ROLLA 鈥� Mining engineering is a field driven by the latest technology, but over the weekend, college students from around the world came to Missouri University of Science and Technology to compete in events that mimic mining practices from a century ago.
The seven events in the annual Intercollegiate Mining Competition include hand steel, in which team members drive a spike into a concrete block using nothing but a small sledgehammer and water to clean out the hole. The team that can drive the spike in deepest wins.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work. It takes a lot of energy out of us,鈥� said Ryan Sibley, a Missouri S&T student and the lead coordinator of the student-run event. 鈥淢ost of us are face down after a lot of the events from all the energy we expended. But getting the chance to see and mingle with all our fellow mining students from around the world is an absolutely amazing opportunity.鈥�
This year鈥檚 games featured teams from five states, England and Australia. The location moves each year, and this was the first time it鈥檚 been in Rolla since 2014. The previous two years were canceled over COVID concerns.
The games include divisions for men, women, coed and alumni teams.
Another event is hand mucking. Teams of five push a huge mine cart down a track, then use shovels to fill it with dirt, gravel and debris known as 鈥渕uck鈥� and push the full cart back down the track.
The competitions are physically draining, and it's common to see competitors collapse in the mud in exhaustion after time is called.
But the back-breaking labor is a welcome change for students who spend most of their time indoors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to have an outlet,鈥� said Missouri S&T graduate student Rachel Bauer. 鈥淲e are all Ph.D. students and we spend a lot of time researching, writing, and we need an outlet and fun things to do. We shouldn鈥檛 research the whole time. You need balance.鈥�
And the events that simulate mining practices from a century ago are still relevant to these students.
鈥淭his is one of the programs where you鈥檙e able to actually go out into a mine and actually try these things that people had been doing for centuries in mines,鈥� said Emily Johnson, an S&T Ph.D. candidate. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 pretty nice to be able to see how everything has evolved from what we do in classes to what they used to do back in the day, and meet other people who enjoy it as well.鈥�
The Intercollegiate Mining Games were created in response to the 1972 disaster at the Sunshine Mine in Idaho, where 91 miners lost their lives. Even though that happened long before any of these students were born, they are aware of the legacy.
鈥淭he main reason these events are around is a remembrance of all those miners that perished during that disaster. That鈥檚 personally why I do it,鈥� said Neal Miller, a sophomore in mining engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a lot of fun. You build a lot of team-building skills and camaraderie.鈥�
Mining students seem to revel in the fellowship of their chosen field and the perception that they are somewhat considered outsiders in the world of science and technology.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 very niche and unique. It鈥檚 very essential but people just don鈥檛 know about it. It鈥檚 just a very interesting topic and I was always interested in doing engineering but mining just sounded a lot cooler,鈥� said Molly Gordon, team captain for the Camborne School of Mines in Penryn, England. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 what I鈥檝e gone for, and I鈥檓 happy I鈥檝e done it.鈥�
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