8th) will advance
to Regionals (for a total of 3 students per center). (Medals will be awarded to 1st-3rd places in
each grade level at Prelims and and 1st-3rd places in a 6th grade division and a combined
7th/8th grade division at Regionals, but only 1st place winners in each grade level from Prelims
will advance to Regionals.)
STICK TOGETHER (Civil/Earthquake Engineering)
1. 6th – 8th Grade
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), grade level(s), school, and center directly on the
bridge (or on a tag attached to the bridge).
3. Creativity Category will be posted on site and winners will be recognized prior to “bridge
crushing.” Winners from this category do not advance to Regionals.
4. Participants need NOT be present at time of judging.
5. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 1 - 2 students per team.
SOLO MATHEMATICS (Mathematics)
1. 6th – 8th Grade; General Math through Geometry.
2. One Solo Math test will be administered by each center as part of the Preliminary MESA
Day competition. No test will be administered at Regionals. Preliminary winners will be
recognized locally and their tests and scores will be forwarded to the Regional MESA Day
host for entry into the Regional-level competition. Regional winners will be invited to
Regional MESA Day to receive their awards, but will not take an additional test.
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3. The student’s full name, school name, MESA Center, and course level must be filled out
completely on the Scantron answer sheet. If the student’s information is not complete, the
student will be disqualified.
4. Students must compete in the level of their currently enrolled math course.
a. General Math, Pre-Algebra (6th & 7th grade students only)
b. Algebra 1, Geometry
5. When applicable, only non-qwerty calculators are allowed and must be supplied by the team.
Calculators that have typewriter-like keyboards, require an electrical outlet, make noises, or
use paper are not permitted. Additionally, devices with embedded calculator functions such
as cell phones, PDAs, organizers, laptops or handheld computers are not allowed.
TEAM MATH QUEST (Mathematics)
1. 6th – 8th Grade; General Math through Geometry
2. One Team Math Quest test will be administered by each center as part of the Preliminary
MESA Day competition. No test will be administered at Regionals. Preliminary winners
will be recognized locally and their tests and scores will be forwarded to the Regional MESA
Day host for entry into the Regional-level competition. Regional winners will be invited to
Regional MESA Day to receive their awards, but will not take an additional test.
3. A team is composed of two to four students, each from different math levels. Teams may be
composed of fewer than four students if not all math levels are represented, but no student
may compete alone and no team may include more than one member from an individual
math level.
4. Teams must legibly and thoroughly complete the “Team Information” of the Score Sheet.
5. Only non-qwerty calculators are allowed and must be supplied by the team. Calculators that
have typewriter-like keyboards, require an electrical outlet, make noises, or use paper are not
permitted. Additionally, devices with embedded calculator functions such as cell phones,
PDAs, organizers, laptops or handheld computers are not allowed.
ROBOTICS (DEMO) (Technology)
1. 6th-8th Grades
2. At least one of the team members must be present at time of competition. If more than 30
seconds pass after the judges call a team for a turn/match without the team being ready, the
turn/match will be considered a forfeit.
3. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 2-4 students per team.
High School
BALSAWOOD GLIDER (Aeronautical Engineering)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), school, and center on the glider. As per the rules,
labeling may not be on a separate tag.
3. At least one of the team members must be present at time of competition. If more than 30
seconds pass after the judges call a team for a turn without the team being ready, the turn
will be considered a forfeit and judges will move on to the next competitor.
4. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 1 - 2 students per team.
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CIVIL STRUCTURES (Civil/Earthquake Engineering)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), school, and center on the structure (or on a tag
attached to the structure).
3. Creativity Category winners will be posted and recognized prior to “bridge crushing.”
4. Participants need NOT be present at time of judging.
5. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 1 - 2 students per team.
EGGXPRESS (Packaging Engineering)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Participants must clearly label entry with name(s), school, grade level, center, and number of
eggs in container. Any special instructions must be clearly marked on container.
3. Lab Reports for Regional MESA Day are due in advance of the competition day. For
Regional MESA Day, lab reports must be in the UC Santa Cruz MESA Office no later than
5:00 p.m. on <DATE>.
