seifert@hammer.UUCP (Snoopy) (06/09/85)
In article <544@utai.UUCP> gkloker@utai.UUCP (Geoff Loker) writes: >In article <278@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >>The one thing people haven't had the guts to say is that quite simply, >>51% of the most qualified engineers and computer scientists are not women. >Allow me to suggest at least one reason why there are more qualified men >than women in engineering (if not other 'technical' fields): > >At the University of Waterloo (where I spent my undergraduate years in >computer science and \not/ engineering), there were a number of things >which filtered out to the rest of the campus from the Engineering wing >of things: > > 1) The Engineering Society (EngSoc) sponsored a "humour" paper for > engineers (the "EngiNews"). It was apparently quite crude, rude, > and sexist in its "humour". > 2) About 2 years ago, the engineers had a Lady Godiva day. > 3) There was a game called "Cobra", > 4) EngSoc sponsored events tended to be Bus Pushes, Arm Wrestling ... Judging from this description, Waterloo sounds, er, "unusual". Bus pushing contests don't sounds like the sort of thing a "typical" engineer would be interested in. Most engineers' talents lie in the brain, not in the biceps. The "Lady Godiva Day" sounds like standard college foolishness. If you don't want to be around college foolishness, don't go to college. The "humour" paper sounds like the sort of garbage lower life forms tend to enjoy. I'm not sure what Canada's position is on "freedom of the press", but this sort of paper would be rather hard to outlaw in the US without lots of people yelling about the first admendment. We may not like it, but we seem to be stuck with it, least we give the book-burners a free reign. :-( The "cobra" game sounds like something which needs to be stomped on, hard. This sort of thing is inexcusable. Yes, it sounds like the Waterloo engineering dept is full of low-life, sexist slimeballs. Don't assume that this applies to engineers in general. Purdue (a *real* engineering school) has events like calculator olympics and go-kart races ("where'd that physics book go?") complete with computerised lap board so good that Indy wanted one. HKN beta chapter (electrical engineering honor fraternity) sponsered three curb cuts for the handicapped. Oh yes, not to forget the Rube Goldberg contest. Snoopy (one engineer who isn't a sexist slimeball) tektronix!hammer!seifert (just a slimeball)
padpowell@wateng.UUCP (PAD Powell) (06/11/85)
In article <1325@hammer.UUCP> seifert@hammer.UUCP (Snoopy) writes: >Bus pushing contests don't sounds like the sort of thing a "typical" >engineer would be interested in. Most engineers' talents lie in the >brain, not in the biceps. > >Yes, it sounds like the Waterloo engineering dept is full of low-life, >sexist slimeballs. Don't assume that this applies to engineers in >general. > >Purdue (a *real* engineering school) has events like calculator >olympics and go-kart races ("where'd that physics book go?") >complete with computerised lap board so good that Indy wanted >one. HKN beta chapter (electrical engineering honor fraternity) >sponsered three curb cuts for the handicapped. Oh yes, not to >forget the Rube Goldberg contest. > >Snoopy (one engineer who isn't a sexist slimeball) >tektronix!hammer!seifert > >(just a slimeball) OOOOHHHHH! Pass the gas! Matches! First, the bus push is a fund raising effort for charity. Sort of a walkathon for people with a difference. Secondly, the Waterloo engineering department (faculty and staff) are definately not in favour of some of the &))(&&*() stunts the so called students pull. There is an exception, but he is well known to be a brain rotted turnip. Lastly, I seem to recall some incidents that some Purdue students pulled a couple of years ago that almost led to criminal charges being laid. I will investigate these, and publish them on the net if you desire. I will quote a favourite motto of my father: "Before you point a finger, make sure you are not in front of a mirror!" Patrick Powell
gnome@olivee.UUCP (Gary Traveis) (06/11/85)
> > 2) About 2 years ago, the engineers had a Lady Godiva day. > > > 3) There was a game called "Cobra", > The "Lady Godiva Day" sounds like standard college foolishness. > If you don't want to be around college foolishness, don't go > to college. > > The "cobra" game sounds like something which needs to be stomped > on, hard. This sort of thing is inexcusable. > Ok, I give up -- what is the Cobra game?! If it's really bad - use net mail, but I know that I'm not the only one who wants to know... Gary
beth@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Beth Christy) (06/18/85)
From: seifert@hammer.UUCP (Snoopy), Message-ID: <1325@hammer.UUCP>: >In article <544@utai.UUCP> gkloker@utai.UUCP (Geoff Loker) writes: >>In article <278@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >>>The one thing people haven't had the guts to say is that quite simply, >>>51% of the most qualified engineers and computer scientists are not women. > >>Allow me to suggest at least one reason why there are more qualified men >>than women in engineering (if not other 'technical' fields): > >The "Lady Godiva Day" sounds like standard college foolishness. >If you don't want to be around college foolishness, don't go >to college. I trust you forgot the ":-)" Snoopy. Not only does this sound amazingly close to "if you don't want to be hassled, don't go where men might hassle you", it also is extremely unhelpful advice to someone who is explaining "why there are more qualified men than women in engineering", and who wishes to rectify that. I'd say a ":-)" was definitely in order here. >Snoopy (one engineer who isn't a sexist slimeball) >tektronix!hammer!seifert > >(just a slimeball) Only if you disagree with the above. -- --JB All we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.
seifert@hammer.UUCP (Snoopy) (06/23/85)
In article <686@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> Beth Christy writes: >>The "Lady Godiva Day" sounds like standard college foolishness. >>If you don't want to be around college foolishness, don't go >>to college. > >I trust you forgot the ":-)" Snoopy. Not only does this sound amazingly >close to "if you don't want to be hassled, don't go where men might hassle >you", it also is extremely unhelpful advice to someone who is explaining >"why there are more qualified men than women in engineering", and who wishes >to rectify that. I'd say a ":-)" was definitely in order here. -sigh- try again: The "Lady Godiva Day" event, judging only by the description given in the original article (since I wasn't there to observe it myself), does sound like standard college foolishness. A bunch of college kids having one last fling at childishness before entering the sober adult world, causing a certain amount of disturbance and disruption, but usually nothing major. It is not clear how this event is "hassling women", perhaps you could explain. Perhaps you'd prefer for them to steal a hamburger figurehead? As far as the disruption goes, I'm not defending it, I'm saying that's the way it is, and there's not a whole lot that can be done to prevent it. If you have any good ideas here, we're all ears. Obviously it is possible to overdo it. The primary purpose of going to college is supposed to be learning, not to recreate the movie "Animal House". On the other hand, one cannot expect to live a totally sheltered life, devoid of any stress or hassle. Snoopy tektronix!hammer!seifert