Lucky Drum: PD&D Grad Wins Big in Las Vegas
He had never won first place in anything in his life—until now.
Recent Wood Science-Product Design & Development graduate Ben Scarborough took home first place honors in the national Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) 2011 Fresh Wood Student Competition. Scarborough’s entry, three CNC-milled snare drums (known as Dead Ben Drums) withstood stiff competition from students at Brigham Young University and Art Center College of Design to win the production category’s blue ribbon.
“This demonstrates that the SVHEC and the Business of Art & Design program are right on target with giving students opportunities to do amazing things, and the things they do are recognized by real employers,” said Business of Art & Design Coordinator Ben Capozzi. “This is a testament to the strength of Clint Johnson’s instruction and the innate talents of students in the Southside region.”
The uniquely designed snare drums were entered in the production category because of the advanced manufacturing techniques used to produce them. Scarborough spent months planning his designs in the TopSolid Computer Aided Design (CAD) software before ever touching a piece of wood. He then used a 3-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) router to produce the wooden portions of the drums. For Scarborough, who only entered the competition after being coaxed by his Product Design & Development instructor Clint Johnson, this win was the ultimate surprise. “I’m shocked. I wasn’t even going to enter the competition, but Clint pushed until I did. To compete against the likes of BYU, and to win first place speaks volumes about the quality of Danville Community College’s Wood Science degree, and the Product Design & Development specialization on the SVHEC campus,” Scarborough stated.