carnival 2020

2005-2008 | Co-Chairwoman, Push Captain, Pusher (Hill1, Hill 2)

Becky Armady considers Buggy to be a rich part of CMU and Spirit’s history. For her, it means it a lot to be part of something so fun, enriching and enduring. She joined Buggy because she enjoyed the athleticism, mechanic work and friendship. Her Women’s teams won three trophies, three years in a row (05,06,07). They were all third place wins, but still great! Her favorite buggy is Shaka Zulu, “she rolled like magic”.

Becky’s greatest victory is shared with her co-chair. She believes that getting the next year’s leaders to understand their role was a victory. Getting them to take their race day preparation more seriously was absolutely crucial to the men winning a trophy in 2008. That was also the year of her favorite buggy memory, when the fire extinguisher exploded in the truck all over everything. It was a mess, but it was hilarious.

Even in her post-college life, Buggy reminds Becky the importance of team work. Nowadays, Becky is a civil lawyer defending big pharma who still cares for Spirit Buggy. She loves that people still care enough about the tradition of Spirit Buggy - It’s a team and a family. Just seeing the team’s joy is enough for her. Becky even based her law school entrance essay of a lesson she learned in the 2008 buggy season. “You have to be satisfied with the work you’ve done. There are are no do-overs. If you value your work and not the outcome, you will be satisfied”. Becky was chairwoman that year; Women’s A team failed the drop test (which crushed her), but Men’s A team finally clinched a trophy: 6th place. “The way we celebrated, you’d have thought we won 1st place.” It was nice to quench the men’s trophy drought.

To the current team: Becky encourages you to “Train hard and sleep. Please sleep. It makes you faster and helps you think better.” She asks “What is your personal plan to contribute to the team’s collective goal?”

1990 - 1992 | Co-Chair (with Karl Lentz), Push Captain

Chad Darby’s claim to buggy fame, greatest victory, and favorite memory is winning buggy in 1992 - “1st Place Alumni, 1st Place Women’s, 1st Place Men’s. Sweep!” Mr. Robert Bowie recruited Chad before he even started at CMU during Sleeping Bag weekend. Chad’s favorite buggy is Shaka Zulu and considers Tachyon’s 1990 spinout to be his biggest buggy disappointment.

Being on the team taught him that there is no such thing as luck. There is only preparation plus opportunity.

Chad is now a software Consultant for Red Hat/IBM. He continues to be involved with Spirit Buggy because he loves seeing new students continue to push the envelope. In his post-Buggy life, Buggy reminds him that hard work and commitment pays off.

Current Students, Chad advises that Buggy is more than just technology. You also need to build and motivate team.

2009-2013 | Push Captain, Pusher

Joe Frick is known for cutting crazy designs in his hair for race day. He also wrote the 2012 Spirit Buggy Anthem. For Joe, Buggy 100/Spirit Buggy 35 means “35 years of being the dopest team on the course and kicking ass while doing it. I'm proud to be a part of the Spirit story.”

Joe got hooked into Spirit Buggy after watching the Hype Video at the end of Origins before freshmen year. He recalls all of the upperclassmen going nuts while the video played. The energy in the room and all of the highlights of the team had him instantly hooked.

Joe was a three time push captain for SRS. His biggest disappointment is that in 3 of his 4 years on the team, there was only one day of rolls which mean there were no finals heats. He really thinks the team would have surprised folks if they’d had the opportunity. Despite this, he is proud that in 2011, the Men's A and B teams finished 5th and 6th, only separated by 1 second. The team had a pretty rough race day in 2010 (A Team Spin out, B Team hit the curb during the free roll), so bouncing back the way they did was extremely satisfying.

His favorite buggy memories was during one of the first rolls of the season. The buggy was moving a little faster than anticipated. He was in the chute planning to help with the pickup, just in case there wasn’t a large rollout. He was talking to the other pusher and when he turned around, the buggy was right at his feet. With his 3” vertical, he attempted to jump over the buggy (for reasons he can’t explain), while wearing baggy sweat pants. The handle of the push bar got caught in the sweats and continued on to finish the roll. He, on the other hand, was flipped over the push bar and had to practice the rest of the day with a huge tear in his pants.

Joe is now a Senior Energy Software Consultant for ION Commodities. His job involves a lot of travel, so when he’s not on the road, he plays beer league hockey, golf, racquetball. At the very least, he’s doing something to offset all of the food he and his wife Sara cook up in the kitchen. You can also find him terrorizing kids and adults on 2K and the latest NHL video game.

The top three things Joe’s learned from Spirit Buggy are:

1. Enjoy the journey along the road you are traveling. It's not just about the destination.

2. Talent alone does not translate into results. You have to also put the work in.

3. Always shake Evan Moss's hand before major life events.

1993 - 1994 | Push Captain, Pusher

Micheal Ramseur (‘String’) is a principal consultant with an interesting Buggy origin story. The word is that Bowie wouldn’t let him join. However, Tom Felmley informed a mutual friend who pushed to get Michael to come out.

Michael’s favorite buggy memory is winning 1st place in 1993.

His favorite buggy is Shaka Zulu.

Sophomore | Pusher

Noni Shelton loves Buggy! She was a pusher her freshman year and is now a Push Captain. Her favorite buggy memory is dancing at the truck on race day.

For Noni, Buggy100/SRS35 means carrying on a legacy of greatness. Next year she’s hoping to actually have a race day and to get a lot of really dedicated pushers who are enthusiastic about pushing.

Sophomore | Head Mechanic

Maame Efua Conduah was a mechanic her freshman year before serving as head mechanic. Her goals for this year are to help create and make room for a strong and personal bond between team members across each part of the team (pushers, mechanics, flaggers, drivers, designers, alumni, etc). She just wants everyone to have fun being a part of SRS.

To Maame, Buggy100/SRS35 means legacy; being proud of how far SRS has come only makes her incredibly optimistic for where it will go. She will see the 35 and feel honored to be a part.

She would tell you her favorite buggy memory, but then she’d have another, and another and … you get the point. One thing she’d like you know is this: She loves sprinting. She’s been out of the game since doing sports in high school. So, don’t watch her run now but she does loves it.

Maame, we’re looking forward to seeing you push a mean Hill 5 next year!

Sophomore | Mechanic

Stuart Johnson’s goal as a mechanic is to avoid mechanical failures and to keep our drivers rolling! Stuart’s point of view is that Spirit is the best team and it is “up to us to prove it.” He believes that the Spirit Buggy teams that came before his have already cemented the organization in buggy history, as one of the greatest to ever do the sport. Now it is on his generation to continue that legacy forward.

Stuart’s favorite buggy memories are the late night build sessions working on the new buggy.

2014 -2018 | Advisor, Vice Chairwoman, Mechanic

1996-1998 | MFIC, Head Mechanic, Mechanic

Carl Nott joined buggy because he wanted to learn about how things work, and that he did. His favorite buggy memory was sitting in the buggy room watching 'Legends of the Fall' as Fuko cooked.

Carl’s greatest buggy disappointment and greatest victory both happened in 1998, when Spirt won the Men’s races, but wasn’t able to snag the Women’s 1st Place trophy. Vicious Flow is his favorite buggy.

Carl currently works as an Analytic Chemist. 100 years of buggy and 35 years of Spirit Buggy has got him “feeling pretty old" (His words!) but that’s not stopping him from joining our panel for Virtual Carnival 2020.

1993 - present | Mechanic, Data Geek, Keeper of the Rainbow, Valued Alum

“Want to get someone excited about a secret society? Tell them it’s a secret”. That’s what pulled Mark Trumpbour in. His RA, Pete Sellar, talked about Spirit like it was the world’s worst-kept secret. Mark let slip that his first job was as a bicycle mechanic. Pete recruited Mark right away and the rest is history. Mark is known for being the man of many names and the keeper of The Rainbow. You might also recall seeing his Mohawk in the old raceday photos.

Without question, he considers the value of team work to be the greatest lesson he’s learned from Spirit Buggy. “We are better together”. He also learned how difficult it is to build a highly functioning, cross-functional team.

Mark Trumpbour works in the go-go world of facilities management software. He lives with his wife and 8-year old daughter in the Free Republic of Brooklyn.

Sophomore | Head Flagger, Mechanic

Jacob Abrams is excited to meet everyone! He’s a student on the current team and serves as the head flagger.

Jacob’s got two favorite memories. The first was Truck Weekend of his freshman year. Just seeing all of the different teams together really showed him how much work everyone had put in. Seeing the energy the mechanics had put into perspective how hyped and excited the team was. The second is a funnier memory. During Midnight Rolls, Jacob was catching a buggy. He tripped and the buggy dragged him for a bit, causing his jeans to rip. Then, later that practice, his phone dropped and a buggy ran over it. It is a memory he will always look back and laugh at. Lesson learned: Wear clothes that have closed pockets.

Jacob’s goals for this year are to have all the team members be as excited as possible and to be united as team. “By becoming a team with passionate members, the bonds our team will have become strong, increasing our drive to win.”

His thoughts on Buggy 100/SRS 35 are as follows: “100 Years of Buggy signifies the traditions CMU has created and the impact of its legacy on CMU. Since it has been evolving over the 100 years, it shows how buggy is an integral part of the CMU experience. 35 years of Spirit buggy means that if you keep on fighting, you can overcome any obstacle. Our founding members of Spirit Buggy went from a brand new team to a major contender, breaking many records./’

1987 -1989 | Support, Driver Coordination & Feedback

Krist Dodaro got involved with Spirit Buggy because his at-the-time girlfriend (and still life-long friend), Roxana, was a Spirit Buggy driver (87-89). Krist is known for unilaterally deciding to move up the chute flag on Race Day 1988 about 10 feet. He did this so that the driver line would drop into the correct location. In 1988, Spirit set the two decade record. In 1989, Spirit set the second fastest time within 0.034 seconds of 1988. Krist is disappointed that the team wasn’t able to have back to back to records in 88 and 89. Naturally, Quantum Leap is his favorite buggy. He considers the 1988 record not just a great buggy victory but one of life’s great victories.

Krist still remembers the view from the chute during the 1988 race. The Hill 3 pick-up was the best he’d every seen. “Never have I seen man and buggy fuse so beautifully, so perfectly into one fluid and seamless motion. It was astounding to watch”. Once the buggy cleared the chute and Krist saw that pickup, he knew that they’d won the record. Buggy proved to him that a rag-tag group of disparate misfits can pull together, and as a collective, do something truly transcendent.

Krist is currently an Architect, running a practice in Connecticut. In his spare time, he rides, collects, fixes and salvages vintage motorcycles. He also enjoys life with his fabulous wife (CM Grad 1987) and their three kids. Krist maintains interest in the team due to his love of the people and relationships that were forged during a special time in his young life. “Everyone should be so lucky”. Krist’s advice to the current team is to win with grace and lose with grace. “Are we having fun yet?”

1986 | Support, Fan

Karen Jones got involved with Spirit Buggy when Mr. Robert Bowie bugged the heck out out… ahem… we mean persistently encouraged her to join.

Karen’s favorite Buggy memory is from 1987. That year, the hype song was “Push It” by Salt n Peppa. The Run DMC style T-shirt is still her favorite Spirit T-shirt. Also, Spirit won Men’s and Women’s that year.

Karen now works as an Optometrist and we’re excited to have her participating in Virtual Carnival!

2008-2011 | Head Mechanic, Hill Sweeper

Jason Kelso is a Payments Business Analyst at Amazon. He joined buggy because he wanted to get his hands busy, learn how to build buggies and participate in the awesome traditions.

His favorite buggy is Mapambazuko -as it was the first completed buggy that he was honored to help build. Spinning out and getting DQ’d due to wheel failures on Raceday 2010 was Jasons’ biggest buggy disappointment. However, Spirit Buggy taught Jason that showing up and keeping your eyes and ears open can get you very far in life.

Jason enjoys cooking and tending to his plants in his spare time.

