The stereotype of engineering students as bookworms who spend all of their time in labs or studying has been inaccurate for years. Today, at Auburn, it has never been farther from the truth. Our students are involved in a variety of other activities throughout campus, often accepting leadership roles in the organizations to which they belong. They, perhaps more than most, have the discipline it takes to balance busy schedules and challenging coursework to enjoy a well-rounded college experience.
Engineering the Band
Musicians are left brain people; engineers, right brain … and never the twain shall meet. Well, not always, and definitely not in the case of Auburn University Marching Band members. In fact, engineering students account for a third of the 2010 marching band.
"This year's numbers are pretty typical," says Corey Spurlin, associate director of bands and assistant professor of music. "It is not uncommon for the percentage of engineering band students to be almost double their representation in the general student body."
It seems as if music and engineering have more in common than you might think. Being successful in band and in engineering require more than just showing up. Both require concentration, hard work and precision. When you play a note, it is either right or wrong, much in the same way an answer to a math problem is right or wrong.
"The most important lesson I've learned as a band member is teamwork," says civil engineering junior and trombone section leader Will Childs. "This carries over to engineering where so many projects are team-based. In both cases, your work is part of something greater. If you mess up, you impact the group."
So how do students with two time-consuming commitments – a tough engineering course load and an extracurricular activity that requires hours of practice – pull it off each week? Some say it takes dedication; some say time management. Others say it requires thinking and working ahead. But most agree that no matter how tough the juggling act, in the end, it is worth it.
According to Spurlin, engineering students are often eager to take on demanding leadership positions within the band. This includes serving as drum majors, section leaders and as Rookie Auburn Tigers (RAT) leaders, who work closely with freshman band members to help them learn the ropes and balance the workload.
"Engineering students are typically talented musicians and are often awarded important positions within the bands," says Spurlin. "They exhibit concern for the good of the overall group, work hard and manage their time well."
As one of four RAT leaders, mechanical engineering senior Greg Abernathy helps freshman band members make the transition from high school to college a smooth one. In addition to playing trumpet in the marching band, Abernathy is also a member of the basketball pep band.
"I made it a point early in my college career to keep track of my band commitments in the same way I kept track of tests and due dates for classroom projects," he says. "This allows me to look a few weeks ahead and plan study or practice, which opens up free time to take on a leadership role in band, which I really enjoy."
Spurlin also explains that the band works hand-in-hand with campus recruiters to identify new members. Campus recruiters often hear that a prospective engineering student has narrowed the choice to two schools based on academics and plans to make a final choice based on which school has the best band. "Music and band have been a big part of life for many of these students," he says. "They want to make sure that it will remain so as they begin their college careers. I'm pleased that many of the students that are initially undecided commit to Auburn after visiting the College of Engineering and with the band."
Such was the case for Matt Cancilla, a junior in mechanical engineering. "The quality of the Auburn University Marching Band definitely had an impact on my college decision. I considered other really good engineering schools such as Georgia Tech, but I knew I wanted to do more in college than just study," he says. "Because I had played trombone for such a long time, I knew the Auburn band would be a great fit for me."
Sure, band is a lot of work, but it also creates a camaraderie that is hard to match. For Childs, it doesn't get much better than pregame shows, Tiger Walk and, best of all, that feeling when the music stops and you know that you've nailed the performance in front of a full house.
She's Got Poise
Emilee Williams, a junior in civil engineering, is a band member whose musical roots are firmly grounded in her family. In addition to playing oboe in the symphonic band, Williams also adds flash to the marching band as a majorette, and most recently to campus as the 2011 Miss Auburn University.
Williams took home the crown and scholarship from the Miss Auburn University Scholarship Pageant in January – the first time she had ever competed in a pageant. She was one of 22 contestants competing in a pre-pageant interview, a talent competition, an on-stage question and answer session, as well as evening wear and swimsuit competitions. Williams will make nearly 100 appearances throughout her year-long reign and will participate in the 2011 Miss Alabama Pageant in Birmingham in June.
After graduation, Williams plans to use her civil engineering degree in a municipal government setting where she can apply her minor in hunger studies. "I hope to make a difference and contribute to society using my talents and my academic strengths. That is what makes civil engineering a perfect outlet for me," she says. "The Miss America organization is very supportive of the passion and education of young women. I appreciate the support I have received toward my platform, domestic hunger awareness, and toward my engineering degree here at Auburn."
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Dissing the Stereotype
Josh Wallace chose Auburn because he wanted the best of both worlds: an NCAA Division I basketball career and a first-class engineering education. Wallace, an academic junior in civil engineering from Pensacola, Fla., is a 5'10" point guard on Auburn's men's basketball team and the only walk-on starter in the SEC. He's scored on the court – 176 points this season – and off, earning several Auburn University and College of Engineering scholarships, including the college's Alabama Power/Southern Company scholarship, a dean's annual scholarship and the university's Academic Charter Scholarship and Alabama Alliance for Students with Disabilities/STEM scholarship.
Wallace won this year's Outstanding Defensive Player and Playmaker of the Year awards after ranking second in the SEC with 1.7 steals per game, third in the league with a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio and fourth with 3.9 assists per game. He started 26 of 31 games for the Tigers and averaged 5.7 points a game. He scored a career-high 17 points in Auburn's win at South Carolina.
Wallace also received the Foy Spirit Award, a $1,000 scholarship given each year in memory of Dean of Students James E. Foy and his wife, Emmalu Foy. It is one of the highest awards an Auburn student can receive. The Foy family established the award to recognize and reward a student who exhibits exceptional qualities of leadership and character, and a commitment to the Auburn community while maintaining a job to help fund education expenses.
"This is a tremendous honor for Josh," said Tony Barbee, Auburn men's head basketball coach."He attacks academics with the same vigor as he does basketball. As coaches, you want guys who play bigger than what they are. You see a lot of 6'10" guys play like a 6-foot guard. When Josh looks in the mirror, he sees a guy that's 6'10", 300 pounds. And that's how he plays. He brings it every day. He does the same things academically. He is a wonderful person, and we are very proud of him."
Wallace's freshman teammate, T.J. Rice, an Alpharetta, Ga., native and wireless engineering student, got a heads up from Wallace on what he could expect in his engineering classes. "We take some of the most difficult courses," he says. "We keep a lot on our plate with handling practice, lifting and engineering school work, but it's a rewarding experience."
Rice is a walk-on who earned a Boeing Aircraft scholarship and Alabama Power/Southern Company scholarship. Studying engineering and being a student athlete are both full-time jobs on campus, but he doesn't shy away from the challenge.
"It does feel like I have two jobs, and it's a lot of work," says Rice. "But I am making sacrifices both ways. There are certain things I want to do with my engineering classes that I can't always do because of basketball, but I can still find time to participate in things that I really want or need to do."
One of those things is spending time getting help with his classes, such as calculus, through the Alabama Power/Southern Company Academic Excellence Program. "We meet once or twice a week, and I get help from upper level students," says Rice. "It's very beneficial, so I make time to meet with them. And calculus is interesting because I haven't learned about integrals before now."
"I have to keep academics first, especially because I am walk-on," says Rice. "I look ahead to my future in engineering, because it will take me further in my career."
Wallace agrees with Rice on the importance of academics. And, apparently, his teammates recognize that because they often go to him with questions about classes, especially when they involve science and math.
"They joke with me and give me a hard time sometimes for being an engineer," he says. "They'll call us nerds, but I say, 'Hey, nerds rule the world.'"
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