My name is Samantha Scaglione. I'm a Computer Science major with a minor in Engineering Corporate Practice. I know you're technically not supposed to capitalize academic disciplines, but just look at "Computer Science" versus "computer science." Clearly capitalization looks prettier. I'm mentioning this now because I will- from time to time- ignore typical rules of capitalization or grammar in favor of making the sentences look a little prettier. It feels more natural this way anyway.
In case you couldn't tell by the half a paragraph justifying my capitalization, I'm very detail oriented. I guess that is a part of why I chose to study Computer Science. I honestly didn't think there was any connection between the two until I happened upon an article that made me think about how Computer Science and attention to detail are related even beyond the context the author presented. What I mean by "attention to detail" can be summed up pretty easily- I like things looking their best, and I like things doing what they're supposed to do. I'll never forget the first day of my first programming class (pre-major switch), "Introduction to Computing for Electrical Engineers." We were writing and running a glorified Hello World that printed characters and integers. As our professor walked around the class to see how everyone was doing, someone near me stopped him to say "Mine isn't working." Our professor replied "Let's look at your code; the computer is only going to do what you tell it to do." The computer is only going to do what you tell it to do. A simplified notion for our first day, perhaps, but it was a powerful statement. I like knowing that if there's a bug in something I've written, it's fixable. Even if I have to scrap everything and start over, the computer is only going to do what I tell it to do. That mentality is kind of empowering, and it's a big part of why I chose to study Computer Science.. More about me- Activities on Campus: Club Coordination Council, Engineering Leadership Council, Wishmakers ND Favorite Class Taken So Far: Social Sensing & Cyber-Physical Systems Summer Internship: Full Stack Development @ MoreSteam Dorm Affiliation: Cavanaugh Hall Hometown: Port Washington, NY Zodiac Sign: Capricorn Although I'm a Cav girl through and through, I call Long Island, NY home. I like long walks on the beach and bagels and pizza and basically anything that reminds me of home. I love my dog, Belle, who is the cutest Maltese-Yorkie mix in the entire world. I like reading poetry in my down time (which I don't have a ton of). My favorites are Edna St. Vincent Millay and Walt Whitman. I also love to read novels and short stories which are more often than not by Vonnegut or Salinger or Fitzgerald or Hemingway. I'm not a snooty reader who only reads the 'greats," but, when I find a writer with a style I enjoy reading, I keep reading that author. I like watching "Romantic Dramas with a Strong Female Lead" (as Netflix reminds me every time I try to browse) and shows that are mainly on the CW or HBO. Speaking of HBO, I'm very excited to discuss Westworld and all the ethical questions it poses especially as we start talking about AI. (Also Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?/Blade Runner) I think the most pressing issue facing computer scientists and engineers today is figuring how and where to draw the line for data usage and privacy. I think the most interesting and controversial ethical issue facing computer scientists and engineers today is morality in the context of artificial intelligence- not just how to have self-driving cars answer the trolley problem but also what are the implications of developing AI technology.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives |