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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTexas JETS Newsletter 04.01.1964 • 1� 4 • Jo I C ■ * Z ( 2 ' 77 2 1 I ,ir Y.. Ard • THE BRYAN DAILY EAGLE Page 4 Bryan - College Station, Texas Sunday, Feb. 23, 1964 WINS IN MATIIEMATICs' Badgett Captures lst In JETS C ompe titi on John Badgett, a student at Texas A &M petroleum engi- ing. A &M C o n s o l i d a t e d High neering professor 'swho helped JETS is a program for high School, won f i r s t place in guide the organization since its school extra - curricula clubs to mathematics at the annual inception." stimulate interest among jun- Southwest Regional Confer- Kenneth E. Esmond of Odes- for and high school youth in ence of the Junior Engineering sa, president of the Texas So- engineering and science ca- Society here Saturday. ciety of Professional Engineers, reers. High school students from told the high school students Rockdale, Bryan - College Sta- there is no limit to scientific Union Station in Washington tion and the Gulf Coast area opportunities in the y e a r s has ornamented Capitol Hill were presented awards at the ahead. since 1907. The grand con - two -day conference attended course holds 50 00 by more than 330 persons. Don Cumbie, 18, of Rockdale, 0 persons Gary Hollimon of Rockdale won the $250 scholarship from comfortably. and Donald MacKenzie of the Texas A &M Former Stu - Spring Branch tied for second dents Association at the meet- Phone TA 2 -3707 for Classified place honors in the mathe- . 1 matics division. Two Bryan high school stu- __ dents, Barry Morgan and Su- zanne Gallaway, placed third and honorable mention, re- Baytown School Wins JETS spectively, in the contest. In engineering drawing corn- O petition, Randy Ransdell of Chapter Award A &M Consolidated took second THE POST'S TEXAS NEWS SERVICE place honors and Charles Con- COT J.EGE STATION — Robert Robert Atherton, honorable men - tella of Bryan, third. F o r d E. Lee High School of Baytown tion. Griggs, also of Bryan, received 'received the outstanding chap - The most outstanding small honorable mention. First place ter award at the Texas A &M school chapter award went to went to Henry Abel of Rock- University's annual Southwest Calhoun High School of Port La- dale. Regional conference of JETS vaca. The school's individual Also Saturday, students (Junior Engineering Technical honors were claimed by Billy heard a resolution honoring Society) here Staurday. Hamilton and Kathy Cameron, the late J. W. Amyx, former Other outstanding high school who placed second and third, — — College Station students from Rockdale, Bryan- respectively, in slide rule com - petition. and the Gulf Coast area were p r e s e n t e d John Badgett of A8�11� Consc -j awards at the two-day confer -I idated High School, College Sta- ence attended by 330 persons. Ilion, won first place in mathe- Students from the Baytown matics, • school took top honors in the en- In engineering drawing com- gineering sciences, with Robert petition, Henry Abel of Rockdale B. Chatfield, first place, and won top honors, i COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Texas A &M University MEMORANDUM , To: /4, From: G % "' Subject: ( Ait' //P ea 42 v wf./ t - -.• € ..... 1 .04-c / '' °-c-eA- , the-e-f-c-iv f.- ..., 7 .---,,,e,„........„.....€ (Per ...... . , ,, • • G% EER / � O � 7 x IP z TEXAS JETS NEWSLETTER STATE HEADQUARTERS • COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • TEXAS A &M UNIVERSITY • COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS S OCI ET`t Volume 4, No. 3 April 1, 1964 Texas Regional Conference of Junior Engineering Technical Society Attracts 330 Delegates The Junior Engineering Technical Society - JETS - held its Southwest Regional Conference, February 21 and 22, at Texas A &M University with 330 students interested in engineering and the sciences attending from junior and senior high schools of a wide area. The students were welcomed by Dr. R. E. Wainerdi, Associate Dean of Engineering at A &M, and given an orien- tation talk by J. G. McGuire, Assistant Dean of Engineering at A &M and state coordinator for JETS. They were briefed for special activities by Glenn P. Eaves, assistant state coordinator. One of the featured speakers was Kenneth E. Esmond, consulting engineer from Odessa and president of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, who spoke on "The Professional Engineer and JETS." He told his audience that engineering and science fields are sparkling with opportunity -- and responsibility. He said there is no limit to scientific opportunities in the years ahead because of constant discoveries and innovations. But at the same time, I would like to impress upon you that while opportunities are great, your responsibilities well be equally great, " Esmond emphasized. "Responsibility can not be left out of the opportunity package." He said the "cloak of res- ponsibility can be worn just as gracefully and beautifully as the cloak of opportunity, but it will require courage and self-discipline." Esmond also advised the students not to narrow themselves too much in their chosen fields. "Be an active civic worker. Know something about politics. Study the humanities and be able to communicate with others through writing and speaking. Without these, the whole effort is a failure, " he pointed out. The speaking program also included a film and talk on "Engineering the MOHOLE" by Don Taylor of Brown & Root, Inc. A report on JETS by Dean McGuire, a speech entitled "Scholarships for Worthy Students - Some Opportunities and Responsibilities" by Frank Oppenheimer of Gramercy Guild Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado, and a talk for ad- ' visors and sponsors entitled, "Role of the Engineer - Advisor to the JETS Club at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown," by J. L. Lutes, president of the Baytown chapter of TSPE, were also on the program. Other features of the sessions were: contests with prizes in mathematics, slide rule operation, engineering drawing, and the engineering sciences; tours of engineering and science facilities in the area; and a meeting with instructive speakers on nuclear reactor operations and nuclear activation analysis. During the conference also the 1964 National Engineering Aptitude Search test was administered by Auston S. Kerley, director of counseling and testing at Texas A &M. It consisted of two and one -half hour battery of aptitude tests for boys and girls in grades 7 through 12 to reveal special talents for engineering and the sciences and to aid in choice of the right career. Students who took the tests will receive reports of their results accompanied by an explanation from the Psychological Corporation, according to Kerley. ■ ti �.� 9 . • N 1 0, a ;= Chairman John S. Bell, Manager of the Houston area, Humble s . Oi1 and Refining Company, addresses the students, sponsors, and advisors at a general session of the conference. cu " John Badgett of A &M Consolidated High School, College s _ _ Station, proudly poses as first place winner of the math- ematics contest. N 1 — W . ,._....,...., .., „:, ' 'in ,.. .., *•4' tliftl-mr--1 14J7-T-1---r— 11 - - Ali • • i * 3 , ... ,.., ....„. • I . ., ,0m i •44"':' ••.:0. . ' ' '''' ' . .' • g1L.:. - 31.7.-,V,:" ,...40 • • ...,.,, • Mr. Oppenheimer receives a recognition certificate for continuous encourage- Engineering science contest winners ihcluded, left to right, Robert B. Chatfield meet to Texas JETS through scholarship awards. of Robert E. Lee High School, Baytown, first; Wayne E. Voskamp of Rockdale High School, Rockdale, third; and Robert W. At Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, honorable mention. anne ,1111111 ' 9 " --4-- . -. .. . . . f. ' , ... . . .; . ... . 1_, , .* ii. 1.4.1 a I: V 1.. t 1- lir i'l, __, ' 111 t, - ..... 111011R ' ft, 1 ° Second and third place winners, respectively, in the slide rule contest were Shown as winners in the engineering drawing contest are Randy Ransdell, A&M Billy Hamilton and Kathy Cameron of Calhoun Hlgh School, Port Lavaca, who Consolidated High School, College Station, who placed second, and Ford stand with their sponsor Dan E. ma sing111, right, winner of slide rule and Griggs, Stephen F. Austin High School, Bryan, who received honorable mention. certificate for having the best Small School Chapter in Texas JETS. , we _ 'i"---1---) " : 7 . :4: -.1-- -..---i-- ..• ,. 11.11.1 s,.. . 40: ,,l' ' • . 't , ,..,.. 4 1. iiiiiiiiie.,.: ''''''''''''':'.-:":.i:':•"..;*::.'.t'''' 4* Illt .,.....,_.,,„.„,.,„. First place winner of the slide rule contest, Wayne E. Voskamp of Rockda Don R. Cumbie of Rockdale High School is handed the A&M Former Student High School, stands (at left) with in Don Keeble, also of Rockdale High School, JETS Scholarship by Dean Fred J. Benson. who received honorable mention the same contest. Alongside the student sessions of the conference, the 23 -man state advisory committee for JETS held business and planning meetings with Chairman John S. Bell and Vice Chairman Ed L. Misegades in charge. The committee passed a resolution in reverent memory of the late J. W. Amyx who was active in Texas JETS as an advisor since its inception. Also on the conference agenda was the presentation of a four -year Texas A &M Former Students JETS scholarship paying $250 per year to Don R. Cumbie of Rockdale High School. The presentation was made by Dean Fred J. Benson. Contest winners were: mathematics - 1st, John Badgett A &M Consolidated, College Station; 2nd, (tie), Donald Mackenzie, Spring Branch High School, Houston; 2nd, (tie), Gary Holliman, Rockdale High School, Rockdale; 3rd, Barry Morgan, Stephen F. Austin High School, Bryan; and honorable mention, Suzanne Gallaway, Stephen F. Austin High School, Bryan; slide rule - 1st, Wayne E. Voskamp, Rockdale High School, Rockdale; 2nd, Billy Hamilton, Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca; 3rd, Kathy Cameron, Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca; and honorable mention, Don Keeble, Rockdale High School, Rockdale; engineering drawing - 1st, Henry Abel, Rockdale High School, Rockdale; 2nd, Randy Ransdell, A &M Consnlidated. College Station; 3rd, Charles Contella, Stephen F. Austin ligh School, Bryan; and honorable mention, Ford Griggs, Stephen F. Austin High School, Bryan; engineering sciences (physics and chemistry) - 1st, Robert B. Chatfield, Robert E. Lee High School, Baytown; 2nd, Donald Mackenzie, Spring Branch High School, Houston; 3rd, Wayne E. Voskamp, Rockdale High School, Rockdale; honorable mention, Robert W. Atherton, Robert E. Lee High School, Baytown; and honorable mention, John McClintock, Robert E. Lee High School, Baytown, The award for the most outstanding chapter went to the Robert E. Lee High School of Baytown. A demonstration slide rule was presented to the chapter for instruction use. The award for the most outstanding small school chapter went to Calhoun High School of Port Lavaca, Texas. A slide rule was presented to the sponsor, Dan E. Massingill, for his personal use. Many Participate in Aptitude Test and Contests at Regional Conference Eighty -seven students took the 1964 National Engineering Aptitude Search test and will soon receive information on their scores. Participation in the contests was as follows: mathematics 185; slide rule, 26; engineering drawing, 51; and engineering sciences, 104. Although it was hoped to return contest papers to contestants, the testing departments advise that it is not possible to do this. However, to aid preparation for next year typical questions for each con - test and the relevant rules for the contests will be published in a newsletter in the fall. Role of the Engineer Advisor to the JETS Club at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown (A speech presented by J. L. Lutes, President of the Baytown Chapter of TSPE, at the JETS Conference) It is a real pleasure for me to visit with this group of adult leaders in the JETS program. For in my opinion you are representatives of a dedicated group with the common unselfish interest of wanting to assist young people in the identification of their individual interests and abilities. I enjoy my association with you - and especially with Dean McGuire and his committee who have provided the strong leadership in getting JETS under- way in Texas. He has made Texas A &M the seat of the JETS program in Texas and through his initiative and foresight has contributed greatly to the future technological progress in the great Southwest. There is no time like the present for the Junior Engineering Technical Society. The seeming paradoxical situation in the engineering profession - that is the declining engineering enrollment at the college level in the face of the greatest technical explosion in history - is as critical if not more so in Texas than it is in any other place in the United States. For here we see everything on a magnified scale: we are standing on the threshold of space conquest - as the mysteries of space are solved in our front yard vast numbers of satellite technologies will be attracted to our state; important advances in the petro - chemical industry are requiring an ever increasing quantity of technical manpower; as our populations and industries increase in number, new and more extensive distribution and communication systems, electric power and water supplies, and many other areas of technolog- ical activity will require more engineers and scientists. The magnitude of growth in the Flouston area is pheno- minal. During the last decade it was second only to Los Angeles in terms of growth increase and amounted to over 54 percent. All of this to say that you people here are working in a program that is necessary to the national welfare. But an even more significant aspect to the JETS than trying to provide a better motivated and better prepared engineering student, is its effort to help the individual recognize his own aptitudes and interests. If a student - through his close observation of engineers at work in their various fields of specialty - discovers "that engineer- ing holds no interest for him, then a tremendous service has been performed for that individual in bypassed frus- tration and academic difficulties. On the other hand, if his interest is ignited and he makes an early dedication to mastering the physical laws of mathematics, chemistry, and science, he will be a higher quality, better satis- fied individual. This ministration to the abilities, aptitudes, and interests of the individual is to me a key high - point of the overall JETS objectives. is Activities of Baytown Chapter of TSPE in Serving as Advisor to the JETS Club So much for why JETS -let me now tell you about the Robert E. Lee High School JETS in Baytown and how we as members of the Baytown Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers attempt to assist the high school sponsor, Mr. Tom Hendrix (and Mrs. Edith Hodges, and Mr. Al Tipps) with his (Their) club. During the month of September, prior to organization of clubs at the school a young engineer member of our chapter meets with Mr. Hendrix, a Physics Instructor at Robert E. Lee,to review applicants for the JETS. This is necessary so that an idea of the scope of the year's operation can be evaluated and so that the spectrum of technical interest (which is part of the submitted application) can be studied. The subjects of projects, possible programs, and field trips, are also given preliminary consideration. Then as the club meets and completes organization - by the way officers for the new year, with the excep- tion of representatives from each class, are elected during the previous school year in the Spring - the engineer advisor begins meeting each week with the club during club period. In the first meetings the club membership is divided into small groups and individual interviews are conducted by the sponsor and advisor to ascertain the student's general field of interest, to suggest some project ideas to him, and to determine any requirements for projects that he may already have in mind. We try to insist that every student have a project - either a paper or study or constructed physical project that will require the discipline of outside effort in the particular technical field that he may be interested in. By letter, I solicited project ideas that would be suitable for JETS from the