What is Buggy?

It doesn't happen anywhere else in the nation. It defines its own college subculture - one of early morning practices, late-night build sessions, and a staggering amount of duct tape. It's Buggy, and it's what makes Carnegie Mellon even more unique (and perhaps absurd) than it already is.

So what are those little cars made of? Are they directed by remote control? Is there actually a real person inside? Why do people do it?

Composite materials. No. Yes, they're called drivers, and they are extraordinarily petite members of the Carnegie Mellon community. Because there is nothing else like it - anywhere.

In short, Sweepstakes - Buggy's official name - is a competition among independent student organizations, fraternities, and one sorority in which teams of mechanics build small, low-to-the-ground vehicles with hopes of navigating the course the fastest. To boot, everyone participating in Buggy in any way must be a current student of Carnegie Mellon. Since 1920, team mechanics, pushers, and drivers have practiced throughout the school year, culminating in a race held during the annual on-campus Carnival events in April.

Fringe is one of about fifteen teams that compete annually. But what's the difference among the teams? The discrepancy between highly successful and less successful teams is often great. Fringe is a highly motivated, highly competitive, and incredibly successful team. Not only do we eagerly put in late weekday nights, early weekend mornings, and countless days and copious amounts of energy in-between, we keep our eye on the Carnival trophies that we will earn in April while creating our own recipe for Buggy success. What is that recipe? To successfully maneuver the Buggy course, Fringe agrees, it takes a great driver, a motivated push team, and a highly innovative team of mechanics. Do you have what it takes?

Please feel free to e-mail if you have any questions about buggy or about Fringe or are interested in joining. You can visit the Sweepstakes webpage here.