OPINION
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
JUST MAKES SENSE
PAGE 7A
Educators need to focus on girls; math, science not only for men
STEPHANIE LOVETT slovett@kansan.com
When women call themselves a minority, they often receive eye rolls, even on college campuses like ours. And why not? Statistically, women aren't a minority. They make up just over 51 percent of students at the University of Kansas, which is true of most universities
mese days. Despite these gains in education, women still aren't equally represented in high-paying careers, such as medicine and engineering — so much so that they only make up 23 percent of doctoral scientists in the United States.
While physiological explanations have been offered over the years for the lower number of women in scientific careers — such as smaller brain size — none have proved conclusive. Researchers can't agree on the role of biology in the gender disparity but they do agree on the role of society and socialization of girls and boys.
The topic of women in the sciences — or lack thereof — has been a hot one since Harvard president Lawrence Summers addressed it Jan. 14. Academics and feminists quickly considered Summers' remarks heretical because he downplayed the idea of old-fashioned discrimination of women.
Michigan sociology professor Yu Xie, who researches women and science told Time Magazine, "I don't exclude biology as an explanation. But I know biological factors would not play a role unless they interacted with social conditions."
Summers' assessment gave more credence to the hypotheses that women are less interested in the demands of high-powered jobs in the sciences and that men may be more inherently apt for science. The latter suggestion most infuriated the academic community, and for good reason.
The natural place to change notions of who can have a career in the sciences is in school, and early. Elementary school students have a stereotype of what a scientist is, said Doug Huffman, professor of elementary science education. They think of a man in a lab coat working with chemicals. Not only is this idea inaccurate
— "the sciences" encompass engineering, physics, math, biology and more — but it reinforces the other cultural idea that a scientist is a man.
To change this notion,
Huffman suggests that educators be aware of this false stereotype so they can combat it. Adolescent boys often
dominate lab activities, so teachers should consider forming all-girl groups. Young children should also be educated about the myriad careers that science and math lend themselves to. Moreover, children should be educated about actual female scientists and given the opportunity to meet real-life female role models.
Without such efforts, when young men and women reach college they will still hold their pre-conceived notions about what science can, or can't, offer them. High school girls often see engineering as a computer-focused profession and are unaware of the different majors within the school, said KU engineering recruiter Dawnelle Prince. Female recruiting is improving for the engineering school, but progress is slow when trying to overcome years of socialization.
Our own University is an example of both promise and room for growth for women in science-related majors. Women make up more than 57 percent of biology majors, 44 percent of environmental studies majors, and 55 percent of health, sport and exercise sciences majors. But women are still greatly underrepresented in math, physics, and engineering, often making up less than 30 percent or even 20 percent of undergraduate majors.
To empower women to enter the sciences, we've got to start early. A man isn't born a scientist any more than a woman is. Intellect, encouragement, commitment and education combine to form a scientist. This very fact points to where the change has to be made — in youth, specifically how children are educated. Otherwise, women's careers will continue to be defined by society instead of the other way around.
- Lovetty is a Kansas City, Mo., senior in journalism and political science. She is a night editor for the Kansan.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
'Kansan' careless for publishing column promoting pro-steroid use
I wanted to express what I believe is pure stu pidity in publishing a column titled "Rewards of steroid use can outweigh risks" in Monday's University Daily Kansan. While I understand the purpose of the article in a face-off, I don't understand why, under any circumstances, you would publish in a widely read paper that steroid use may be OK because of the rewards.
Look again at the title of your article:
"Rewards of steroid use can outweigh risks."
The biggest risk involved with steroid use is death, which I find to be far superior to any temporary gain you may get from steroid use. Sure, steroids work, and I am in no way denying that. But let me ask you this: What good is having the capability to hit a ball 500 feet or power through the hole as a running back if you're lying in a body bag? I know it paints a morbid picture, but it's a harsh reality that we must face when confronted with steroids.
If you don't believe that the effects of steroids can be this drastic, then look at the case of Taylor Hooton. Obviously you know who he is, as someone was smart enough to mention his father in her column titled, "Steroids killing competitive nature and honesty of sports." What you probably already know is that Taylor Hooton was a 17-year-old varsity pitcher on his high school baseball team. His coaches told him that he needed to "get bigger," however they gave him no further guidance than that. Taylor took this as a sign that he needed to do something to make him stand out from the rest.
As a result, he began using anabolic steroids
Over time he began to develop all of the classic symptoms, but most people were oblivious to it at the time. During the summer of 2003, however, is when it all started to spiral downward. What you may not know is that Taylor Hooton was getting help. He was off of the steroids, but the side effects don't go away that easily. As a result of depression, caused by the steroids, so deep that he thought nothing could save him, he hung himself in his bedroom on July 15, 2003.
