Pine Hill Derby threatened by budget

In its twelfth year running, the Pine Hill Derby is faced with its final scene. The possibility of the derby’s denouement has been attributed to the restructuring of the first year engineering courses. With the recent budget cuts, the engineering program may lose its requisite derby cars.

“Freshman engineering students have been required to build a car as part of their intro to engineering courses, and generally make up about half of the competition. Due to a change in the first year engineering curriculum next year, the competition is threatened,” said student senate representative Andy Payne.

The link between restructuring the Inamori School of Engineering’s first year program and the Pine Hill Derby seems to be above conjecture. However, when officials from the Inamori School were contacted about a possible ending of the program there was no comment.

According to Laurie McFadden, librarian and university archivist, Pine Hill Derby began in 1998. Since its conception the derby has become a staple of Hot Dog Day, and is widely considered as the kick-off event for the festivities. The university-sanctioned derby is looking for new participants to keep the tradition going beyond this year.

Pine Hill Derby prizes will be given for most unique design, most environmentally friendly and the vehicle that most aptly fits the phrase "what were you thinking?" All winners in these categories will be awarded $50. The prizes for first, second, and third place are $100, $50, and $20 respectively and will be given along with a Pine Hill Derby 2010 certificate.

The Delta 500 grandfathered the Pine Hill Derby and was sponsored by the fraternity Delta Sigma Phi. Many times students lined the midnight course from what is now Scholes Library to the Alfred traffic light replacing the hay bails as medians for the race. The unsanctioned event featured an "anything with wheels" attitude, and without a mandatory brakes in the rulebook, most everything was allowed down Pine Hill.

The Delta 500 promptly ended due to a catastrophe when a wheeled couch careened into four students. As printed in a 1990 issue of the Fiat Lux, injuries included a broken ankle, dislocated shoulder, lacerations and a broken nose.

An end caused by prospective debt rather than disaster now threatens the Pine Hill Derby tradition.

“A strong turnout of non-required competitors this year would go a long way to ensure the derby's continuation,” commented Payne.

In response to the threat the derby is seeking all students with guts, a proper aspect ration and brakes. Pine hill derby rulebooks can be found at the information desk in Powell Campus Center.