Regis University ePublications at Regis University Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Archives and Special Collections Newspaper 3-28-2006 2006 Highlander Vol 88 No 22 March 28, 2006 Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.regis.edu/highlander Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation "2006 Highlander Vol 88 No 22 March 28, 2006" (2006). Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Newspaper. 205. https://epublications.regis.edu/highlander/205 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Archives and Special Collections at ePublications at Regis University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Highlander - Regis University's Student-Written Newspaper by an authorized administrator of ePublications at Regis University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volume 88, Issu e 22 March 28, 2006 Regis University --- - -----------­ e a weekly publication ~1 an er The Jesuit University of the Rockies www.RegisHighlander.com Denver, Colorado Mathematics majors Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa speaks develop pattern in the Field House recognition system Chris Dieterich Erica Easter Editor-in-Chief Staff Reporter "Radishes." That's what former This past summer, senior mathemat­ President of Poland Lech Walesa ics major, Michael Uhrig, and junior called members of Poland's mathematics and chemistry double Communist Party last Friday evening major, Anthony Giordano, spent their as Regis hosted the former Polish days calculating. But, unlike the president and Nobel Peace Prize everyday calculations involved in fig­ Laureate in the Field House. "They uring out a tip or balancing a check­ were red on the outside, but white on book, Uhrig and Giordiano spent the inside." countless hours in a lab, programming One needs a sense of humor, it what would become a working "pattern would seem, to stare down the Soviet recognition" system. juggernaut-and win. In 1980, Walesa In layman's terms," pattern recogni­ scaled the walls of the Gdansk ship­ tion" involves inputting images and yard to lead a strike and later the patterns, like faces, into a computer. Solidarity labor union, which spread Each pixel in an image corresponds to throughout Poland and into surround­ a specific number because when a ing Soviet satellite states as a larger Photo by Joshua Hardin computer stores pictures, it does so as anti-communist movement. Walesa a series of numbers. was imprisoned for eleven months for Former Polish President Lech Walesa speaks in front of a crowded Regis Dr. James Seibert, assistant profes­ his role in the movement. This act of Field House. Walesa is the twelfth Nobel Laureate to speak at Regis in sor of mathematics, explains that pat­ defiance against a bankrupt political seven years. tern recognition has countless practi­ system is singled out by historian more sustainable future. teacher and providing a platform for cal applications in a variety of fields, Walter Lafeber (and others) as one of Walesa eagerly addressed a myriad the world." He stressed that reforming such as: "law enforcement with the the catalytic events which eventually of issues, including his leadership of global governance institutions is criti­ use of mug shots and identifying peo­ unraveled the Soviet Union the Solidarity movement, the impor­ cal to maintaining a stable world. ple; biological, for identifying mam­ But Friday night, a gregarious tance of Catholic spirituality in his life, Additionally, Walesa urged the audi­ mals by their 'fingerprint,' like a whale Walesa spliced numerous jokes into a developing a values-oriented political ence to reconsider libertarian notions tail; or in homeland security for identi­ speech dominated by themes of opti­ system, and the role of the United of freedom for markets, trade and indi­ fying terrorists in airports." mism in the face of a changing world. States as global hegemon. vidual rights in favor of more value-ori­ Working with complex numbers like For Walesa, the United States stands On the latter points, Walesa noted ented decision-making structures, "We this is hardly a simple task. On the on a precipice as the remaining world to the audience the US is not thought need to focus on educating individuals contrary, Seibert believes that such superpower: for the next generation to of highly abroad at present, but was of conscience. This is how the work requires comprehension of "mas­ continue its present course means fac­ thought of as a beacon of freedom not Solidarity movement was born." ter-level mathematics." These young ing growing indignation, but if the U.S. long ago: "Leadership doesn't mean The format of the event allowed for mathematicians from Regis focused replacing governments, or policing the remembers itself as a symbol of hope See Walesa on page two their