The American Society of Civil Engineers, a professional organization representing more than 123,000 civil engineers, celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2002. When the twelve Founders gathered at the Croton Aqueduct on November 5, 1852, and agreed to incorporate the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects, one can only wonder if they dreamed the profound significance and long-lasting impact ASCE would have on the overall development of society. They laid a foundation for what proves to be one of the most prominent engineering societies in the world.

Today ASCE is a worldwide leader for excellence in civil engineering. With a mission to advance professional knowledge and improve the practice of civil engineering, ASCE is a focal point for the development and transfer of research results, and technical policy and managerial information. Through strategic emphasis in key areas, including infrastructure renewal and development, policy leadership and professional development, ASCE delivers the highest quality publications, programs and services to its worldwide membership, demonstrating a daily commitment to sustaining the profession.

As civil engineering enters a new millennium, the American Society of Civil Engineers will take the opportunity of its 150th anniversary to reflect on the profession's rich heritage. Then, equipped with this knowledge, ASCE will develop flexible, forward-thinking plans for the future, and start its 151st year with a renewed foundation for progress, leadership and growth in quality.

The Building Big "Build-A-Thon II" event was held on January 26, 2002 at Onondaga Community College. The event involved a coalition of various Syracuse area technical societies, youth organizations, educational institutions, and middle schools. The program was initiated in 2000 on a nationwide basis by Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) WGBH in Boston, with major sponsorship support by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in recognition of the Society's 150th anniversary. This is the second year that the Building Big program has been conducted in the Syracuse area, as a follow-up to last year's successful event. The primary coordinator for this year's event was Pete Headd, the Director of Education at WCNY, who was supported by members of ASCE Syracuse Section, as well as the Technology Club of Syracuse.

The objective of the Building Big Build-A-Thon II event is to stimulate interest in engineering and technological activities in middle school age students. The Build-A-Thon event consisted of two activities by the participating youth groups and middle schools: model bridge design and construction (completed in the weeks leading up to the event) and an on-site "engineering challenge". The engineering challenge was to construct the tallest free-standing structure made completely out of recyclable materials. The two specified design conditions were that the "foundation" of the structure had to fit within the dimensions of a supplied pizza box, and that the completed structure could be transported across the room without collapsing.