2008-2012 | MFIC, Head Flagger

Jen Major is a PhD Candidate in Counseling Psychology. As a former head flagger, she had a hard time picking a favorite buggy; she’s got a special love for each one. But since we made her pick one, she went with Zuke. She’ll always have fond memories of helping to build Zuke after the team’s building hiatus. Plus, the memories of bonding with her fellow team members and alums will always be special to her.

If you were around for races during Jen’s time, you might know her for screaming “Yellow Flag” louder than any other team’s flagger ever wished they could. She thought she should probably be embarrassed by this, but she’s not. Jen’s biggest disappointment was the team not making it to Day 2 in 2010. It was Spirit Buggy’s 25th anniversary; it was gut wrenching. However, the team came back stronger next year by building a buggy and earning a trophy for the Men!.

2008-2012 | MFIC, Head Driver, Driver

Kayla Aloya joined Buggy because she finally found a reason that she never grew any taller! She had never been a part of sports teams so Buggy was a perfect outlet for her competitiveness. She joined SRS specifically because she felt welcome. During orientation week, Kayla visited another team as well and could sense how much SRS was like a family from the very beginning.

Kayla is known for her passion for Buggy. It was widely known how important buggy was for her and how much she wanted the team to succeed. She was also one of the first drivers to drive on all Xooter wheels and got to experience pretty close to the ground what “burning rubber” means.

Her greatest buggy victories are “Of course, first and foremost the relationships I got to leave CMU with because of SRS”. But who doesn’t love a trophy? She got a 5th place trophy her Junior year but her real pride and joy was Chairman’s Choice with Evan Moss and Shemariah Ellis in 2012. “I feel like we worked really hard to foster a strong relationship with Sweepstakes and they were very accommodating when we needed anything.”

In terms of lessons she’s learned from being on the team, after graduation, she may have said leadership, work-ethic, or goal setting. However, with some more distance she considers Passion, Trust and Friendship to be her greatest lessons learned. All of the hard work and adversity (from other teams) is impossible to overcome without a passion for what you’re doing. As a driver, the most important lesson is trust for your teammates. Your safety is very much in their hands. And friendship: some of the strongest relationships she has from CMU are because of Buggy and the bonds that were cemented through endless late nights and early mornings.

Kayla works at NASA as an Aerospace Engineer on the Commercial Crew Program, NASA's partnership with private companies to launch astronauts to the International Space Station again from United States soil. One of her main hobbies is travel but she really missed building things in the buggy room so she’s doing a lot of DIY.

A lot of advice she used to give was how it’s important to time manage and prioritize. While that is still important she advises the current team to “soak up every moment. There is a big buildup for Carnival to the point where we felt it all came down to those two days.” Especially in this moment of Covid-19, she wanted to remind everyone that it’s about the memories before and the ones after.

2004-2009 | Head Driver, Driver, Pusher

For Shauna Ormon, Buggy 100/SRS 35 means that an amazing history of camaraderie that has spanned generations is all due to Buggy. And that the best is yet to come! Her favorite memory was rolling a Sub 2.10.00 time on Race Day. She considers her greatest buggy victory to be rolling faster than any Spirit driver had before.

Shauna’s favorite buggy is Fuko and she’s known for being a crazy driver. She stays involved with the team because of the wonderful people she’s met and friendships she’s gained. Oh, and she wants to see the team win. In her post-college life, Buggy keeps Shauna motivated to innovate.

Shauna works as a Software Developer and serves as a First Robotics Mentor in her spare time. She advises the current team to pick three major goals and stick with them. “Everything can’t be accomplished in one year". An important lesson that Shauna learned from being on the team is about team performance. “That responsibility starts with you. You must be the change you want to see. Overcoming challenges and doing the best with what you have. Being prepared to put in the work that it takes to be a competitive team.