membership of our TSPE chapter. Their suggestions and those that Mr. Hendrix and myself could get together were used as starter ideas for those who had not furmulated project plans on their own. Our library of JETS Journals and technical literature serves as another excellent source for project ideas. To assist the students in regard to reference sources, efforts are made to make industrial technical libraries available for study and research. And although the school sponsors are most capable in giving direct advice to the students regarding implementation of their ideas, the Baytown Chapter has a broad spectrum of technologies represented in its membership and stands ready at any time to provide or help find technical assistance for the students. From these interview sessions we can also get an idea of the range of interest in science and engineering we have. The data are then used to plan the subjects for discussion and field trips that we should include during the year. This planning is not the responsibility of the sponsors and advisor. The heart of the JETS organization is the JETS Board which is composed of the officers of the club and a representative from each class. Mr. Hendrix has endeavored to develop a strong leadership within this Board and they have responded very well. With limited counseling, the Board sets the club's objectives and establishes goals for the year. Policy decisions related to discipline, club dues, project implementation, socials, and program of field trips and speakers are products of the Board. They meet outside of the normal weekly club date and provide the overall direction and guidance of the club with advice of the sponsor. With the subjects of discussion and possible field trips for a portion of the year outlined, the advisor from the Baytown Chapter can then begin scheduling appointments for individual speakers. For instance, this year the JETS set an objective of 2 speakers and 1 field trip per month. By the way members of the JETS themselves have many contacts with professional scientists and engineers in our area and may arrange for speakers at their own discretion after checking the schedule for possible conflicts. We have always had excellent response by individuals being sought as speakers. Practically every engineer feels a responsibility and a satisfaction when called upon to help in the guidance of young people by explaining the practical aspects of his work. Programs presented to the Robert E. Lee group to date have included subjects such as: Civil Engineering, Pollution Coniol, Engineering Concepts Associated with Domed Structures, Indus- trial Chemistry Applied to Utilization of By- Products, and Polyethylene Plastic Manufacture. The club has also enjoyed two very fine discussions by students on their projects. These programs have many fine aspects - giving the student experience in communicating his ideas and other students an opportunity to see the fruits of an associate's work. We hope to encourage more programs along this line. Ideally we would like to precede our field trips with a related discussion that would make the trip more mean- ingful. This is done where possible. The group has taken three field trips this year to date including visits to research and development facilities in the petro - chemical field, to a computer operation, and an oil and gas drill- ing and production operation. By the way, TSPE endeavors each year to provide a program on professionalism and the activities of the engineers professional society. In essence this comprises the relationship of the Baytown Chapter Advisor to the local JETS Chapter. Other areas I might mention include administration of the NSPE Scholarships competition. We select local applicants for the Gerber,. Monsanto, and Armco $3,000 scholarships from the JETS club. We also provide a Past President's key. The Ladies Auxiliary to our chapter also presents an outstanding all- around member of JETS with a slide rule. These presentations are made in the Spring at our annual JETS banquet. This year we are helping to admin- ister the JETS Research Aptitude tests at the High School and we hope to continue this program. This program has developed over the last four years and will continue to be improved I hope. The club at Robert E. Lee has grown during these years from an initial membership of 12 to 15 to over 50 now. During the past year, a chemistry club at the school with essentially similar objectives merged with the local organization in order to participate in the club's program. How to Obtain Engineering Assistance for Your JETS Organization If you club sponsors would like to have the assistance of an engineer in counseling or arranging field trips or speakers, one avenue open to you is through TSPE. TSPE has 26 chapters throughout the state and has over 6,000 engineer members in many communities. Since the aspect of professionalism among engineers would in- corporate support of educational programs such as JETS, JETS through Dean McGuire, has looked naturally to TSPE for assistance. And TSPE with the guidance of their educational committee headed by Mr. Joe B. Dannen- baum of Houston has actively encouraged support of JETS among their members. In other words, TSPE knows about you, and I would therefore suggest that you contact the president of the local TSPE Chapter in your area for any assistance whatsoever in the guidance of your club. I would be happy to supply any of you with a list of these