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March 20, 2006 Vol. 77, no.
10S
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| CURRENT
AFFAIR:
DeCal students build circuits with the help of EECS junior John Torous
(right). “We wanted to help other engineers realize EE
is actually fun,” says Torous. “And we wanted to
show humanities majors that we do fun things, too." (Rachel
Shafer photo)
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You can’t resist it; it’s electric!
Students start DeCal class to get others charged up about EE
Last fall, EECS junior John Torous was studying in the office of Cal’s
chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
This being IEEE, one wall was filled with electronic devices and parts.
Torous, being an electrical engineer, found the wall more interesting
than his math-based homework. “I took a study break and started
fiddling with things. I ended up making circuits so I could see random
lights flash,” he says, smiling. “It was more fun and hands-on
than my homework. I realized if I was having fun, others might have
fun, too.”
Torous, an industrial relations officer in IEEE, convinced his fellow
officers to facilitate a DeCal (Democratic Education at Cal) class.
An EE introduction for engineers and non-engineers alike, it would
meld theory and math with building circuits. They approached EECS
professor Edward Lee, who helped them brainstorm a curriculum that
would cover
the basic tenets: voltage, currents, resistance, inductance, capacitance,
and transistors. In January, a full roster showed up to the first class of EE 98/198,
dubbed IEEE’s Hands-On Electronics.
The officers rotate facilitating responsibilities, so for a recent
class on capacitance, Torous was on duty. The class met in a Cory Hall
room for a 10-minute lecture, then moved into IEEE’s Moore Room
for the lab part of the class. Students sat around tables in a comfortable
setting and began to build the day’s circuit following a handout.
They were given supplies, including a bread board, solder and soldering
iron. At first it was quiet. Everyone was bent over their boards, working
wires and soldering, wisps of smoke drifting into the air. Torous walked
around, offering help and encouragement.
One of the students was Billy Cao, an economics senior. “I took
this class because it sounded fun and I wanted to learn more about
currents and circuits so I could eventually build stuff. I also needed
an extra unit.” An anthropology major and a German major also
enrolled for similar reasons.
Torous wasn’t the only IEEE member in the room. EECS freshmen
Priyanka Reddy and Angela Hsueh prepared the lab beforehand and were
assisting. “It’s pretty cool to see so many other majors
interested in EE,” said Reddy. “And it helps us see what’s
ahead,” added Hsueh. Other IEEE members have helped out with
the design of handouts and circuits.
By the end of the class period, studious quiet had turned to discernable
buzz. Tiny red and green lights on the bread boards were blinking
on and off, and students were taking voltage measurements. Two were
even
choosing new parts to experiment with. When it was over, everyone
took their working creations home, one small sign that IEEE has sparked
interest.
For more information, go to www.decal.org/courses/course.php?id=77.
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