F

or
the
past
three

and a half years, I’ve
fought fiercely against

being
titled
a
“Michigan

Engineer.”
I
rejected
this

title because to me it seemed
like the Michigan Engineer
represented so many of my
negative
experiences
amid

engineering culture: having to
prove to my male teammates
that I’m just as capable as
them, students and faculty
alike not understanding how
our decisions as engineers
affect
real
people’s
lives,

and
fighting
against
the

administration to accept my
work in disability design and
design research.

I remember so vividly the

day sophomore year that I
walked into the machine shop
for the first time to complete a
training project. I was sweating
and my hands were shaky. I
tracked down one of the guys
in flannel shirts who looked
like he might be in charge and
told him why I was there. I
told him I had never been in a
machine shop before and had
absolutely no experience with
making things. He walked me
over to a big scary lathe and
told me the project was easy —
don’t worry. I asked him how I
should start. He shot his wide
eyes at me and said: “Didn’t
you watch the instructional
videos?
You
really
should

come here prepared.” Then he
walked away.

What that man didn’t know

was I had actually watched
every single video they gave
us about three times each. I
memorized
everything,
but

it’s
different
when
you’re

standing in front of a giant,
scary machine for the first
time. I didn’t know what to do.
I apparently wasn’t allowed
to ask for help. But I couldn’t
just stand there, look at all the
knobs and levers, and hope to
magically become enlightened
either. So I left. I returned my
tools, got back my Mcard and
walked out the door.

I thought it was my fault,

that I wasn’t good enough to
be an engineer. I had never felt
so stupid in my whole life. I sat
on a bench outside the EECS
building and called my dad
right then, crying progressively
harder the further I got into
recounting my story.

This memory and the way

I felt that day will forever
be burned into my mind.
Unfortunately, it’s not the only
negative experience I had in
engineering, and I’m not the
only person to have felt that
they weren’t good enough to

be an engineer. To me at that
time, identifying as a Michigan
Engineer meant being close-
minded,
condescending,

exclusionary of women and
minorities, unwilling to ask for
or give help, and too proud to
admit mistakes.

So why did I stay in this

program? It’s a question almost
everyone asks me and one that
I’ve asked myself every day for
the past three years. I realized
recently that it’s because of
those whose energy and action
contradict the negative, but
often
accurate,
stereotype

of
a
Michigan
Engineer.

Despite my experience in the
machine shop, my design team
that semester was incredibly
supportive, and we were able
to bring out one another’s
strengths in ways I never
imagined.

That same year, I began a

disability design company with
Sidney Krandall, a University
alum in the School of Art &
Design class of 2016, and we
were able to rely on individual
faculty to sit down with us and
give feedback on cardboard-
and-duct-tape
prototypes.

I discovered people whose
offices I could stop by and
pose big questions to about
carving my own path through
the College of Engineering.
Shanna
Daly,
an
assistant

professor
of
mechanical

engineering, became one of
my closest mentors in this
way. She helped me discover
the exponential growth that
occurs when design research
aligns with design practice,
and introduced me to a world
of opportunities, including a
trip to Copenhagen to present
our research.

Amy Hortop, a coordinator

of
mechanical
engineering

capstone
projects,
became

my partner in creating an
Interdisciplinary
Design

Conference. This introduced

me to an entire group of
engineers,
architects
and

designers who care just as
much as I do about doing
impactful work. And finally,
my capstone design project
team — Val Coldren, Ryan
Payerle and Sheevam Naik —
has been a source of unending
creative energy as we navigate
our way through an intense
case study in disability design.

A couple of months ago, I

realized I’m graduating this
spring with a degree from the
University of Michigan College
of Engineering. So by definition,
I am a Michigan Engineer. What
does that mean?

I
am
a
designer.
I’m

passionate
about
designing

with and learning from people
who
have
disabilities.
I’m

insistent
that
every
single

person has the opportunity to
create a positive impact in the
world, and I try to open people’s
eyes to that opportunity. I care
about being reflective and
constantly question whether or
not I’m a good person.

Some days, when the answer

is no, it’s up to me to figure out
why and put the right work in.
After seeing so much negativity
in the world this year, I decided
to ensure every action I take
is one that positively impacts
society. Choosing to live my
life this way has given me both
direction and wind in the sails
of my boat of life.

So
what
do
you
offer?

What is a Michigan Engineer
to you? I think now is our
opportunity to define that the
Michigan
Engineer
doesn’t

just take one form, that we
require it to be a fluid term.
I’ve experienced a College of
Engineering that is diverse in
thought and passion. Where
each student brings unique
strengths and individuality to
the table. Writing “University
of Michigan” on a résumé
no longer implies a certain
personality or skillset.

