I suppose I have not been posting much lately, but then again I have not had a lot to say so that might explain it.
Texas A&M University must be one of the last great bastions of imperial in the engineering world. Although funnily enough we train a lot of soldiers who all know metric. In the College of Architecture more and more of our students are doing a 6 month stint in Spain or Italy as part of the required course. These students invariably return having had to work in the metric system and most of them seem to accept the change. We have more and more of our classes being taught in metric or at least part metric. Me I refuse to teach in anything else. If I have a problem child who does not want to behave I simply give them their next test in barley corns and stone, they do not play up after that, as one former student told me - you do not play around in that class if you do not know there are 3 bc's to an inch. We certainly have a lot of students from Midland Texas, just as aside before I forget. I had a class exercise this year where each group of two had to set out a set of measurements in either metric or imperial. The measurements were three neat metric, three neat imperial and three random dimensions selected using the EXCEL random function. The grade was given for speed (50%) and accuracy (50%). The fastest time in metric was half the fastest time in imperial. I gave them tapes that had one imperial side and one metric side. One smart group changed all the imperial measurements to metric and said we did that to win. The winner had 100 score and they all want the 100 on an assignment. Metric will win in the end it just requires the steady hand of pressure - as Winnie said about the few, Never etc.... The other thing I have done is get my local public radio to broadcast the weather temp in metric - I used the excuse that it was for an assignment and for the Corp of Cadets people, but they have kept it up now for three years. I met a young lady who works at the radio station and she said it is now part of the sop. We should have a sticker - Support our troops talk metric - they fight and die in metric. John M. Nichols Assistant Professor Room A414 Langford AC MS 3137 Department of Construction Science College of Architecture Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3137 Phone: (979) 845 6541 Fax: (979) 862 1572 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Jason Darfus > Sent: Monday, 6 December 2004 5:45 PM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:31590] Re: Do you speak metric at ground level? > > First of all, I sincerely apologize to everyone for getting off-topic. It > won't happen again. > > Paul, I agree with you. There is, for whatever reason, a kind of 'stygma' > attached to talking metric in this country. I'm not quite sure why but it > could have something to do with the hype and broken promises of the 1970s. > Since I was born in '75, I didn't experience the failed attempt at > conversion. > > Just this year I've found the courage to speak the language but being the > dedicated supporter I am, I can imagine it wouldn't be easy for the > average citizen to gather the courage (or even the desire) to break > tradition. To do so, many times, invites a snicker or even a hostile > anti-metric comment. It takes courage to not back down and make the > conversion. In those instances I'll try to explain the quantity in > relative terms, and in context, just as was printed in the latest edition > of the newsletter. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Trusten <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Dec 6, 2004 11:26 AM > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [USMA:31568] Do you speak metric at ground level? > > One of the problems with popularizing the metric system in the United > States is that it takes courage to "speak the language." Of late, I have > been pushing myself to quote the ambient temperature to people in Celsius > only, and also to report geographic distances in kilometers only. Even > among friends who know of my mission, this is difficult, but it becomes > even more daunting when I am out in the madding crowd. This problem can be > viewed as either a recipe for conflict or an opportunity for improvement. > In any case, I'm driving 80 km today, from Orlando to New Smyrna Beach, > Florida, and I plan to use metric statements as an opportunities to > promote metric, as it were, at ground level <grin>. > > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > Editor, "Metric Today" > 3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122 > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