4. Containers will be dropped by the judges from the recommended height similar to a 6-level
building.
5. Containers will be opened by the judges to determine number of survivors and verify legality
of packaging materials.
6. Judges should be able to easily open the packages and determine the number of eggs
survived. It is to the judges’ discretion not to count possible survivors if the package or egg
is deemed unable to open. For example, if students package their eggs with materials that
“stick” to the shell of the egg and makes it difficult for the judges to determine if the eggs
has a “crack” – then that egg will not be counted as one of the survivors.
7. Participants need NOT be present at time of drop. Since the specifications check location
may be different than the drop location, it is to each team’s discretion to move its own
package to the drop location immediately prior to the drop or to have it moved by the
judges. Packages not moved by teams will automatically be moved by the judges.
8. Limitations: 3 teams per center / 1 - 2 students per team.
MODEL SCIENCE: BRAIN (Biomedical Engineering)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), school, and center directly on the display/model.
3. Perishable items may not be used. Items considered "perishable" are those that spoil or
attract bugs such as candy, sweets, fruits, vegetables, etc. However, dried food items such as
dried beans and pasta are fine. Items that must be refrigerated or that attract bugs are NOT
legal.
4. Participants must be present at time of competition questioning. If more than 30 seconds
pass after the judges call a team for competition without the team being ready, the team will
be considered a no-show and judges will move on to the next competitor.
5. Limitations: 3 teams per center / 1 - 2 students per team.
MOUSETRAP CAR: ACCURACY (Mechanical Engineering)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Students must clearly label their name(s), school, and center directly on the vehicle.
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3. The contest will be held in a building hallway on a concrete/tile surface. The surface is
smooth.
4. Mousetraps must be Victor Brand standard mousetraps. Use of any other brand or type of
mousetrap will result in disqualification.
5. At least ONE of the team members MUST be present at time of competition. If more than
30 seconds pass after the judges call a team for a turn without the team being ready, the turn
will be considered a forfeit and judges will move on to the next competitor.
6. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 1 - 2 students per team.
SPEAK EASY (Communications)
1. 9th – 12th Grades
2. Please note that students must give their presentation in the order drawn. If more than 30
seconds pass after the judges call a student for competition without the student being ready,
the student will be considered a no-show and judges will move on to the next competitor.
3. Limitations: 3 students per center.
SOLO MATHEMATICS (Mathematics)
1. 9th – 12th Grades; Algebra Math through Calculus.
2. One Solo Math test will be administered by each center as part of the Preliminary MESA
Day competition. No test will be administered at Regionals. Preliminary winners will be
recognized locally and their tests and scores will be forwarded to the Regional MESA Day
host for entry into the Regional-level competition. Regional winners will be invited to
Regional MESA Day to receive their awards, but will not take an additional test.
3. The student’s full name, school name, MESA Center, and course level must be filled out
completely on the Scantron answer sheet. If the student’s information is not complete, the
student will be disqualified.
4. Students must compete in the level of their currently enrolled math course (or their most
recent math course).
a. Level I: Algebra I
b. Level II: Geometry
c. Level III: Algebra II or Algebra II/Trigonometry
d. Level IV: Math Analysis, Pre-Calculus, Calculus
5. Only non-qwerty calculators are allowed and must be supplied by the team. Calculators that
have typewriter-like keyboards, require an electrical outlet, make noises, or use paper are not
permitted. Additionally, devices with embedded calculator functions such as cell phones,
PDAs, organizers, laptops or handheld computers are not allowed.
TEAM MATH QUEST (Mathematics)
1. 9th – 12th Grades; Algebra through Calculus
2. One Team Math Quest test will be administered by each center as part of the Preliminary
MESA Day competition. No test will be administered at Regionals. Preliminary winners
will be recognized locally and their tests and scores will be forwarded to the Regional MESA
Day host for entry into the Regional-level competition. Regional winners will be invited to
Regional MESA Day to receive their awards, but will not take an additional test.
3. A team is composed of three students from the same school site. All three members must
be eligible to participate in the same category.
