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Show The 18 Wednesday, March. 7,2007 and Women Men graduating in untraditional majors Bs D\i.i[\ K< )[J nrK Senior Writer Many students make choices and live their lives based on what society thinks about, like a major. There are some majors here at USU that many students typically associate as "girl majors", like interior design, elementary education and anything dealing with the department of family, consumer and human development. Despite the stereotypes about theses majors, men have found their niche in these fields, like Dustin Wickham. a master's student studying interior design. For him, wanting to be an interior designer is about the tie between architecture and interior design. "1 have always liked architecture. Interior design and architecture are very related. Most people have the misconception that interior design just means decorating. There is some, but not as much as people think," Wickham said. Me said that by being a male designer, he can offer a different more masculine approach to design giving variety to the industry. For some reason when students think of family relatedmajors, they may think they are just for women, but Dave Ingersoll, a senior in family finance, chose this path so he could help people. Ingersoll started out his college career in the college of business but made the change to family finance to take his knowledge of money from the corporate world to families. "I chose (family finance) because of the people I see, like my parents and others, making financial mistakes. I want to teach people financial literacy habits," Ingersoll said. Even though they both enjoy their majors, Wickham and Ingersoll know they don't come without some skeptical looks and their own sets of challenges. One of the less important challenges that Wickham faces is the fact that there are no male bathrooms on the third floor of the Family Life building, where the interior design department is located. Ingersoll said sometimes be struggles with what he calls "foorfy and huggy" classes that just don't match up with his style, and human development classes that deal with pregnancy and other female stuff. Wickham said he listens to a lot of girl talk throughout his day, which makes him feel a little awkward. Other than dealing with girl stuff, Wickham and Ingersoll are really pleased with their classes. "I love my professors and my friends. We all have a good relationship," Ingersoll said. The majority of their problems don't come from classes or homework assignments but rather the stereotypes that many people assume. Many students at USU believe it is more acceptable for a woman to go into male-dominated major than a male going into a female dominated major. "When I tell someone that I am in the college of FCHD, I usually get strange looks, but when I tell them I'm going into family finance, I don t get strange looks," Ingersoll said. Jake Coleman, a sophomore in guitar performance, said when he learns that a guy is studying to become an interior designer, his initial reaction is to think the guy is gay. Also, he believes the reason majors like elementary education and those in FCHD are female-dominated because they are more geared to girls. They seem to be more nurturing type of occupations," Coleman said. With these struggles that come with the territory, both Wickham and Ingersoll said they don't care about the stereotypes or the initial reactions of people. They love doing what they do. -dwkoecher@cc.usu.edu BY SHANNON K. JOHNSON Staff Writer Sometimes it takes a lot to stand out, but at USU female students in the actuarial science and engineering departments feel like they do. According to Jennifer Pearson, a sophomore in actuarial science, about onefourth to one-third of her classes are made up of girls, which is not like being a woman in engineering. Though she is not the only girl in her class, there is a distinct majority of men, and she thinks there is a reason for that. Pearson said in part, it's because women aren't pushed as much toward math and science as boys are. She said the environment at USU may be more conducive for women to go into different professions. "Most girls at USU want to get a degree that is quick and that you can work right away with and have a family at the same time," Pearson said. However, being a women in actuarial science does have its perks, at least for Pearson. "I'm pretty good at (math), so sometimes I get to feel smarter than the boys," she said. Amy Jo Bowdidg, a sophomore in aerospace engineering, said she is entering into the profession so she can get as close as she can to space without having to enlist and become a test pilot. Her dream job is to build rovers for Mars and work for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory division at NASA. Overall, the engineering degree that has the most USU women in it is probably mechanical engineering, with five in the graduating class this year, according to Ashley • Kelly, a senior in mechanical'., engineering. For Bowdidg, getting a degree in aerospace engineering means she is doing something not a lot of other women do. But Bowdidg said the numbers of women in the major are increasing. When her dad went to USU, there were no women at all in engi- neering decrees in general, and nnw about 23 women are members of Society of Women Engineers. However, many other schools have more women in engineering than USU, Bowdidg said. When the SWE attended a conference recently, more than 500 schools had far larger chapters than USU. ;" 'For Bowdidg, being a : woman is both a blessing a curse. Each professor she's had reacts differently when girls are in the classroom. "In some classes, the teachers don't even notice, and others, they give the girls special treatment, and sometimes the teacher pushes us harder to succeed.' -skjohnson@cc.usu.edu are behind the times." Fox helped design an honors track in WGS. Now students who are pursuing a minor or a certificate in WGS can receive honors. There are a few scholarships offered to WGS students. The Pam Riley Student Travel Award and the Allison Cornish Thome Scholarship are both for WGS minors who want to get more involved and do research involving women. "There is a core group involved with WGS," Mannon said. They are without a doubt the best students that I have had here at USU. They are the most socially conscious and politically engaged. Its a great community of students and scholars." Mannon said. iLimieGane/jamiecrane&c.usu.edu ENGINEERING STUDENTS HELP with the ground breaking of the new engineering building last Friday, March 2. About 23 women are now members of the Sock-ty of Women Engineers. GENDER STUDIES From page 15 still only earn 72 cents to each dollar that men earn." Fox said WGS is a great opportunity for students to learn about themselves. "Gender shapes the way we interact with and experience the world, so its important that we understand how gen- der identity is shaped," Fox said. Griffith said her classes in the WGS program have helped her stop and think about who she is and also learn about the progression of women in history. Women and gender stud- ies is only offered as a minor or a certificate right now. Griffith said she hopes to see it offered as a major someday. Other universities offer graduate degrees in WGS. "Its a useful asset," Griffith said. 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