ACE seeks committed members
Club aims to educate students on architecture, construction, engineering
Senior and project manager Christian Vega speaks during Architecture Construction Engineering’s first meeting Oct. 24 while senior Zoe Younger smiles and watches. According to Vega, the first meeting was a time for team members to introduce themselves and discuss their plans.
October 28, 2019
At his first Architecture Construction Engineering meeting, freshman Asher Shertok said he hopes to develop relationships with his fellow team members and mentors.
“I think the small group could be good,” Shertok said. “You get good one-on-one attention from the mentors and the teachers.”
According to construction project manager and mentor Stephanie Smolak, the Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) club helps to prepare students for future careers in architecture, construction and engineering through projects. This year’s topic being a gastronomic center.
“(ACE) is a volunteer program that helps students who are interested in architecture, construction and engineering work on a national competition. It is usually over about 4-5 months worth of time and we meet with the students and help them develop ideas and present their project,” Smolak said. “This year’s (theme) is a gastronomic center (which is) a kitchen that blends culture and cultural foods into it.”
Shertok said he decided to become a part of ACE due to his interest in the careers it focuses on.
“I joined it because I am interested in engineering, specifically mechanical engineering, and I think this is a good way to pursue the career,” Shertok said.
Smolak, who has been a mentor for the past three years, said ACE allows students to gain an understanding of multiple career fields.
“(The club) is important because it lets students who have even the slightest interest in architecture, construction or engineering get a lot better feel for what that means,” Smolak said.
Senior and ACE project manager Christian Vega said he hopes the club’s numbers remain consistently high throughout the season.
“In the beginning (of last year) we had lots of people, like 20, and in the end and in the middle of our season of ACE, it turns out we probably only had seven or six left,” Vega said. “(I’m) hoping this year we keep our people who want to join and stick to it and try to progress to it and be more into (it) for next years.”
Shertok said he thinks ACE is a necessary part of Park’s extracurricular options as it provides students with the ability to look into careers not touched on in most other clubs or classes.
“I think ACE is important as well as every other club because I think variety (among) all the clubs is a good thing and ACE especially is good for architects (as well as) people who want to go into construction and engineering since there is not really anything else for them,” Shertok said.
Vega said he would recommend ACE to those interested in the subject and hopes more will join.
“(ACE) is one way, one step to know for yourself what you want to do in the future,” Vega said. “Hopefully we have more people try to join in and stay.”