4. Teams must legibly and thoroughly complete the “Team Information” of the Score Sheet.
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5. Only non-qwerty calculators are allowed and must be supplied by the team. Calculators that
have typewriter-like keyboards, require an electrical outlet, make noises, or use paper are not
permitted. Additionally, devices with embedded calculator functions such as cell phones,
PDAs, organizers, laptops or handheld computers are not allowed.
6. Limitations: 3 teams per category per center / 2-3 students per team.
ROBOTICS (DEMO) (Technology)
1. 9th-12th Grades
2. At least one of the team members must be present at time of competition. If more than 30
seconds pass after the judges call a team for a turn/match without the team being ready, the
turn/match will be considered a forfeit.
3. Limitations: 3 teams per center/ 2-4 students per team.
Miscellaneous:
1. Regardless of ties, only the stated number of teams or competitors may compete at
Regionals. (i.e. EggXpress at prelims resulted in a two students tie for 1st and a second place
and a third place – Only the two 1st place competitors and 2nd place move on to regionals)
2. If there are multiple ties in a given competition at your local prelims (i.e. two 1st place, two
2nd place and 1 third place), conduct a tie breaker for the two 2nd place teams/competitors to
determine the 3rd team/competitor advancing to regionals.
3. NO LATE entries on projects unless authorized or approved by the host center. For
example, if EggXpress packages are due by 8:30 am, no team or competitor may turn in their
package at 9:00 am or at the time the EggXpress packages are being dropped.
4. For ALL MESA Day Competitions, students may be asked by competition judges to validate
authenticity of their work/project.
MESA Code of Behavior
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GOALS OF MESA DAY
 Provide students with an opportunity to apply mathematics, science and engineering principles
to individual and team academic contest and, over time, to develop their mastery of these
academic skills
 Expose students to other campuses, college faculty, technical equipment, laboratories, etc.
 Encourage students to explore attending college in other locations or cities
 Build self-esteem and confidence in students
 Encourage and motivate students to excel
 Expose students to leading-edge technology thus increasing their exposure to and awareness of
math and science careers
MESA CODE OF BEHAVIOR
MESA students need to remember that MESA competitions are academic events and participants should
present themselves in a manner that respects teachers, students, judges, hosts and other officials at the
event. Please remember that countless hours are spent in preparation and execution of the event for
your enjoyment and many of the facilitators are volunteers giving of their time for you.
The “golden rule” of competition means treating your fellow competitors as you would like to be
treated yourself. Show respect for yourself, your teammates and your opponents, for advisors from all
schools and centers and for the judges and other officials. This applies to those who leave the
competition with medals and those who do not. Knowledge, pride and empathy should be the
cornerstones of any MESA competition.
Everyone must be participating in a competitive event or other MESA Day activity at all times, either as a
competitor or as an observer. Students are never allowed off campus or in areas not associated with
MESA Day.
This code of behavior applies to MESA Parents, MESA Advisors and teachers and MESA staff. Any type of
misconduct will result in the immediate disqualification of the student, team and perhaps the entire
school. MESA reserves the right to ask anyone who is not conducting themselves per this code to leave
the event.
I have read this Code of Behavior and will do my best to follow the “Golden Rule” of competition.
____________________________
Name of Participant
______________________
MESA Center
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________________
Dat
MESA SCHOOL SITE
MONTHLY STUDENT LEADERSHIP REPORT
2013-2014
MONTH
PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY:
SCHOOL
PRESIDENT
 Academic advising  Career Advising  College Advising
 Financial Aid Advising  SAT Prep  Study Skills
 Other, please specify: ________________________________
Hands-On Activities – MESA Day (bridges, gliders, mousetrap cars)
Hands-On Activities – NON-MESA Day (silly putty, icebreakers)
Online MESA Activities (OnlineU, student blog)
Other MESA Activities (tutoring, field trips)
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Section VII:
Resources
Meetings
o Go over upcoming events
o Remind students to register (Recommend to host in a computer lab)
o Begin with icebreaker/activities to engage interest
o Fundraising Ideas
o Calendar of events
o Rule overview ( can be broken down into different meetings)
o OnlineU review
Fundraisers
o T-shirt sales
o Candy sales
o Dances
o Food fairs
o Fall Festivals
o Football games
o Grams
o Dinners
Encourage Student
o Make it fun
o Give raffle tickets at each meeting and at the end of the month do a raffle
o Do various projects each week
o End of the month fun activity (movie day, raffle, ice cream)
o Mini MESA Contest
o Enrichment Programs
Coping with Problems
o Leadership meeting
o Communication
o Speaking with advisor
o Replacing those officers that are not Performing (should be last step)
o Talk one to one
o Encourage and appraise each other
Helping Your MESA Middle School
o Tutoring
o Rule Overview
o Mentor
o Group Events/projects
o Have incoming freshman meet advisor and student leaders to prepare them for next
year.