Each one of us has carved

our own paths through this
university and every day my
fellow students define what
it means to be a Michigan
Engineer. The weight is on
our shoulders to create our
own definition and to ensure
that our legacy is one we
can be proud of. Our shared
background
as
Michigan

Engineers
is
the
platform

from which we take our big
jump with eyes wide open into
creating the world in which
we want to live.

W

hen I watch the
tour groups circle
campus,
I
both

smile and cringe as I see
the
prospective

freshmen
coming

to the University of
Michigan. I smile
because
college

tours are exciting
— they are full of
promise and dreams
of what is to come.
But I cringe because,
for
many,
college

tours are also the
beginning of a time
in which students will first
encounter the realization that
they know basically nothing
about the world.

I put myself in their shoes

and it is hard to believe who
I was a year ago. So much has
happened since then, and as
my first year at the University
comes to a close, I realize I
have learned a plethora of new
things and yet still seem to
have learned very little of the
world outside my education. I
am not sure if this is because
it is my first year or because so
much of the next three years
is still unknown, but I have
never been more aware of the
knowledge I do not have.

I
have
had
some
hard

lessons because of this lack
of knowledge throughout the
year. Whether it has been in
what classes to take, what to
major in or any kind of sizable
life decision, more often than
not, I usually learn from the
mistakes I have made and not
the things I did right. And
this makes me wonder if I
can successfully graduate and
enter the “real” world with all
of the skills I could ever need.

This extends to my friends

and acquaintances as well.
They have expressed these
same thoughts, and it has lead

me to believe that we, as a
generation, still do not know
very much. Collectively, our
knowledge may be great, but

I do not see how
we can confidently
leave college behind
without
admitting

that we are not done
learning.

Depending
on

what
source
you

consult, the oldest
millennials
are

currently
entering

their
mid-thirties

right
now.
This

means many have settled, or
are beginning to settle, down
to have families, and they are
just now starting to find jobs
they could possibly stay in for
more than five years. When
looking at the big picture, we
can see there are so many other
people with more experience
to draw on that we are still
basically children within the
world and young adults at best.

Millennials
need
to
see

that although some of us may
disagree with certain values of
older generations, we are not
all-knowing or better because
of our youth. There is value
in talking about life lessons
with those older than us even
when we do not see eye to
eye on specific issues, and we
cannot begin to take major
positions within this country,
as politicians, business leaders
or even as active citizens,
without recognizing we have a
lot to learn.

We must accept that our

viewpoints and beliefs are not
the same as others’, and it does
not do any good to ignore what
individuals from the opposing
side
have
to
say
because

we believe our way is right.
Learning how to be a member
of society does not just include
contributing
our
opinions

to the discussion. It means
actively listening to others,
being open to new ideas and
not being afraid to change the
way we are living based on an
idea that was not our own.

Yes, the world is much

different from when older
generations were our age, but
there are fundamental truths
about life that we will wrestle
with through our entire lives.
As young adults, we have yet to
feel the pressure to understand
many of these, and simply
because we have not wrestled
with certain problems does
not mean we can blow them
off and not accept the advice
we are given.

This goes beyond calling

up our parents when we are
having a bad day and need a
pep talk. It means actually
listening to what they have to
say, what our grandparents
have
to
say,
our
bosses,

advisers and anyone else who
offers us their input. I am
not claiming everyone older
than
us
automatically
has

something useful to tell us,
but we should at least actively
listen when they feel the need
to express their thoughts.

Ultimately, even though we

learn a lot during college,
we cannot logically believe
that we are done learning
at graduation. Life itself is
perpetually being a freshman
and
we
cannot
make

decisions assuming we know
everything. Because of this,
we must remember to reflect
not just on our choices, but
the choices of those older
than us. The world is made
better
not
by
citing
the

wrongs of those before us, but
changing our actions so we do
not repeat the same mistakes.

Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, April 12, 2017

REBECCA LERNER

Managing Editor

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890.

EMMA KINERY

Editor in Chief

ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY

and REBECCA TARNOPOL

Editorial Page Editors

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

We still have a lot to learn

ALEXIS MEGDANOFF | COLUMN

Redefining “Michigan Engineer”

LAURA MURPHY | OP-ED

Laura Murphy is a senior in the

College of Engineering.

Alexis Megdanoff can be reached at

amegdano@umich.edu.

