phil@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (08/18/89)
The following letters were excerpted from MICROWAVE SYSTEMS NEWS magazine, August 89 issue: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAE Training Not to Be Spoon-Fed In reference to your June 1989 editorial about the lack of CAE for RF power amplifiers, I'm tickled pink that at least one area of RF design cannot be canned and spoon-fed to college students and graduates. Many [students] choose engineering for the dollar rather that the desire to create new things and get their hands dirty along the way. [author's name not excerpted] Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atheletics 10, Academics 0 Your recent profile on Dick Anderson of HP points out the lack of motivation in American youth for science and methematics. The blame rests as much on the media, the local newspapers and TV. They, especially the former, consistently cover the scholastic sports activities of the local schools at least on a weekly basis and provide interesting features on the atheletes and their coaches. It is very difficult to find a similar report on the academic progress of our youth or their achievements in SAT or other academic subjects, the very basis for existenc of these schools. Many industrial companies are ready to sponser athletics but rarely can one find a single one to sponser, say, the SAT preparatory classes for the students. Is it any wonder that the outstanding students in the high schools feel ignored and sometimes ashamed of their talents and are concerned about their lack of competence in sports? Even colleges and universities are ready to shower athletic scholarships while merit scholarships are usually provided on a need-only basis. The same situation dominates the status of the teaching staff where the athletic coaches get recognition they deserve and the academic [staff] are more often ignored. Our youth will recognize the importance of science and mathematics if the press and the TV media do spend some of their talents on the progress of these academic fields in the industry and the institutions. The media must realize that the youth are the source of future scientists, engineers and doctors. [author's name not excerpted] Cherry Hill, N.J. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------