An Ode to the Small Things

By: Henry Karpovas Lisak

As I fly back from my latest trip to Israel—connecting in Dubai on my way to Minnesota—I caught myself admiring the magnificence of the tallest structure ever built by mankind. The Burj Khalifa rises so high above the Arabian desert that it’s visible for miles, shimmering through the desert heat. At 828 meters tall, this monstrous, futuristic sculpture sparked hours of reflection during my 13.5-hour flight.

The Burj Khalifa Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). File:Burj Khalifa.jpg. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burj_Khalifa.jpg

And as we approached Chicago for our second layover, that flame of awe ignited again. Out the window stood the Willis Tower—what once held the title now claimed by the Burj Khalifa.

How incredible are our engineering skills! Humanity has reached the point where we can create such massive, awe-inspiring structures. I’ve always been fascinated by these state-of-the-art, unbelievably large accomplishments of human ingenuity.

But that sense of wonder was soon joined by another, perhaps even more profound feeling. The following Monday, I started my summer Co-Op at CPC, a leading manufacturer of couplings, fittings, and tubing connectors. There, I wasn’t working on skyscrapers or bridges—I was working with parts you can hold in the palm of your hand.

And yet, I felt a surge of excitement even greater than what I’d experienced in Dubai. It hit me: we often celebrate the big, the majestic, the record-breaking. But behind every towering structure lies an army of meticulously designed small parts—every nut, bolt, and connector essential to the whole. Without these, the grandest designs would never stand.

In just my first day on the job, I learned about soldering techniques, ultra-specific application requirements, and how tiny details can make or break a solution. It was fascinating. It reminded me that for every bridge like the Golden Gate, there are thousands of precision parts that make its construction possible.

We don’t often stop to wonder how a screw is made. But someone had to design it, test it, and manufacture it—likely with painstaking effort and little recognition. Yet that humble screw holds your TV rack together so you can enjoy your PS5 instead of flipping through a manual.

So next time you see a structure that earns the title of “tallest in the world,” remember what blink-182 sang: 🎵 All the small things... 🎵

Henry Karpovas Lisak:

Henry is a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Minnesota with a Management minor, interested in innovation within the automotive and aerospace industries. He serves as Vice President of ASHRAE at UMN, organizing workshops, networking events, and company tours to support student engagement in HVAC&R fields. Outside the classroom, Henry is actively involved in Jewish campus life as Vice President of Campus Relations for Minnesota Hillel and a student government representative. He participates in several leadership programs, including the Voice of the People Fellowship, the Israel on Campus Coalition’s Community Impact Fellowship, and the inaugural Campus Commons Program, where he focuses on Jewish advocacy and community-building. A former member of the Minnesota Men’s Crew team, Henry brings a collaborative and disciplined approach to his academic, leadership, and service work, aiming to make a thoughtful impact both within engineering and his broader community.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/henry-karpovas-lisak