Question of the Week
"Something you can relate to
and makes you laugh. "
Kelly Diplacido
Psychology, 06
Indianapolis Physics conference
experience for Behrend students
by Lori DeFabio
staff writer
Three Behrend faculty members along
with seven Behrend Physics majors
joined several thousand physicists at the
prestigious general meeting of the
American Physics Society held in
Dr. William Baxter was one of three
Behrend professors who attended the
General Meeting of the American Phys
ics Society. Seven Behrend students also
attended.
AMHERS
quality of our playing as the quality of your
listening.”
The next piece, also in four movements,
was a 20th century composition by Pierre
Max Dußois titled “Saxophone Quartet.”
This was followed by the two-movement
“Rise,” written by Steven Bryant. Bryant
completed “Rise” under the influence of
the Sept. 11 attacks, causing his piece to
reflect the melancholy of that time and the
hope that followed it.
The concert ended with three piece
written by quartet member Carere: “Just
In,” dedicated to Carere’s son, Justin; the
romantic “Bus Stop Rag”; and the
lightning-paced “Cantor Scamper.”
Dr. Daniel Barnard, lecturer in music
director of Behrend’s choir and studio
singers, invited audience members to show
their appreciation for the musical talents
of the quartet by purchasing their CD or
their video, which is geared toward
children. The group remained at Behrend
to perform and speak during Barnard’s
music appreciation class.
A preliminary schedule of performers
has been arranged for the 2002-2003
season of Music at Noon: The Logan
Wintergarten Series. Further details can be
found on the website http://
www.pserie.psu.edu/hss/music/music/
• "Anything that makes us ,
• laugh, like "The Simpsons”." •
• Cameron Shuck •
• Psychology, 06 *
William Baxter, Dr. Blair Tuttle, and Dr.
Chuck Yeung attended the meeting
because the APS is the largest
association of physicists and the March
meeting is the largest one it sponsors.
“I don’t know how many physicists
were in attendance this year, but usually
there are 3000 to 6000,” said Dr. Baxter.
The seven students at meeting were
Brian Sands, Kim Herrmann, Justin
Crepp, Gregg Beaumont, Mike Perkins,
Bruce Tepke, and Stephanie Gomiak, all
Physics majors.
“I am very glad that I went to this
conference. These meetings represent
current research in a field in which we
have been studying past research in
every physics class I’ve taken,” said
Sands.
Each faculty member gave short talks
at the meeting. Dr. Baxter gave a talk
titled “Stress in a Two-dimensional
Granular Medium.” Dr. Tuttle gave a
short talk about the “Theory of Band
Offsets between Silicon and its Oxides,”
and Dr. Yeung was the research advisor
to Kim Herrman for the presentation she
gave. Herrmann was the only Behrend
student gave a short talk, titled
“Molecular Dynamics Simulation of
Reactive Compatibilization.”
Some students were honored to have
FROM FRONT PAGE
GORG!
efforts as the ecological preserve on campus
to proceed. Her students have been
profoundly effected by the construction, and
many seek ways to preserve the natural
resources of the campus
“What you learn in
school has to affect
your personal,
political, and
professional
behavior,” said Silver.
She said that the best
way for students to
help Behrend’s
environment at this
time is to voice
ecological concerns
to provost candidates
during the hiring
process. The
administrator’s
attitude towards
preservation
profoundly affects the
environmental health
of the campus, so
every effort should be
made to ensure that
the new provost will
strive to keep this
campus ecologically
safe.
“The time to do things for the environment
is every time,” Silver said. “When you’re
brushing your teeth, throwing away trash,
:fe4\
j >
"Our PLET pals Mike But ala •
and Ben Kundman.” *
PLET Clan •
Dr. Pamela Silver, associate profes
sor of biology at Behrend, says the
new highway has increased aware
ness of ecological concerns at
Behrend.
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Friday, April 5, 2002
been able to give posters. Tepke. Sands,
Perkins, and Crepp all presented posters
of their research at the meeting. Tepke
showed his poster “Grain Detection in
Photoelastic Stress Images.” The poster
that Sands presented was titled “Gas-
Assisted Capture pf Earth-sized Moons
around Extrasolar Giant Planets.”
Perkins presented his poster “The
Orbital Evolution of Uranus and
Neptune in the Early Solar System.”
Crepp’s poster was entitled “Stability of
Satellite Orbits Near the Outer Edge of
a Circumplanetary Hill Sphere.”
“It is extremely unusual for
undergraduates to give posters and talks
at these meetings, so our students are
really exceptional,” stated Dr. Baxter.
Attending this meeting was truly an
educational experience for all.
“I’m very glad 1 went,” said Perkins.
“All posters were presented at the same
time in a large auditorium so I was able
to see other posters and talks over the
course of the conference, and thus I
learned a lot about what other
researchers are doing and what is on the
leading edge of modem physics.”
Attending these meetings is the best
way to get an accurate feel of what is
happening in Physics today. The latest
work in Physics, Applied Engineering,
driving a car... Collectively we do matter a
whole lot, and we need to find things to do
that are constructive, not destructive.”
“The time to stand up against the road was
five, four, three... even two years ago. No
one can do anything
about it now,” she
said, bemoaning the
futility of ELF’s
alleged actions. She
noted that none of
these destructive acts
is helping the
environment and
only serves to give
environmentalists a
understand being willing to cause destruction
and injury.” Silver said “Two wrongs don’t
make a right."
bad name.
Spiking a tree
does not prevent the
tree from being
chopped down; by
the time the spike is
discovered, it’s too
late to save the tree.
Furthermore, if the
group was to blow up
the completed bridge,
as its statement
threatened, the
ecological effects
would be devastating.
“I cannot
"The Behrend night life."
Marisa Aiello
BLASC, 06
an enlightening
and faculty
Biology, and Chemistry were all
presented.
“This (meeting] gave me the
opportunity to learn in more detail some
of the things going on in physics and also
to present our research results. We also
get to talk to different people in the field
and potential collaborators,” said Dr.
Yeung.
Herrmann felt this trip was a very
valuable experience.
“Brian Sands and I had attended the
Centennial APS March meeting in 1999
when we were freshmen and listening to
talks there and seeing the amazing
demonstrations made it an
overwhelming and very exciting
Herrmann stated.
experience,”
“Attending another meeting in our senior
year was another great experience
because this time we presented and we
understood more of the material that we
heard.”
Students also made the trip to present
their own findings.
“I’m a senior and graduating and
would like to talk to others outside
Behrend about my research, to show the
physics community what I am working
on and to get feedback on it,” said
Perkins. Because APS is the largest
gathering of physicists in the country, it
Senior Class Gift reminder
Clint Lewis signs 831 letters that will be sent out to all seniors this week. Don't forget
to send your pledge cards indicating your desired donation through on-campus mail!
The Behrend Beacon
"He is; No she is."
Amanda Mauser;
Matt Keith
Education & Psychology 06;
Marketing 07
is logically the best place to present.
Anyone can attend the annual meeting
if they wish to ride in the School of
Science’s 15-seat passenger van.
However, this year the only ones who
wished to attend were Physics majors.
Next year the meeting will be held in
Austin, Texas.
FILE PHOTO
Dr. Chuck Yeung also attended the con
ference. Yeung is giving a lecture on
Tuesday as part of the Provost’s Speaker
Series.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO