Viterbi Students: Critical Thinkers or Human Calculators?

When most people consider engineers, they immediately picture some geeky person sitting by themselves and crunching numbers all day.  In reality, an engineer does a lot more than crunch numbers.  (the geeky isolated part might be correct…)  At the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, there is an emphasis on critical thinking from day one.  Some of the very first engineering classes aim to teach students the importance of going beyond the formulas and numbers.  This includes various design competitions, where the process of synthesis is focused upon, tests and homework based around real-life problem solving skills, where the process of application is developed, and computer programming courses, to ensure students are able to fully utilize the technology available to them for complete and accurate analysis of engineering projects.    It is more than apparent that the Viterbi curriculum is oriented to transform number-savvy kids into full-fledged, critically thinking members of the engineering community.   

Throughout my early engineering career at USC, I am more than pleased with the amount of critical thinking in the curriculum.  I am constantly being challenged academically and I feel that I have learned a lot in a relatively short period of time.  Viterbi’s curriculum definitely has my seal of approval.

A Path to Salvation?

In his article A German Lesson: the Fallacy of One True Path, Daniel Goldhagen brings Pope Benedict XVI’s ability to critically reflect on his past into question.  Benedict himself was a small boy during the Nazi reign in Germany and, as Goldhagen mentions, at one point joined the Hitler youth.  It is obvious that Pope Benedict had a first-hand view of what hate and intolerance can do to people and, moreover, the entire world as a whole.  This is why Goldhagen questions Pope Benedict’s stance that Catholicism is the only true path to salvation.  Goldhagen argues that Pope Benedict should not denounce other religions and that his “ecclesiastical totalitarianism” is far too similar to the Aryan race that Hitler promoted.  As Goldhagen refutes in his closing lines, Pope Benedict is likely to argue that “his truth is the Truth,” however, this idea is what has driven many of the most despicable and horrid political regimes throughout history.

Personally, I think Goldhagen’s article is intended to drive home his point using a fairly shocking analogy.  Any comparison to Hitler or the Nazi rule will immediately grab the attention of the reader.  I do, however, also believe that Goldhagen’s argument has some merit.  He is by no means comparing Benedict himself to Hitler or trying to present Benedict as a bad person.  He is simply questioning Benedict’s views from an academic standpoint.  Why did Benedict not use his personal experiences and involvement in one of the most horrific periods in recorded history to change the way the world thinks?  Maybe there is no single path to salvation…

Have it your way!

My entire perception of the alarm clock itself has changed quite a bit during the writing process.  The bottom line is that the alarm clock is a very personal thing.  Every individual has their own routine in the morning which is started by waking up to their alarm clock.  Some people need to lay in bed for a half hour before facing the world, while others are able to hop out of bed pumped up and ready for another day.  Because of this vast difference in users’ needs, I have decided to make my new and improved alarm clock completely customizable. The personalization factor will be included in every single aspect of my alarm clock from face plates and blinking LED lights to a vibrating bracelet synchronized with whatever type of sound/music the user decides upon.  The alarm clock is a very important machine in anybody’s life.  How you wake up usually has a great impact on how you approach each and every day.  My ultimate goal is to allow owners of my alarm clock to create a personalized and comfortable environment to wake up into, so their mornings are as stress-free as possible.  I’m confident that a better alarm clock will improve many people’s lives and be a successful product for many years to come.