Three Cheers: College welding contest excellent

Both the Yuba College Public Relations staff and I asked you to cover the Welding Olympics Contest that was held at Yuba College last Thursday, and for whatever reason you missed an outstanding event.

This was the finest innovation in the welding program since Instructor Dan Turner had the welding camp last academic year.

There were students from three local high schools with their welding instructors and three other high school welding instructors as well as the welding instructor from Shasta College.

The Lincoln Electric Co. had four representatives, and they supplied multiple welding machines. Before the session began there was a presentation by the Lincoln representatives, and they gave each instructor a set of books and software valued at $1,500.

The high school students joined the Yuba College students in the competition which emulated the type of welding problems that the students would find on the job. They had to weld inside a 6-foot diameter cylinder, inside a 2.5 -foot diameter cylinder, on the side of a foot thick I-beam and many other challenging problems. The student winners received gloves and other welding personal gear.

Dan Turner has done more for the welding program at Yuba College in the last three years than any of his predecessors had accomplished in the previous 40 years.All of his classes are at full strength and everyone has a waiting list.

Jim Buchan

Member, Board of Trustees, Retired Yuba College Faculty Member