Like most engineering majors, I was introduced to my arch-nemesis during Intro to Engineering Design. However, it wasn’t the long hours, the anal-retentive notebook grading, or the lack of sleep while working on the group projects that was the problem. It was Profes-sional Development or “PD.” Men-tioning those words to any engineer on this campus will elicit an instant response; one often filled with profanities and physical violence. This is especially true since the nightmare does not end with the PD1 segment of IED. Apparently, there are two more that have to be dealt with, which I have chosen to put off until my senior year.

I can sympathize with the administrators who came up with the concept of the PD courses. They are probably correct in assuming that students who spend half their waking life on AIM need to learn how to interact in group (and real life) situations. However, PD does nothing to alleviate this problem. I find it hard to believe that learning about my Myers-Briggs certified, ENTP personality (which appa-rently indicates that I have no business being an engineer) at 8 am, did anything to help my leadership abilities.

Fortunately, I believe that there is a solution to this problem that will benefit everyone. It would be quite a shame to see all of the hard workers from the Archer Center lose their jobs. Therefore, I propose that the PD curriculum be slightly modified to better suit RPI’s needs. Instead of “Professional De-velopment” we could be instructed on “Procreational Development.” There are so many bright people here who, due to gender ratio difficulties and lack of certain social skills, may never have the opportunity to pass their genes on to future generations. Since students at state universities and liberal arts schools don’t need such instruction and carry out such activities at alarming rates, it is apparent that the genes which give engineers the love of physics and math necessary to maintain civilization, will be underrepresented in the future.

I hope to see this change made as soon as possible, thus elimin-ating the need for me to take PD2 & PD3 in my coming senior year. I look forward to enrolling in Procreational Development 1, and the wonderful homework assign-ments it is sure to bring.

Michael Stewart