SEAS celebrates Engineering Week

Throughout the week, students and professors will gather for various events at the Towne Building. Colorful posters advertising various engineering societies decorated the first floor of the Towne Building yesterday for the start of National Engineering Week. Engineering students and professors also mingled at a coffee hour in the building's Raisler Lounge from noon to 2 p.m. Among the organizations with booths at the event were the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, whose University chapter aids Chemical Engineering majors learn about the profession. The group plans events like trips to the annual National Student Chapter AIChE Conference and tours of chemical plants and facilities. Engineering junior Ric Watts, who manned one of the booths, said the posters allowed the organizations to do "positive advertising" of their activities. "It's here to show off to a small degree the activities that we do here," he said. "It creates an awareness of what we do other than classes." And Engineering Student Activities Council President Margaret Jones, an Engineering and Wharton sophomore, said the week's activities will give the Engineering School publicity. "It's a chance for the Engineering School to show everyone what we are doing," Jones said. The Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineering Student Branch also advertised their upcoming events -- including a writing contest and its third annual "micromouse competition." And at its booth, the American Society of Civil Engineers billed itself as the nation's oldest engineering society, noting that it was founded in 1852. The society describes its role as a buffer between academics and professional practice. The Engineering School and the School of Nursing used the coffee hour and booths to promote the fourth-annual winter ball co-sponsored by the two schools. Students set up a display to sell tickets for the event, which will be held Friday at the Warwick Hotel in Center City. But Watts said that only a few tickets had been sold to the ball. And just a couple of students took advantage of the coffee hour -- some of them explaining they did not even realize it was National Engineering Week. Engineering sophomore Philomina Mathai noted that there were few big attractions at this year's celebration. "Last year was more exciting because of Al Gore and it being the 50th Anniversary of ENIAC," she said. "It was more publicized." The week will also feature a study break tonight from 9 to 10 p.m. in Raisler and a speech by Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in room 23 of the Moore Building. At his presentation, Farrington will focus on the Engineering section of the "Agenda for Excellence." To round out the festivities, the school will be showing a movie Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall, and from 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday the NBC lineup will be televised in Alumni Hall. National Engineering Week will conclude with the winter ball Friday.