Dolph Gotelli, right, assesses the design qualities of a translucent extraterrestrial creature with his teaching assistants, from left, Jenny Kimball, Noelle Wilson and Lisa Wade. An alien invasion played out on the north side of Mrak Hall on May 8. Approximately 150 alien specimens were crafted from unique combinations of everyday items -- including garden hose, aluminum air duct tubing, desk lamps, styrofoam, trash can lids, rubber gloves, bundt cake pans and more. The aliens were actually mid-term projects for students in Gotelli's Design 100 class. The aliens spent only a little time on Earth, arriving in the morning and taking off later that day. The project challenged each student to come up with his or her own "unconventional alien," unlike any stereotypical space invaders seen on TV. "It's fun for them to come up with their own ideas," says Kimball.