1991-1993 | Assistant MFIC, Driver

Grace Noh Yakubisin has a ton of favorite buggy memories. They include: her first time driving where she went around the wrong side of the monument, 1991 when Spirit took everything (Men’s 1st, 3rd, 7th, Women’s 1st, Alumni 1st) and she experienced the feeling of Spirit Buggy dominating everything, 1992 where she drove for Women’s A and broke the record, some questionable mechanic’s “testing” that caused her first spin ever, friends reaching down to chat with her and keep her company in between rolls and partying at the truck as both a student and an alum! You’ll have to chat her up to get more details on these memories.

Kingpin is Grace’s favorite buggy because it was named after Karl Lentz. He was the red headed MFIC/head mechanic her first two years on the team (91/92). He was always admired for his confidence, dedication, intelligence, organization, and skill. “He gave so much to this team and I am forever grateful. I know that we all miss him very much and wish he could be here with us to celebrate Spirit Buggy.”

Grace now works for Accenture in operations. She has two teenagers that have gotten her involved in student musical theatre productions. Because of them, she has a long list of choreography credits!

She continues coming back to carnival because “ There is something really special about CMU's Spring Carnival and Buggy. It gives us all a time and a place to reunite every year. The competition between teams and the bonds within Spirit Buggy have stood the test of time. I'm lucky that I am a 4 hour drive from CMU and I was able to return so many of those years. Even when I couldn't we had livestream and Facebook to connect. Our Spirit Buggy team is a strong family. I had several different groups of close friends in college, but none of them have kept in touch with each other the way Spirit has. I'm so thankful to the originals like Robert Bowie, Matt Wagner, Dave Sowers, and Tom Felmley, who have returned every year and kept the alumni/student connection so strong! I think it's a really special thing that there are Spirit Buggy alumni and students who didn't even attend CMU during my college years, but because of our Spirit Buggy bond I feel close to them and I look forward to seeing them again every year! It's such a special group of people and I am lucky to have all of you in my life.“

Sophomore | Driver

Chloe Lenker is majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. She is really passionate about using her degrees to give back to military veterans by developing regenerative technology. Currently to work toward this goal, she is a researcher in Dr. Cohen-Karni's lab where she makes integrative biotechnology. Other than buggy, she’s involved in SHPE, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and Residential Education as an RA.

Chloe’s favorite buggy memory is the exhibition race she drove in last year. She was head to head with another driver all the way up to the chute where she decided to slow down to avoid a crash. However, our team caught up to the other team on the backhills and pulled ahead to win the race. Seeing everyone celebrating as she approached the finish line was one of the best feelings ever.

One of her favorite things to do when she has time is baking! She bakes a lot for SPIRIT events, so a lot of team members have tasted her creations. If you have any recipes she should try while in quarantine, let her know!

2009 - 2013 | Co-Chairman (well Co-Chairwoman!), Head Driver, Kru Secretary

Brittany Robertson is a nuclear chemist at a national laboratory. Outside of that she plays sports with friends/family, volunteers with local schools to do STEM demonstrations with elementary school children, goes hiking and camping with her husky and watches a ton of movies and series during this pandemic!

Her favorite buggy is Seraph and greatest Buggy disappointment is having experienced mechanical failures on Race Day.

If she could ask the current team one thing, it would be “How can I help you?”

Freshman | Driver

Cynthia Xu’s original buggy goals for 2020 were to keep a good line and have a great chute turn on race day. Given the current situation, her goal is to stay motivated and psuh through right now to prepare for next year. Her favorite Buggy memory so far is her first roll!

We asked Cynthia what 100 years of buggy and 35 years of Spirit Buggy means to here. Here’s her answer:

100 years of buggy is

100 race days

100 hopes and dreams

100 chances

100 choices

100 shots at glory

35 years of SPIRIT is 35 years of hard work

35 years of ecstasy and devastation

35 years of growth and setbacks and growth despite those setbacks

35 years of fighting

35 years of pursuit

35 years of surpassing

35 years of family

1986 -1990 | Hill 4 Pusher

Harvey Beckham was the Hill 4 pusher for 2.06.2 record breaking team, which is a standout memory for him. He left the Mellon with the Men’s record and three wins, though he wishes he could have gone for the 4-peat.

