Andrew Argeski '06, Craig Breslawski '08, Devin Fallon '08, Joe Hanley '08 and Trey Roy '09 aren't exactly Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Sigourney Weaver or Rick Moranis. But this Saturday in Providence, R.I., these five members of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity managed to summon the power of Ghostbusters in a soap box derby race sponsored by Red Bull.
Each year, 60 teams from around the nation build their own soap box cars and gather for a day of downhill racing. The cars, which cannot exceed 176 pounds, are powered by gravity alone; any other type of propulsion is prohibited. The competition involves more than just the race itself, as the creativity of the car and a skit that the team performs before the driver enters the car are also judged.
Argeski, currently a student at the Thayer School of Engineering, came up with the idea of participating in the race as a "final hurrah" before leaving Dartmouth. When he contacted other members of Sig Ep about his idea, he already had a theme in mind: Ghostbusters.
"It's a movie everyone can identify with," Breslawski explained.
The students encountered several difficulties when constructing the car, including using the wrong frame, not having brakes and finding problems with the wheels.
Despite occasional worries that they would not finish construction on time, the team succeeded in producing a 150-pound car, complete with iPod speakers, back lights, a speedometer, a Red Bull can on top and a picture of a ghost holding a Red Bull can on the side.
"It's actually just an intricate-looking coffin for Joe," Breslawski joked about Hanley, a 110-pound ex-coxswain nicknamed "Keebler."
The car proved not to be invincible, although it's driver survived.
"We were watching Hanley on the Jumbotron, and the door flipped out and then the hood started flapping," Roy said. "I swear I thought that hood was just going fly right off."
In addition to building and racing the car, the team also performed an accompanying skit in which they dressed in flight suits, aviator glasses, and "proton packs," cases with Red Bull cans attached which the students wore like backpacks. In the skit, they drank Red Bull and then sprayed Hanley, dressed as a ghost, with silly string from the proton packs. Hanley then ripped off his costume and jumped in the car to be pushed off by the team.
Competition judges included 2007 Miss Rhode Island America Ashley Bickford, world champion gymnast Alicia Sacramone, and rapper-producer Pras from hip-hop trio The Fugees, who appeared to really like the group's skit.
"We had two sevens. We got a seven from Miss Rhode Island," Hanley said. "But the dude from The Fugees gave us a nine!"
The students originally completed what team member Trey Roy '09 called an "intense application" to participate in the race in June. They were informed of their acceptance in July and began building their car, which they completed on Wednesday, during the September interim period.
Upon arrival in Rhode Island, the team members discovered that the Red Bull can had come off and damaged the car. Roy said the team was extremely upset until they found fellow Sig Ep alumnus Alric Lam '01 Th'05 lived in the area. He and his two friends, Eric Gruber '07 and Kristen Condello, a senior at University of Pennsylvania, fixed up the car in time for the race.
Roy, who will be the only team member remaining at Dartmouth next year, said he plans to participate in the project again next year, but that it will be difficult without Argeski.
"[I] would love to see participation in the race continue for years to come."
