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Show Tuesday, February 19, 1991 The Daily Utah Chronicle- - Page Seven IPE(Q)IPLE Mm mm lb Feature students its nraatth the math department, she found it By Robert M. Rowan Chronicle Feature Writer easier to stay there and work towards her goals. She doesn't want to become a scientist, she said, and is also pursuing a degree in "Hi there. What's your major?" The popular opening line above can reveal some basic truths about the future plans of the person in architecture, to satisfy her creative side. A would teaching Amiot considers herself as having a potential advantage in her future career, because engineering is a d field. By being one of the few women currently in major"? male-dominate- the field, she would have less competition in some ways than her male counterparts, thanks to Affirmative Action programs. Amiot wasn't thrilled with the that her future field has so few fact women in it, though, and attributed part of the lack to the shortage of female role models in the scientific arena. Women are generally urged into English, languages, or other humanities-oriente- d fields early on, so that by the time they reach mathematics offers two general paths for its hopefuls to follow. Applied mathematics involves creation of mathematical models for people in other disciplines, and of and codes), biology, breaking computer science. Pure math, on the other hand, is essentially general research in mathematics, or such as cryptology (the making college, they have had little math for math's sake. Robert Stokes, a graduate student in the math department, said that he knew math was his destiny "more or less from the time I was in junior high." Even in those early days, he said, he assumed that he would go into something math-related. Part of the allure math holds for him, he said, is that it involves the actual solving of problems rather than memorization of facts and dates. The problems he likes to work on, he said, have a practical application in the real world in addition to their challenge. Math majors also like to let their hair down, Stokes said, citing his activity on the math department's intramural volleyball and baseball teams, and his interest in a good game of cards. Tempting though it may be, Stokes said that he avoids probabilities consider mathematics in the future, but for now math is "just a stepping-stone.- " Not many ads appear in the classifieds saying "Mathematician wanted: Two years' experience required. Must be able to use numbers and letters interchangeably." So what do the students majoring in math at the University of Utah plan on doing with their degrees? First, it must be understood that calculating cocktail waitress and soccer player as well, Amiot said that she question. A business major is likely to be going into business. A mass communication major is likely to be going into some form of journalism. But what is to be inferred if the answer is, "I'm a math mmaiJcDif's or statistics when playing cards, as that is too much like bringing the office home with him. Mary Ellen Furner, also a he would like to try his hand at teaching when he enters graduate school. If he likes it, he said, he started out wanting to teach at the high school level, and math seemed like a good option. Over the years, though, his degree and possibly his doctorate, Bair said that he wants to graduate student, said that she her perspective has changed a bit, and she now says that she wants to teach at the junior stable and predictable. Graduate student John Dallon said that on leaving high school, he wanted to go into physics. Later on, he found that he liked math better. numbers and letters interchangeably. majoring in mathematics, Eric Bair said that he likes literature, but wanted to go into something more objective as He is also well as double-majo- r in a considering his to science augment computer mathematics degree, but said that mind-expandin- g. found it It was interesting. "I "Mathematician wanted: Two years experience required. Must be able" to use college level instead. A may stay with it. In addition to working towards consistent within itself." It's nice, he said to have something that's so be a well-balance- d individual. Toward that end, he philosophizes, works out, mountain-climband s, reads Faulkner and Joseph Campbell among others. The allure of mathematics for him and many others, he said, is that "it's such a pure thing. It's so like a Dallon logic game," said, adding that it was "fun to be able to solve . that problems weren't trivial." Dallon plans to teach at the college level, as well as getting in a healthy amount of research. Michelle Amiot, a senior said that in mathematics, majoring it had always been her intention to go into engineering. Upon entering experience in math or the sciences. When questioned about statistics that list women as not as inherently proficient in these areas, Amiot said that she feels some of the statistics are biased because of the ratio of men to women in math classes (five to one, she said) being surveyed. This gives the appearance that men are more capable in math, when it may well be that men are simply encouraged to go into math more than women. She added that she has found more men needing her services as a tutor than women. So there it is. Academia presents strong allure for the aspiring mathematician. Those who don't teach still have a bounty of career choices that their degree in a mathematics could augment. Industry also likes the math major, and they often become actuaries, or optimizers, engineers consultants. The consensus of those interviewed though, was that math is an academic choice, and not generally a way of life. Contests to celebrate National Engineers Week Events will sailboat race, a toothpick bridge contest, a straw tower building contest and an egg drop By Linnea Lundgren Chronicle Feature Writer National Engineers Week is The event is a Feb. nationwide celebration of the engineering profession. The 17-2- 3. purpose of the week is to bring to public attention the accomplishments of engineers. Engineers Week is always celebrated the week of George Washington's birthday. The nation's first president was a t military and agricultural engineer and a land surveyor. He was also the founder of the first United States engineering school at Valley Forge, Penn., which later became the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Week the of Utah Engineering University School will be featuring contests and lectures in order to introduce people to the field of engineering. During Engineers These everyone. events are open include bridge building, boat racing, egg rolling to The contests that will be held throughout the week include a competition. The sailboat race will take place Friday, Feb. 22, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Merrill Engineering Building (MEB) ground floor foyer. Participants can either make a boat prior to the race or at the event. Each boat will be placed in a rain gutter and an electric fan will to provide the "wind" needed be must boat The push the boat. able to complete the three meter course twice. The participant whose boat has the shortest time wins the $30 first prize. The toothpick bridge contest will be held Friday, Feb. 22, at noon in the MEB Strengths Lab. Since this event requires the process of building a time-consumi- toothpick bridge, participants should build their bridge before hand. Standard round toothpicks and woodworking glue are the only materials to be used. No more than 750 toothpicks can be used. Bridges need to span 25 cm. Models will be judged by their strength-to-mas- s ratios, defined by the critical load (in grams) divided by the model's mass in grams. The bridge will be tested to determine the critical load. Therefore all bridges will be broken. The participant whose bridge can withstand the heaviest load will win the $25 first prize. The egg drop competition will be held at noon Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the southwest stairwell of MEB. Holders for the egg may be constructed ahead of time and can be made from any material except that which may cause harm to spectators (i.e. concrete). No glue or tape can be applied to the egg. The device must be built as to allow the egg to be easily inserted and removed so judges can easily verify if the egg survived impact. The holder will be loaded with a standard grade AA uncooked egg which will be supplied to contestants. The device will then be dropped approximately 30 feet by a contest official. The egg must survive the initial impact and any subsequent see "Engineers" on page eight |
