Graduating Seniors Sign Ol’ Spart Early to Make Way for Big Weekend Events
Several York College seniors stepped up to a campus tradition a little early this week, trading caps and gowns for racing helmets and playoff gear.
In the days leading up to Commencement, a few graduating students gathered around Ol’ Spart—fondly known as “The Rock”—to leave their mark before heading off to major college events that will prevent them from attending Saturday’s ceremony. Signing Ol’ Spart is a longstanding York College tradition, with hundreds of graduating seniors adding their names to the beloved campus landmark every semester.
Among those signing early are five engineering students from York College’s competitive race team, “YCP Racing.” The team left Tuesday morning for the Formula SAE Collegiate Design Series competition at Michigan International Speedway, where they’ll compete against 120 teams from across the globe.
The seniors—Owen Brady, Eric Kane, Nate Renfro, Dakota Sawyers, and Sam Thomas—have spent the past year designing and building a race-ready vehicle from scratch as part of their senior capstone project. The project blends mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering and requires hundreds of hours of design, fabrication, testing, and refinement.
“The journey of building a racecar from scratch this year has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding,” said Eric Kane. “It’s a rare and exciting opportunity—one that not many people get to experience.”
Their advisor, Dr. Tristan Ericson, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, said he hopes the students take pride in their work.
“This is a tough competition with a lot of elite schools,” Ericson said. “With dedication and a lot of hard work, our teams always produce a quality car that's ready to compete. I’m always really proud of their work, and I hope they feel the same sense of satisfaction.”
This year’s team focused on constructing a lighter car, building on designs from previous years.
They’ll compete in various events, including acceleration, endurance, and design evaluation. The final event takes place Saturday—coinciding with Commencement.
“It’s been an incredible experience to see our designs from the fall semester come together into a fully completed vehicle,” said Owen Brady. “What’s stood out to me the most is the team building and bonding. I’ve made close friendships that I know will last beyond graduation.”
Several student-athletes are also signing Ol' Spart early because various playoff games this weekend will cause them to miss Commencement.
Though these seniors won’t cross the stage this weekend, their early signature on The Rock ensures their place in York College tradition—celebrating their academic achievements and the final milestones of their college careers.
