TEACHERS: A Problem for
Behrend Engineers
by Jim Michell
Did you ever wonder how the need
for more engineers is being solved?
Well, let's take a look at Bahrend, for
example; it's about as typical as you
can get.
All good engineers must be versed
in the field of physics. Our physics
teacher has a fondness for bowties and
his whispy light hair (although its dif
ficult to see now that he got a haircut)
conjures up memories of Ear Dirksen or
Dr. Zorba. run into him anywhere
on campus if he doesn't run into you.
He has affectionately been called
Clarabell by his students, who have a
mong them 50% of Behrendts Brothers of
the Bush. To say which of these is the
stranger is to throw bad argument after
the good. His reasoning ability is be
yond question--he likes to ignore things
Which tend to go away as all good things
must--but he has a habit of grumbling a
lot and adjusting his book when lectur
ing.
His philosophy can be summed up by
his theories that physicists solve an
appropriate problem exactly while an en
gineer solves an exact problem approxi
mately. To illustrate, a physicist de
scribes the force exerted by two fleas
by one erg. Of course the physicist
doesn't care if they are female or male,
having had a hard day on the dog, or if
it's close to their bedtime. The eng-
neer, however, will use the science of
dynamics (with all its intricate fabr-
cations of fulcrums, hypothetical stre
sses, and concepts of force) to build a
bridge that is far from perfectly rigid,
but one that will sway in the strongest
wind and give to the changes from win-
ter to summer. It's no wonder that this
contradiction in purpose is perplexing
to most engineers. I wonder if busi-
ness administration students have such
problems?
Oh, by the way, speaking of engi
neer's problems, have you ever met a
mathematician?
disguised as a teacher here on campusm.
He is often seen in a brown felt hat, a
brown corduroy jacket and buckle shoes.
It seems his philosophy as far as class
goes is to never say die, especially on
sticky- integration problems. However,
he occasionally for gets his masquerade
and tells his students little anecdotes
of the strain of heresy and riddle-ma
ing in the mathematicians of old. Or
maybe he will expound upon why any axi
omatic system is not only incomplete in
explaining reality, but always will
have meaningful statements that cannot
be proven or disproven. How about that!
I can understand why there are
very few physics and math majors, but
why there are engineers at all is beyond
me.
Keep the faith baby t 0...
1 1 4: 10 000111
VlDlZeaDaini,o4,l
Those attending the meeting of
the Skeptic's Corner in the Carriage
House on Thursday, January 19, had an
engrossing session with Mr. Fred
Thompson, Assistand Director of the
Greater Erie Anti-Poverty Action Com
mittee.
Mr. Thompson spoke about the
activities of the local program, which
is carried on under the Office of
Economic Opportunities in Washington
D.C. Speaking of the three major
poverty pockets in this city, he noted
that 65% of the adults in this ares
(25 years old or over) have an eighth
grade education or less.
It seems there is one