Someone asked Harvey if he wanted to join Spirit Buggy. He figured “Why not. He was a freshman and basketball had just ended.” Harvey’s favorite buggy is Quantum Leap.

Harvey recently started his own company (congrats!) and spends him time in full Dad-mode, raising 3 girls. He stays interested in the team due to the pride in what we have accomplished. To Harvey, Buggy 100/SRS35 means that Spirit needs to get back in the midst of being a force.

His encouragement and advise to the current team is “Put in all you got. It’s 4 years you’ll take with you forever, knowing you fought for something like you meant is priceless. Empty the tank so you have nothing to wish about in retrospect.”

1984-1988 | Driver

Cathy Lin is an Energy and Stormwater Manager for School Division. Cathy’s Spirit Buggy claim to fame and greatest buggy victory is that she was the driver for the 1988 Men’s A team that held the course record of 2.06.2 for 20 years from 1988-2008.

Cathy joined Buggy because she was interested in learning how this whole things worked and for the joy of driving. Her favorite buggy is Quantum Leap.

She stays involved because of the good friends and memories the team has brought her. Her advice to the current students is “Enjoy the experience.”

1985-1989 | Pusher Management, Pusher

Reggie Motley was the Hill 3 pusher for the 2.06.2 Men’s Team. In fact, his favorite buggy memory and greatest buggy victory is beating Beta and Pika. “Priceless” Reggie joined buggy because it was a great outlet from engineering school and his friends were all involved. Quantum Leap is his favorite buggy.

Celebrating 100 years of Buggy and 35 years of Spirit Buggy means celebrating great achievements and memories. Spirit Buggy taught Reggie about organizational management and team work on several levels. In his post-buggy life, it’s helped him in managing and motivating different people in different roles working on one goal. The friendships he’s made and his pride in the organization keep Reggie interested in SRS.

To the current team , Reggie advises, “Practice, Practice, Practice!”

1985-1990 | Chairman, Mechanic

David Sowers brought a tool box to campus and happened to live next door to Matt Wagner and Robert Bowie. Since then he’s been a part of the Spirit Buggy family. He’s been back to carnival every year the record stood and has only missed a few carnivals ever.

If you ask around, you might hear David’s name associated with the 2.06.2 record or the picture of him dancing on top off the truck on the cover of the Tartan. His favorite buggy is Quantum Leap (for sure) with an honorable mention to Vicious Flow. Matt Wagner was his greatest buggy disappointment, while making it through chute was his greatest victory.

Friendship, Inclusion and Trust are among the greatest lessons he’s learned from Spirit Buggy. The people are his favorite memory of buggy as some of his best, long lasting and most reliable friends came from SRS.

On Buggy100/SRS 35, David says that Buggy is “An incredible tradition for CMU” and thinks it amazing that SRS has been around that long.

David now works for Ram Track Marketing. In his post-college life, Buggy has helped with leadership in confidence. David’s advice to the current team is “Be passionate. Passion leads to effort, effort through challenge leads to camaraderie.”

1988-1991 | Chairman, Co-Chairman, Pusher

Rumor has it that a young lady was the reason for Terence Yarde joining the team (He blames Tom Felmley for that!). Terence ended up sticking around, though! Terence’s favorite memory was the SPIRIT House party after SPIRIT's record-setting Sweepstakes win (1988). His biggest disappointment was losing to PiKa in 1990 by less than 0.2 sec ("What's human error on a stopwatch, Dave Sowers?”). That is balenced by the high point of achieving Tachyon's safety certification on the basis of 'similar steering' (1989)!

We asked Terence what his buggy Claim to Fame was. We’re told that most aren't fit for publication (then or now), so he went with the 1991 Sweepstakes Award Ceremony. Quantum Leap is his favorite buggy (Are you seeing a trend here?) Terence considers the Chairman's post to be the best management training program he's ever had. HIs experience on the team also taught him that the family you choose (i.e. - BuBu Nation, SRS, Tribe from the Hills) rides with you till the bitter end.

Today, Terence works in technology sales but in his spare time you can find him working his current hobby - Pining away for the 90's.

1984-1989 | Creator, Pusher, Mechanic, Sweeper

Robert Bowie started SRS in 1984. SRS’s legacy was quickly established our legacy by setting a women’s record.

Robert’s favorite buggy is Sting. His favorite buggy memory occurred just after winning in 1987. He remembers sitting on the hill (where GSIA addition is today) with Matt, his co-chair for 3 years and roommate for 4 years, looking down towards the start area enjoying the SRS party.

Spirit Buggy taught him inclusion, to have faith in the process and gave him the ability to sustain long periods of hard work.

These days, Robert referees basketball and participates in boards. He continues to come back and support the team to mentor students through buggy which will help them to be more successful after graduating. In that, he sees students tackle the same challenges as his team did 30+ years ago. He encourages the current team to build buggies and analyze their top competitor.

1985-1998, 1993-1994, ongoing | Chair, Vice-Chair, Mechanic, Designer, Mentor

Tom Felmley is a staple to Spirit Buggy. He’s always there, like dDeath and taxes. Tom was recruited into the team by none other than Mr. Robert Bowie himself.

His favorite memory is being a chair and winning on Sunday, keeping the team fired up after being rained out two days in a row. His biggest buggy disappointment was having to graduate, which meant he could no longer be in the buggy mix. Quantum Leap is his favorite buggy. Spirit Buggy taught Tom to “Give it your all. You will be rewarded.”

Tom currently works in international disaster response and messes with gadgets in his spare time. For him Buggy 100/SRS 35 means he is “old” (his words). His advice for the current team is to “set high goals.”

2009 - 2013 | Chairman, Head Mechanic, Head Pusher

Evan Moss joined the team when Kory McDonald cornered him and guilted him into agreeing to come out just one time. It was love at first push (?). His favorite Buggy is Mapambazuko (“Zuke”), which he championed to build.

Evan resurrected the team as a sophomore after 5 of 6 buggies spun his freshman year. He also reinvogorated the alumni group and worked to involve CMBAA with SRS. In his senior year, Evan dedicated race day to cancer victims and students who’d lost loved ones while at school using the Buggy paint jobs. For weeks, people continued to express how touch they were by the tribute.

Evan’s greatest buggy win was having Bowie and Tom Felmley defend his chairman philosophy against Matt Wagner. His biggest disappointment in Buggy is not having built a buggy of his own design.

On Buggy100/SRS35, Evan thanks Matt and Boo for forging this family so long ago. Spirit Buggy has taught Evan “Family doesn’t require blood” and “You can convince someone of anything if you show them pure, honest passion.”

These days, Evan works in Project Management at Apple, Photography and toddler raising. He tributes his career starting because of his experience “running” Buggy. Every job he’s had since, including Apple, has been, in some part, due to Buggy. Evan stays involved with the team because he finds joy in seeing the individuals grow as leaders. Helping them realize the magnitude of Buggy continues to teach him more about himself personally and professionally.

Evan’s advice to the team is “Don’t let missing one weekend take away the joy and gifts that you received from the team throughout the year”. He asks you to consider the purpose for this year’s team, because winning a trophy isn’t deep enough.

1989-1990, 1993-1994 | Support, Sidekick

Kali Patrice’s favorite buggy memory is of guarding the truck in spring of 1989 (as an S1W), then winning! You can catch her in the famous 1989 Spirit Buggy Truck photo. Her biggest disappointment was the first time she experienced losing.

Kali joined the team to participate in the community and is still participating by Hosting our Virtual Picnic. Spirit Buggy taught her the lesson to “Stick together. ALLLL different kinds of people can unite around a common goal.”. When asked which buggy is her favorite, she responded “ QL (Quantum Leap), but isn’t she everyone’s favorite?”.

In reflection of Buggy 100/Spirit Buggy 35, Kali is proud to have been a part of a longstanding legacy.

While integrated marketing communication still pays Kali’s bills, she is super excited about her producing debut and forthcoming release of the social-impact documentary, “(C)ANSWERS”.

She’d love for her CMU family to learn more and join the movement at https://canswersfilm.com/.