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Leadership Activities
Balloon Walk
Materials: balloons
Students are lined up in a single file line and are instructed to place a balloon between them and the
person in front of them. The team must walk a designated route without dropping the balloons. Added
challenge: place the balloons shoulder to shoulder.
Birthday Line-up
Materials: none; optional—blindfolds
Team members are to remain silent during this activity. The team is instructed to line themselves up by
birth date, month, and day. The group members will try to communicate with each other using fingers
for counting and a wide variety of gestures. Allow the group time to complete the task and then check
for the accuracy of their work. (Optional: use blindfold or have students close their eyes.)
Group Scrabble
Materials: index cards with letters of the alphabet on them, a bucket
Each person picks a letter card out of the bucket. If you have a big group, you will need more letter
cards, and it is probably good to include a few extra vowels (A,E,I,O,U) and consider removing the X, Q
and Z from the hat. Tell the group their task is to arrange themselves into complete words given the
cards they select from the hat. The group can come up with several small words or just a few long
words, but every letter needs to be included. Once they are done, you can have everyone put their cards
back in and re-draw, or move on to a new activity.
Helium Stick
Materials: a stick long enough for 4-6 people to hold it at the same time
Have a group of 8-12 people divide into two lines and face each other. Explain the rules to the group:
everyone's index fingers MUST remain in contact with the stick at all times, and the stick must rest on
top of their fingers at all times (no grabbing, finger curling, etc.). Have the group extend their index
fingers at waist level. Lay the stick across the group's fingers. At that time, the group must work
together to lower the stick to the ground. (Inevitably, the stick rises almost instantly - causing laughter,
frustration, or confusion. The rise is caused by the small ripples of upward pressure as individuals each
try to remain in contact with the stick.) After refocusing, the group will be able to lower the stick.
Human Knot
Materials: none
This activity is for groups of no more than twelve students. Have the students form a tight circle. Then
instruct them to hold their hands out and grab somebody else’s hands. For the activity to work the
students cannot hold hands with the person next to them or both hands of the same person. After they
have achieved this task, they must now figure out a way to undo the knot without letting go of each
other’s hands.
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Life Boat
Materials: a small plastic tarp or blanket
All participants should stand on the tarp (which should be small enough that everyone needs to stand
very close to one another. The tarp represents a life boat. The players have boarded the life boat from
a sinking ship. Unfortunately, the life boat is taking on water and they must flip it over to empty the
water out. There are hungry sharks in the water hoping that someone will step off the life boat and
provide them with a tasty meal. The players must flip the boat over without allowing anyone to fall in
the water. If a participant steps off, then the activity starts anew.
Pass the Ball
Materials: small ball (like a tennis ball)
Have the group sit down on the ground in a circle with their legs out in front of them. Squeeze everyone
tight together so that their legs are touching. Place a ball between the ankles of one player. The goal is
to pass the ball around the circle without using hands or arms and without letting the ball touch the
ground. If the ball falls, the group has to start over again. (Optional: divide students into two groups
and make a race out of it.)
Pass the Stone
Materials: one small stone, marble or coin for each group
Have the participants sit in two parallel lines facing each other about two feet apart. This game requires
concentration, communication, strategy and powers of observation. Make sure both lines have the
same number of people. Each line receives a small stone which is passed (or appears to be passed) down
the line. Each person can pass the stone or just appear to pass it on. Hands must be kept in front of the
body. Both lines "pass" at the same time. The participants should be watching the other team, not their
own, to see if they can figure out where the stone stops. When the "passing" reaches the ends of the
lines, each group huddles to choose who on the other team has the pebble. The first person in each line
presents the team's choice and if they guess right, they get a point. Then they come back and sit in their
original lines. The head of the line gets up and goes to the end of the line and this repeats until everyone
has a chance to lead the line.