“Y

ou write for the
Daily,
so
you

want to go into

journalism, right?” is a question
I am often asked.
And the answer is no
… well … kind of. The
answer is that I don’t
even
know.
What

I do know is that I
enjoy the Daily, and
it is something I am
passionate about.

When I was little,

I wanted to be an
actress.
Growing

up, I was actively
involved in theater, dance and
public speaking competitions.
It was my favorite thing to do.
I loved having an audience and
jumped at any opportunity
to
showcase
my
skills.

However,
my
passion
for

performing never stopped me
from pursuing other things.
I played sports, danced and
wrote for the school paper —
shocker, I know.

The
experiences
I
had

outside of my primary passion
for
performing
helped
me

to recognize how my acting
abilities affected my other
interests. In class, I was never
afraid to be the first person
to present a project, and I
always raised my hand if I had
a question. I did not know my
willingness to perform in front
of people helped me to be more
comfortable
and
confident

with myself.

When I came to college, I

stopped performing. I became
engaged
with
activities

that were more specific to
my academic interests, and
the
competitive
nature
of

auditioning intimidated me. I
am aware that even though I
am not participating in theater
anymore, that does not mean
the skills and lessons I have
learned through performing do

not impact my day-to-day life.

The little girl inside of me

still reminds me of the joy
performing brought me. But

now
that
I
have

been away from the
stage, I have realized
all the skills it has
taught me beyond
memorizing a script.

As we get older,

our passions evolve
and change to fit
our individual goals.
These
goals
are

often
focused
on

sustaining a lifestyle

that best meets our needs.
However, as our focus on these
professional goals intensifies,
the
valuable
experiences

we might find outside of our
vocation wane. If we only
immerse
ourselves
in
one

environment, we are at risk of
our passion burning out.

As students, we often are

caught up in thinking about
how to get ahead of our peers
by obtaining a better internship
or scoring higher on a test, but
we should acknowledge the
fact that the experiences we
enjoy outside of academics
shape who we are. At this
transitional period of our lives,
we should be open-minded
to new things and know that
we aren’t wasting our time.
Having and pursuing a variety
of interests makes us more than
our résumés. It is important
to remember that being well-
rounded is a valuable virtue
that makes us human. Just
because
something
isn’t

directly perceived as “on the
right path” doesn’t mean it’s
useless.

In
fact,
having
hobbies

or
interests
outside
our

professional
disciplines
is

beneficial
to
our
mental

health
and
productivity
in

the professional field. When

we focus our attention on
our hobbies, we take time to
de-stress from the daily grind
of the workplace. It allows
us to open our minds to new
experiences and gives us a
different activity to put forth
our energy. At college, students
feel pressured to be the best at
their specific major, but taking
classes
that
don’t
exactly

pertain to a specific interest
encourages new forms of social
interaction that we might not
have if not for taking a class
outside our disciplines.

While we might love the

professions we are getting
into, if we devote all of our
energies to one thing, we risk
neglecting the multitude of
passions and hobbies we once
had growing up. Achieving
mastery at a specific profession
depends on how we experience
our lives outside of it. At college,
we feel pressure to join clubs
that pertain only to our major
or field of interest. Instead,
we should be encouraged
to explore the things we’ve
always loved alongside our
professional goals. We should
feel empowered to immerse
ourselves in the multitude of
opportunities we have on this
campus.

When I tell my friends what

I am involved in, they assume
that my primary interest is
some
kind
of
journalism.

However, they do not know
all that I have done in my
time before I joined the paper.
Similarly, I am not aware of all
of the interests that shape them.
If we keep these passions alive
beyond our youth, we might be
surprised to find people who
feel the same pressures we do.
We might be surprised where
we find ourselves.

Keep doing what you love

MICHELLE PHILLIPS | COLUMN

Michelle Phillips can be reached at

mphi@umich.edu.

Carolyn Ayaub
Megan Burns

Samantha Goldstein

Caitlin Heenan
Jeremy Kaplan

Sarah Khan

Anurima Kumar

Ibrahim Ijaz
Max Lubell

Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki
Anna Polumbo-Levy

Jason Rowland

Ali Safawi

Sarah Salman
Kevin Sweitzer

Rebecca Tarnopol

Stephanie Trierweiler

ALEXIS

MEGDANOFF

I stay because
of those whose

energy and action

contradict the
negative, but
often accurate,
stereotype of
a Michigan
Engineer.

MICHELLE
PHILLIPS

EMILY WOLFE | CONTACT EMILY AT ELWOLFE@UMICH.EDU

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