Taylor Hooton, my best friend, my teammate, my next-door neighbor is gone. So I propose the question again: Are steroids really worth the risk? Think about what you are publishing. You can't honestly believe the risk of death is worth it to be able to bulk up a bit and gain a competitive advantage in sports.
Maybe next time if you are going to tread waters in a controversial topic, you should examine all sides of it. The problem with steroids goes way beyond cheating, it's a matter of one's health. How many more people have to die before we realize that this is a serious problem? To all of you athletes out there: Grow up and work out hard if you want results instead of sticking a needle in your ass.
Reading the kansan today made me sick to my stomach, and I hope that you consider what your actions may have done today to those people who are on the borderline of deciding whether or not they want to take steroids. Sure the risk of death is rare, but don't tell it me it can't happen because I live with it every day.
Tom O'Dea Overland Park sophomore Business Administration
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▼ MCKERNAN'S PERSPECTIVE
Kevin McKernan/KANSAN
A PRINCE IN THE PULPIT
Scientific theory explains life, but requires leap of faith
There's a brand new religion for all you atheists out there. The good news is that you don't even have to believe in some fairy tale about a man coming back from the dead that was written by a bunch of guys a thousand years after it supposedly happened. This is
PETE PRINCE
pprince@kansan.com
science. This is real. Albert Einstein's dream has been realized.
Since the mid-'60s, physicists have been searching for a theory to unify the four forces of nature. There are four basic forces in the universe — gravitational, electromagnetic and two nuclear forces that take place inside the nucleus of an atom. Since 1979, we have been using the "Standard Model," which does a fantastic job explaining the relationships between three of the four forces. The only problem is that physicists and mathematicians have never been able to work the fourth, the gravitational, force into an equation that balances out.
Humans have searched for a fundamental theory underlying all natural phenomena since the beginning of civilization. A unifying theory that encompasses the four forces of nature is probably the most important discovery science is now trying to achieve. Einstein was one of the first people to propose that a unifying theory must exist, and he spent most of his later life looking for one unsuccessfully.
Enter string theory. A developing idea that may explain how the four forces, and our world, fit together.
String theory predicts that everything, every piece of matter, in the universe is made of the same thing. Think of it as a small rubber band, a band that is vibrating in some way. The way it vibrates is what determines if it will be an electron, a strange
quark — yes, that's actually a name for an existing piece of matter — a muon, etc. Together, the countless number of strings all vibrating in different ways, creates everything we see. It's like a gigantic orchestra playing the symphony of the universe.
As you know, new scien-
tic theories are always under attack, as they should be, and string theory is no different. The primary problem with string theory is that it cannot be tested. The theory is that the strings are about $10^{35}$ meters in length. That is inconceivably small. The difference between the theorized size of a string and the size of a single atom is the same as the difference between the size of you and the distance between the sun and the nearest star. It's difficult to conceptualize, but the bottom line is we can't test for them and will probably never be able to. Another problem with string theory is that it pretty much depends on the existence of eleven dimensions. We can only sense four. Anybody ever seen the fifth or sixth dimension? If you have, you should call the physics department, they'd be interested to hear about it.
Because the theory can't be tested, it raises questions about whether it's even a scientific theory. It takes quite a bit of belief and faith, and even, "Oh no! Religion!" for the physicists and mathematicians working on it because most of the material is too difficult for normal people to understand. But I believe in modern science, which has proven more reliable in solving the mysteries it has sought after, rather than a book that a bunch of men — no women — wrote a thousand years ago.
**Prince is a Lake Elmo, Minn., graduate student in secondary education.**
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Student Senate needs to do something important and bring the hot dog stand back to Wescoe Beach.
Now what am I going to do with my Galindo jersey?
Maybe the Baylor Lady Bears need to come teach the KU men's basketball team how to play basketball.
Thank you, Kansas, for trying to protect marriage
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To the guy stealing iPods, I dare you to come try and steal my Audiophile portable CD player.
Hey Caleb, Roy Williams goes to the championship game in '91, his second year. 2005, Bill Seff goes out in the first
I'm sitting here watching television, and it breaks up about every five minutes. Broadband Man, you suck.
round in his second year. You do the math.
So I've been waiting in the yellow lot for a parking spot for half an hour, class starts in 10 minutes, and I'm going to whine about it because I'm a pissly little brat.
Thanks, KU, for having baseball games go until 11:30 at night while the lights and noise fill my room at Oliver. Did you ever think I might have a test in the morning?
Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the day after the state of Kansas votes to constitutionally ban gay marriage, KU is tearing down the hate wall to represent ending hate?
Too bad Hallmark doesn't make "I hate you, please move out" cards.
Instead of writing my paper, I'm taking pictures of my roommates' asses.
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