E-Days
E-Days
Celebrating engineering, ingenuity and each other.
Orediggers build, launch and occasionally set sail during this unique holiday each spring.
Every spring, Orediggers build and launch their own three-day holiday (and yes, a few dozen cardboard boats). Made for and by Mines students, E-Days is a time when Mines students construct (un)sinkable cardboard boats, launch objects from student-built trebuchets, try their hands at traditional mining activities and more. And with the weekend capped off with an impressive and fan-favorite fireworks display, what could be a better way to celebrate being an Oredigger?
More than just a good time
E-Days is a weekend full of fun engineering challenges. All students can try their hand at building a cardboard boat that will withstand the (often freezing) waters of Clear Creek or a trebuchet that launches a milk jug at targets (a bullseye is not guaranteed). But there’s also an ore cart pull to the state capitol building, a Tesla coil demonstration, concerts, a legendary fireworks show and more.
And it only happens because of Mines students. As is true with nearly everything at Mines, students are behind the wheel (or at the cardboard rudder). They build the program and the marketing plan, interview and hire artists and other talent, and shape and manage all three days of activities. This means E-Days isn’t just a good time, but another valuable project experience (and resume builder) for Orediggers as well.
What to expect
See a great firework show
Become obsessed with cardboard
Enjoy live music under the stars
Open to
All Orediggers
When
Every April
Where
Golden, Colo.
Three days set aside just to relax and have fun
Activities include a carnival, games, food and special guests
The can’t-miss celebration to end the school year
Got your cardboard boat? Ready to get your dance on? Think you can try your hand at some old-fashioned mining skills? E-Days has it all and is the perfect way for Orediggers to blow off some steam while showing off all the engineering skills they’ve learned throughout the school year.
Oredigger reviews
Matthew, Computer Science, Berthoud, Colo.
“E-Days is a great time to take a break from classes and celebrate what Mines is all about with all the other students. The cardboard boat race and concert were awesome and brought amazing energy to campus that I had not seen before. The fireworks were absolutely amazing, and they might just be the best show in Colorado.”
Colleen, Engineering, Cimarron, N.M.
“E-Days was AWESOME! Watching the cardboard boats drift down a glacial creek when it was below freezing is definitely something I’ll remember forever! The Bad Suns played for the first time in nearly two years and were incredible. The weekend ended with a student-run fireworks show that lit up the sky and ended with a massive fireball!”
Eliseo, Mechanical Engineering, Commerce City, Colo.
“E-Days is what you make of it. Joining all of the events and getting free food, playing games with friends and making a cardboard boat for Clear Creek are a few things that makes E-Days the best weekend on campus every year.”
Michelle, Mechanical Engineering, The Woodlands, Texas
“E-Days is all about taking a break from the stress and enjoying a normal college weekend. The comedian and Saturday night headliner concert are the best parts, and I’ll always remember the fireworks show provided by the club on campus!”
Dylan, Electrical Engineering, Larkspur, Colo.
“My favorite part of E-Days is being able to take a break from studying and seeing the entire school come together and celebrate each other and hopefully remembering it. I’ll always remember spending more hours and money than I’d like to admit on a cardboard boat to see it go ~5 ft in Clear Creek. It’s about the journey not the outcome!”
Emma, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Flower Mound, Texas
“No other school celebrates their students, as well as Mines, does. Having a whole weekend dedicated to the students and their choice to be engineers is unique and fun. My favorite parts of E-Days are the fireworks and the cardboard boat races. I’ll never forget sitting outside in the freezing cold with my best friends, watching our crazy peers sail down freezing cold Clear Creek on a cardboard boat.”
Ashley, Statistics, Gretna, Neb.
“E-Days is about celebrating what makes Mines unique. We can be nerds, we can have fun and we can have nerdy fun. I always enjoy watching the cardboard boat race each year, and the carnival is very fun as well.”
Zach, Mechanical Engineering, Seattle, Wash.
“E-Days was a lot of fun. Getting to spend time just having fun with the friends I’ve made over my time at college is unforgettable. The fireworks were the best part.”
Kaleigh, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Columbus, Ohio
“E-Days is a weekend-long celebration of what it means to be a part of the Mines community. Through the different engineering challenges and events, such as the cardboard boat races and the trebuchet competition to the Tesla coil demonstration, the concerts and the fireworks, it is a great way to celebrate being an Oredigger. My personal favorite parts are the cardboard boat races, the carnival and the fireworks, but you really don’t want to miss any of the events! I will always remember my freshmen year, watching the cardboard boat races. It was cold and snowing, and we sat by the creek for four hours cheering on our friends and fellow Orediggers. By the end, we could not feel our hands or feet, but it was such a fun time getting to see how creative everyone was with their boats. One of my other favorite memories from E-Days is the Saturday night fireworks. I remember standing on the North IM field with my friends, and we truly had the best view in the house. At that moment, I remember all of the other stressors and worries that were lingering in my head went away, and the overwhelming joy I found in my heart, getting to be with my friends at that moment, was incredible. The E-Days fireworks are the best fireworks in the country, and I promise you, that is not an understatement, and they do not disappoint.”
Helena, Chemical Engineering, Lafayette, Colo.
“Don’t miss the fireworks—they’re always spectacular!”