Daily Archives: April 13, 2017

GRCC In the News, 4-13-17

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Morning News

April 13, 2017; WZZM

Family and friends of a man killed in an assault will be honoring his memory tonight. … Julius Vinson was a student at Grand Rapids Community College hoping for a career in real estate.

Tomorrow’s automobile: Grand Rapids is shaping the future of transportation in the United States

April 13, 2017; rapidgrowthmedia.com

Grand Rapids may have made a name for itself years ago in furniture, but today there’s an equally impressive technological revolution happening on its streets.

… A distance from the tire plants on the east side of the state, Lacks Enterprises is designing and rolling out rims and new interior finishes in West Michigan. Engines are being built throughout the state, but many of them will be powered by the technology researched by Johnson Controls, in Holland. And when the industry calls for more talent, students in the advanced automotive department at Grand Rapids Community College will be available to work.

Geography alumnus appointed to Dartmouth faculty

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Ben Gerlofs, a former president of GRCC’s chapter of the International Geographical Honor Society (GTU), has accepted an appointment as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Geography at Dartmouth College, which houses the only Geography Department in the Ivy League. Ben received his BA at Aquinas College and MA at Syracuse University.  His research on an edge city in Illinois was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Urban Geography, and he is currently at Rutgers University in the final stages of completing his Ph.D dissertation, which is devoted to Mexico City. Last week, Ben presented a paper at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting in Boston titled: “Resisting Postpolitics in Mexico City’s Avenida Chapultepec.” Geography alumna Stacey Murphy, now studying at Aquinas, and April Shirey, the current GTU president at GRCC, co-authored a paper that was also presented at the Boston meeting: “Food and Housing Insecurities in Michigan Community Colleges: What can Geography Students do?” The conference is the largest annual gathering of geographers worldwide.

Mathematics Seminar is today

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The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its next Mathematics Seminar on Thursday, April 13, 3:00-4:00 PM in 103 Cook.  Our speaker will be current GRCC mathematics student Carolyn Evans.  Her topic is Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans.  Please see below for the title and abstract.

In the realm of mathematics, the name Pythagoras is usually associated with right triangles and not much else.  However, within the context of philosophy and history, there is a great deal more to consider.  The teachings of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean Society had significant influence on ancient Greek philosophers and the evolution of Western thought.  This seminar will be of interest to a wide range of individuals; everyone is welcome to attend.

Pop and cookies will be served at 2:45 PM.

Math Hippies – The Pythagoreans

Once upon a time, in an Italian seaport far far away, a strange cult of young aristocrats arose under the leadership of the mystical and mysterious Pythagoras…

The Pythagoreans were a philosophical society with some pretty radical world views and hippie-esque habits. They believed “that the elevation of the soul to union with the divine occurs by means of mathematics”, and that being strict vegetarians, abstinent from alcohol, and keeping no personal belongings would help them reach this goal.

This seminar will cover some of the philosophical foundations, famous legends, mathematical discoveries, and longstanding impacts that this group accomplished thousands of years ago.