Plate Race
Materials: paper plates
Give each player a paper plate and separate the group into two teams. Give each team one extra plate.
The teams race against each other to a finish line while only stepping on the paper plates. This will
require throwing a paper plate in front of the team and each team member moving forward. The last
member picks up the last place and it gets handed to the front where it is then thrown ahead and
stepped on. Everyone moves forward a plate and the process continues.
River Crossing
Materials: 1 foot by 1 foot squares of cardboard (half to two-thirds as many squares as people in the
group) or 8.5x11 pieces of paper, 2 pieces of rope or masking tape, several blindfolds (optional)
Create a river by marking two river banks with the rope. Make the river wide enough to be a challenge
for the group to get from one side to the other (about 15–25 ft.). Distribute the cardboard squares – 1
piece for every 2 people. The object of the activity is to get all members of the group safely across the
river. They must go as one big group, not multiple smaller ones. Also stress that everyone must be on
the river before anyone can get off the river, forcing the entire group to be engaged at once.
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Participants cannot touch the water (floor/grass) and therefore must use rafts (cardboard squares) to
cross. The water is filled with piranhas. Therefore if someone loses their balance and touches a hand or
foot in the water it gets eaten (put behind the back). If a person completely comes off the raft they are
gone and since this is a team exercise everyone must start over. No scooting or sliding on the squares.
(This can be a safety issue and it emphasizes individual work versus teamwork.) Rafts must be in contact
with a human at all times or they will be swept away with the current. Add in a blindfold or time
constraints for an added challenge.
Ten Fingers
Materials: none
Have everyone sit in a circle or close enough to be able to hear everyone. Tell them to hold up all 10
fingers. A leader can start off by stating one fact about themselves, for example: "I have never been to
Florida." or "I have blue eyes." Then the participants who have been to Florida, or don't have blue eyes,
will put one finger down. This will continue around the circle, having each person share one fact about
themselves until someone is all out of fingers. It’s better to try and use less obvious, unique facts about
yourself because there is a chance that more people will have to put a finger down if they can't relate to
your fact. Whoever has the most fingers left after everyone has gone wins!
Trust Walk
Materials: blindfolds
Have students get into pairs. One member will blindfold his or her partner. The partner without the
blindfold will then lead the other by the elbow or shoulder, telling him or her where to walk. This should
go on for about five minutes. Switch roles and repeat the process. After all students have had both
roles, ask them how this activity applies to goal-setting and teamwork.
Who (Where/What) Am I?
Materials: index cards (or paper cut into squares) and tape
Ask each person to write the name of a famous person (or location, object, etc.) on a piece of paper.
They should do this in secret. The leader then collects all of the cards, mixes them up, and then
randomly tapes one to each person’s back. Each person must ask then ask yes or no questions to try to
figure out the name of the person taped to his or her back. (For example, Am I still alive? Am I a male?
Am I an actor? etc.)
Wireless Communication
Materials: rope or tape, a blindfold, paper and pen, some props
Put the rope down as a starting line. Ask the group to select their best listener. Bring that person
forward 20' and blindfold them. Tell them they cannot speak from then on until the game is over. Also
tell them not to move unless told to do so. Ask the group to select their best communicator. Bring them
forward 10' and turn them so they face the group, who should all be standing on the starting line. The
communicator may not turn around to look behind them (i.e., they can’t turn around to face the
listener). However, they are allowed to speak. Tell the group on the starting line they may not say
anything or the game is over. Now produce some props- a chair, a hoop, a hat, a glass, a jug of water,
etc. Give the group on the starting line a set of written instructions, e.g. "Direct the listener to put on
the hat, sit on the chair and pour themselves a cup of water, then drink it!" Without speaking, the group
has to make the communicator understand the directions so they can tell the listener what to do. Note:
"Mouthing" and whispering the directions to the communicator is not permitted. Miming only!
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