entire research project on con­ in a turbulent world, there can be a world; Leadership means being the quering this cybernetic quandary. I Inspired by a friend's lecture on pat­ tern recognition, Seibert thought that Electronics go missing in residence halls Giordano and Uhrig were the perfect candidates for such an arduous under­ hopeful that at least some of the miss­ Alyse Warner Exact figures were unavailable, but taking. When Dr. Seibert approached ing electronics might make a midnight Staff Reporter similar thefts have also occurred in the two yoCJng men about the summer reappearance. According to DeSmet Hall. Each DVD player costs research project, he says that they Residence Life Coordinator, Brent Recently Residence Life has been about $60, and finding the funds to were, "excited from the beginning." Waller, Residence Life is looking into forced to deal an increase in electron­ replace these electronics is difficult. For an entire summer Uhrig and new ways of securing the electronics ics thefts within campus housing. Now the Office of Residence Life is Giordano met at least three times a to prevent further thefts, including con­ Although incidents of theft have faced with the challenge of adopting week to work on their project. The duo tacting other Jesuit universities to see occurred in the past, this year the stricter policies in hopes of deterring used a program called MATLAB to how they are handling similar prob­ problem has expanded into a major theft. make the calculations, but not before headache. According to the Student Handbook, lems. they strained to make the complex Waller noted, "The loss of electron­ DVD players, VCRs and cable cords any student who is found to be guilty of computations of linear algebraic prob­ ics constrains budgets, and leaves have all been disappearing from the theft can expect anything from a warn­ lems. According to Uhrig and those residents who are innocent of residence halls at an alarming rate. ing to suspension, or possible expul­ Giordano, "We had to do the math the thefts out in the cold when it comes According to Katherine Mahoney, sion, depending on their previous before we did the programming for the to enjoying a movie in their common Residence Life Coordinator in offenses. Several wing and hall meet­ system, and we had to figure out the O'Connell Hall, seven DVD players ings have been held in DeSmet and lounges." and approximately two VCRs have O'Connell on the subject of the missing See Math on page two been stolen in O'Connell this year. electronics, and Residence Life is j Tuesday, March 2S, 2 Highlander News 2006 ing things for math students to learn to Walesa from front page Math from front page without glasses, contorted facial ---­ do." Giordano says, "It was a lot of fun. expressions, and head tilts to see what [It] was an excellent learnin~ expe~i­ the impact would be on the computer's members of the audience to a k program before we could do the math." ence ." He is also expanding this ability to recognize global patterns. tions, something which Wa1e!a Que~­ After they established a series of research into the field of chemistry and These images were entered into the cated approximately half of his taded,. computations, they used proofs to ver­ hopes to use pattern recognition to doing. lk to database to serve as a basis for com­ ify that their math was accurate. Next, identify different chemical compounds parison. Once an outside image is put Walesa's Catholic faith and h.1 they programmed the computations in because he asserts, "I am more of a into the program, the system uses the tionship with Pope John Paul 1~ rela­ MATLAB, which formed the foundation pictures in the database, called eigen­ chemistry person." very much on the minds of the Wer~ of the system that they built, . d audi- faces, to match the series of numbers ence. He ment 1one the Pope's .. After programming the system, the . h t ,. v1s1tto and recognize the pattern. Uhrig and The two researchers have submitted h1s ome coun ry awoke" the P r two obtained four to five headshots Giordano said, "The system was 97 their paper to the Rose-Hu/man people and galvanized them ag o_,sh each from sixty-five different people to st percent accurate in determining the Undergraduate Mathematics Journal the tremendous odds, "There a,n create the system database, eventual­ correct image." for potential publishing. Nevertheless, 200,000 Soviet soldiers in Polandw~e ly settling on two shots per person, When asked about the experience, the two remain humble about their world leader believed we could d~ ·t ~ forming a total of one hundred and thir­ Uhrig replied, "The math that we were accomplishments, citing that it "was adding, "But I only fear God. 1 ne~~r ty images. doing was rather difficult specifically, not that big of a deal." However, what had any doubts.