Eastern Illinois students are busily building a "Rube Goldberg" machine to handle the ribbon-cutting duties at the grand opening of the new home of the EIU Honors College this Friday.
The machine – inspired by the contraptions of Pulitzer Prize -- winning cartoonist -- will use a long and complicated series of steps to perform the simple task of cutting the ribbon to officially open the new facility.
"We have Honors students in programs throughout the university," said Honors College Dean Richard England, "and we thought this was a great chance to show off a little bit."
In addition to the physics and technology students who built the ribbon cutting contraption, other honors students will be on hand displaying their artwork, giving musical performances and explaining some of their original research.
But, the flashiest part of the show will take place at 5:15 p.m. on the south end of Pemberton Hall when President Bill Perry sets the ribbon cutter in motion.
England, who just joined the university this year, says that he is particularly pleased with the new facility and said it shows how deeply Eastern values honors students.
The Honors program was founded in 1982 by history professor, Herb Lasky, and became an Honors College in 2004. It services the needs of academically talented students by encouraging intellectual and social growth through a flexible and rigorous curriculum of Honors classes.
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