Momentum - October 2019 - 2

EDITORIAL
OF HIDDEN TALENTS AND SLOPPY STEREOTYPES
There's nothing this editor disdains more than
lazy labels, silly slogans, and sloppy stereotypes
(which in many cases go hand in hand in
hand). As much as we can, we should avoid
using these intellectual shortcuts, which poison
perhaps no realm of life more than politics. But
the problem goes well beyond that toxic dump.
This is not news to engineers, who all too
often find themselves the subject of derisive
stereotyping. Just this past month, in a case
of extreme labeling/stereotyping, a journalist
Patrick Ponticel,
friend of mine castigated "engineers"-every
MOMENTUM Editor
one of the millions or perhaps tens of millions
of engineers in the world-for lack of writing
ability.
Little did she know that in the week before her comment, I'd edited
a MOMENTUM article written, for the most part, by a student-engineer
who proved that stereotype dead wrong. The article, a Q/A, appears on
page 13 of this issue. Kaitlyn Baron's written answers don't amount to a
Jane Austen novel, but there are flashes of elegance in her answers that
had me thinking, "I wish I'd written that!"
Another thought I had: "If in the past week I dealt with an engineer
who has strong writing talent, how many others like her must there be?"
The answer to that question, in my estimation, is "many." Take Frank
Kozel, for example, who with clarity and a certain style describes the
thinking behind his Georgia Tech team's RC airplane for the SAE Aero
Design student competition (see page 4). Just as he worked within
engineering constraints to design and build a winning RC plane (along
with help from teammates), he worked within editorial constraints
(such as a 1,500 word-count limit) to produce what I consider a winning
article. It's not The Great Gatsby. For the intended purposes, however,
it's a very well done and meaningful written product.
All of the student-authored articles in this issue are well written in
their own ways. I encourage you to check them out.
It could be that you have a great hidden talent for writing-or if not
a great hidden talent, then perhaps a level of competence that you are
underestimating. Either way, writing is a skill that everyone would be
wise to cultivate.
To encourage student engineers to hone their writing skills,
MOMENTUM is holding an article contest, with a $500 prize for the
author of the work deemed best by yours truly and the rest of the SAE
Membership team. Submission deadline is November 1. See page 21 for
more contest details.
I don't buy into any sloppy stereotype about engineers (or about any
other group, for that matter), and neither should you.

GET INVOLVED
* Become a MOMENTUM contributor by submitting an article. Add that
achievement to your resume. Send an email to momentum@sae.org
expressing your interest in contributing.
* Spread the word about this magazine to other engineering students
and faculty, and encourage them to join SAE today by visiting
sae.org/membership.

2 October 2019

SAE MEMBERSHIP STAFF
Patrick Ponticel
Editor, Member Magazines
Corey Dillon
Member Relations Specialist
Donna Edenhart
Director, Membership & Sections
Abby Hartman
Local Activities Specialist
Amanda Hildabrand
Membership Manager
Nicole Iorfido
Developer, Volunteer Engagement
Ashley Ward
Volunteer Engagement Associate

DESIGN
Ryan Pristow
Creative Manager
Brian Fell
Senior Graphic Designer
Corey Bellis
Graphic Designer
William L. Schall
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Lucy Matyjaszczyk
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SAE INTERNATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paul Mascarenas, OBE
President
Mircea Gradu, PhD
2018 President
Todd Zarfos
2020 President-Elect
Pascal Joly
Vice President - Aerospace
Ken Washington, PhD
Vice President - Automotive
Landon Sproull
Vice President - Commercial Vehicle
Pierre Alegre
Treasurer
David L. Schutt, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Gregory L. Bradley, Esq
Secretary
Jeff Varick
Rhonda Walthall

SAE International Sections

SAE International sections are local units comprised of 100 or more SAE International members
in a defined technical or geographic area. The purpose of local sections is to meet the technical,
developmental, and personal needs of the SAE members in a given area. For more information,
please visit sae.org/sections.

SAE International Collegiate Chapters

Collegiate Chapters are a way for SAE International student members to get together on their
campus and develop skills in a student-run and -elected environment. Student Members are vital
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knowledge you need, participation in your SAE collegiate chapter can develop or enhance other
important skills, including leadership, time management, project management, communications,
organization, planning, delegation, budgeting, and finance. For more information, or for how to
find your local chapter, please visit students.sae.org/chapters/collegiate/.

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MOMENTUM The Magazine for Student Members of SAE International®, October 2019,
Volume 10, Number 5. MOMENTUM (ISSN 2152-4106) is published six times a year, in Feb,
Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct, and Nov by SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale,
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Momentum - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Momentum - October 2019