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Volume 80, Issue 24 Web Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
@ BCclarion
March 25, 2015
New physics minor approved
By Hannah Cook
staff Writer
“We are immersed in physics every day,”
explains Dr. Michael Castelaz, a physics profes
sor at Brevard College. “Physics has driven the
technological revolution we are in right now.”
Because of the practical use of understanding
the physical world around us and the ability to
problem solve that physics allows us to develop,
Brevard College has approved Dr. Castelaz’s pro
posal for the addition of a physics minor, sched
uled to begin in the fall of 2015. This minor will
consist of 19 credit hours, 12 of which are to be
made up by a required base of three foundational
courses: PHY 103: General Physics I, PHY 104:
General Physics II and PHY 205: Modem Physics.
“Modem physics is a new course we are offer
ing,” says Castelaz. “It gets into the very strange
world of relativity.” Topics such as quantum
mechanics, special relativity and the speed of
light will be covered in this course. Though these
required classes may sound ‘rigid’ from their
course descriptions, Castelaz notes that “they
are not dry, all are experiential learning. There is
Mike Castelez working with students.
room for creativity.” These statements is fully sup
ported by students of Dr. Castelaz’s current PHY
104 class in which students design and test their
own experiments instead of doing traditional labs.
After the 3 foundational classes have been
completed, students are able to pick between
several other physics courses to cover the re
maining 7 credit hours required, including PHY
102: Astronomy, PHY 302: Astrophysics, PHY
304: Electricity and Magnetism and PHY 204
Cosmology, (a current eourse that is offered by
Dr. Clarke Wellborn).
Additionally, this minor will include an oppor
tunity for an independent study, PHY 389. This
minor may appeal most to math majors, biol
ogy majors, and even business majors. Castelaz
explains that for a business major, this would
show potential employers that he or she would be
competent in interpreting and working with data
and would show problem solving abilities of the
individual. However, anyone who is curious about
the workings of the world would benefit from a
physics minor.
Dr. Castelaz emphasizes that humans are natu
rally curious creatures, made to discover. “Physics
gives us that outlet to explore the world around
us. It’s not just that physics is important. It’s that
physics is part of our lives.” This minor can be
declared by students as they make their schedules
for the coming fall semester.
Psych students represent BC at SEPA
conference
By Jordan Laws
StaffWritei^_
The Southeastern Psychological Association
(SEPA), had their 61st Annual Meeting in Hilton
Head, South Carolina from March 18-21 and a
group of BC students along with Dr. Dan Moore,
Coordinator of the Psychology Major at BC,
presented research there.
Hanna Leonard (junior Theatre and Psychology
Major), Savannah Calvert (junior Psychology
Major), Currin Sessions, Leslie Scholl and Heidi
Kaartinen attended the conference and presented
their research. They created four posters that
represented their research and as people walked
around the conference they could stop and ask
these students about their work and discoveries.
“Psych isn’t a major that gets together a lot,”
Calvert said. “SEPA is cool. It’s one weekend
where people can be openly nerdy about psy-
—f ^
Photo courtesy of Hannah Leonard
From left to right: Sessions, Schoii, Leonard,
chology.”
Savannah is a veteran of SEPA conferences.
She has attended the past three and presented four
posters at the events. Posters are representations
of their research.
SEPA is where psychology enthusiasts from all
Caivert and Kaartinen at SEPA conference
backgrounds meet to discuss current research and
developments. Students, graduate students, and
professors alike, attend SEPA’s Annual Meetings
to discuss anything about psychology. This is an
incredible story for BC because these aforemen
tioned students have worked hard to obtain entry
See SEPA on page 6