officers and the boundaries of their respective chapters. We are anxious to be of assistance but in many cases may have been slow in taking the initiative in seeing if we can be of service in this program. The San Jacinto Chapter with an eight - county area has laid the groundwork for an outstanding program of technical counseling for all high schools in their entire area. Mr. Harry Graham, chairman of the San Jacinto g g rY J Chapter's Education Committee, has offered the assistance of engineers in his chapter and h,as received a very favorable response from both the schools and the engineers. I feel certain you can obtain assistance for your club regardless of your location. There may not be an engineer available for weekly meetings but periodic help will certainly be available. A science teacher at Robert E. Lee approached the Baytown Chapter for an advisor back in 1960. How to Organize a JETS Group Now if you are a prospective advisor looking for a JETS group, I would suggest that you contact your local high school, and -- over coffee -- explain to the principal and the science, mathematics, chemistry, or physics instructor the purpose and operation of JETS. A prearranged personal contact can be an effective technique for pointing out the JETS story. Club starter materials are also available from the National Office of JETS to assist in organization of the group. Summary I've tried to point out to you the relationship of the advisor to the JETS group in Baytown. This relationship with the sponsor and club is merely an example and is certainly subject to improvement - many improvements are coming about each year - but I'm hopeful that from this discussion you may get some ideas that will benefit your organization. Thank you very much. JETS Is for the Student and His School The Junior Engineering Technical Society - JETS - is a common meeting ground for the high school student, the high school mathematics or science teacher and the engineer. JETS is an extra - curricular club type organ- ization for high school students who like mathematics and science and who have an interest in exploring their applications to the world about us. The high school JETS Chapter provides the climate for group activity on projects involving many established engineering and scientific principles. The school sponsor of a Chapter of JETS is usually a mathematics or science teacher who likes working with youngsters as they imagine, design and build. Also, JETS is organized to encourage the association of a practicing engineer in the community as an engineer- advisor to the Chapter. He too is a man who has an inter- est in students and who is willing to give of his personal time in assisting the school sponsor, particularly in advising with respect to the engineering principles involved in Chapter projects. Activities of JETS Chapters are many and varied. Some engage in individual projects that may be entered in science fair exhibits and subsequently in the Annual National JETS Exposition. Other Chapters may prefer team projects or even in some cases Chapter projects. Some Chapters have built truly outstanding projects such as computers and television cameras. A few of the projects which were given Superior Awards at the Tenth Annual National Engineering Project Exposition in New York City last year are listed as follows: "Pulse Jet Motor ", "An Auroral Spectroscope ", "Ion Propulsion for Outer Space ", "Solar Guidance System ", "Space- craft and Computer ", and "Digital Computer with Electronic Memory ". As further example of the truly out- standing ingenuity of many of these youngsters, Norman Ahlquist, 16, of Seattle, Washington, built a TV camera at a cost of $40 which was used along with three standard professional cameras costing more than $35,000 each on the Honeywell's "Science All Stars" ABC -TV nationwide television show January 12, 1964. Other activities include exploring uses of the slide rule, working on physics or chemistry projects and study and drill, in preparation for competitive tests held in connection with the Statewide JETS Annual Confer- ence at the Texas A &M University. Still other activities include films or talks on engineering projects presented by the engineer- advisor or other available qualified engineers or scientists. This year in conjunction with the National Engineer's Week, JETS held its annual Southwest Regional Con- ference on the Texas A &M campus. Some 330 high school students, school sponsors, and engineer- advisors attended the sessions. High school students, whether members of JETS or not, had the opportunity to compete in various contests in mathematics, slide rule, engineering drawing, and engineering sciences. In addition, students had the opportunity of taking the "Engineering Aptitude Search ", a battery of tests constructed by the Psychological Corporation of New York, which was designed to measure aptitude for the study of engineering in college. During the time students were involved in the competitive tests, school sponsors and engineer - advisors met for the purpose of exploring ways to make the JETS Program more effective. Many prominent engin- eers and other industry representatives participated in the interest of JETS. JETS is for students and their schools. If you are not already a part of the organization, JETS invites you to participate and enjoy its programs and services and the benefits that can be derived from them. - J. G. McGuire, Assistant Dean of Engineering.