During all three lunches, the Automotive Department will hold its second annual car smash on Tuesday, Sept 17th. The car smash is intended to raise spirit for homecoming week and help support the automotive program; the money raised will be dedicated to funding uniforms, projects and their USA competition team.
“It’s going to be really fun and cathartic to be able to hit something,” senior Arianna Braddy said. “It also gets to show off the school spirit for homecoming week as we [hope to] beat Round Rock.”
The car was originally a blue Toyota but has been customized to represent the Round Rock Dragons, the opponent for the upcoming homecoming game.
“We’re gonna paint it and repaint it to be the dragons because we’re gonna beat them this year,” Braddy said. “I feel like you could get a cool picture.”
During the event, two separate tables will be set up. One will be used for taking payment and the other will provide safety gear and the tool students purchased to use on the car.
“[Last year] we did a hammer, two-pound sledgehammer and a five-pound sledgehammer,” Braddy said. “It’s gonna be one, two, three as it gets heavier and then it’s going to be per hit. So, if you do five hits of a hammer, it’s only $5, but five hits of the five-pound sledgehammer would be $25.”
Over the past few weeks, automotive students have been organizing for the event by preparing the car.
“[Practicum in Transportation Systems] this year has been in charge of fully gutting it,” Braddy said. “Taking out the engine over a few class periods and the transmission, disconnecting all the wiring and removing the glass panels.”
Automotive teacher Ryan Arnold originally drew inspiration from his high school years, as well as from online media. After finding out that another school in the district got approval for the event, he reached out in hopes of bringing it to McNeil.
“It’s become a safety issue that a lot of schools don’t want to take on,” Arnold said “Then I found out that another Round Rock ISD school got the okay to do it. So while I didn’t poach their idea, I did poach the fact that they got approval to do it. I contacted the safety officer, he was like, yes you guys can have one too.”
To combat safety concerns, various precautions have been put in place.
“We will have a perimeter set around the vehicle so that students don’t get too close while another student is swinging something heavy,” Arnold said. “The vehicle cannot move or shift position. Students will wear safety gear as they’re utilizing the hammers on the vehicle and [we removed] all the things that could hurt them when they hit the vehicle.
Arnold said the car smash is not only a good way to vent some aggression, but also a good way to show school spirit.
“It’s something they will remember for a long time so I think it’s a much better fundraiser than just having my kids be another group that sells chocolate,” Arnold said. “it’s just as memorable or if not more so.”
