SELF-EVALUATION 

Writing for engineering with Profesor Alikhani has been one of the most exciting courses ive taken so far at City College. It is a writing intensive course, and therefore it can be very challenging for some students. Especially those whose English is not their first language. When the semester first started, I was kind of afraid too. English is not my first language, and it has been a while since I took my first English class at CCNY. So I started thinking that I am not going to do very well in this class. The assignment on the syllabus looked intimidating. However, Professor Alikhani explain clearly what we had to do for each task. She made sure everyone understood the subject, and that had a great impact on my performance. I gained back my confidence, and I submitted everything on time. I believe that I did well in the class. I put in my effort and time, and I feel that my work has been appreciated.

Despite individual assignments, we also worked a lot in groups. We did together a lab report based on an experiment. My group and I chose to extract DNA from a strawberry. I had a lot of fun doing this lab. I was something that you don’t do in many English classes. It was a nice opportunity to work and bond together with the rest of the group since we had to meet outside the classroom to perform our experiment.

Overall, I believe I did well in this class. I enjoy every single moment and most importantly I had a lot of fun while doing my work.

Below are some of the assignments that I did throughout the semester:

COVER LETTER 

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share a little bit about ourselves. My name is Evangelos Vasos. I am originally from Greece. I moved to the United States four years ago. I am turning twenty-two in a couple of months, but I am still a sophomore at City College.

I left my country just before completing my diploma, and for that reason, I had to redo three years of high school when I got to New York City. I can definitely say that these were the best years of my life. Leaving your home is not always easy. However, going back to high school helped me to adjust to the change quickly. I made new friends from all over the world and learned so many things about their cultures. 

When I was in high school, I was a very active student. The first two years I played three sports, soccer, tennis and swimming, and I joined many other after-school activities such as volunteering programs. I was the captain of the soccer and tennis team and the MVP and helped my swimming team reach the finals and get the fifth place at 200 yards medley relay. In the last year, I was not young enough so I could not play any sports, but I helped my coaches run the practice by performing assistant coach tasks. 

Civil engineering was not always what I wanted to do. When I was in Greece I was preparing myself for the Air Force Academy. However, my family and I decided to migrate to the US, so my dream of becoming a pilot was over. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good choice. Spending another three years in high school gave me a second chance to think who I am and what I really want to do in my life. I believe I have all the skills necessary to succeed in this industry. 

In the beginning, I was skeptical about my choice. I was always good at science and mathematics and I was always advised to follow this path. Getting accepted by the Grove School of Engineering boosted my confidence tremendously. It is a very competitive school and being a student of it indicates that you have potential. I believe your class is a great opportunity for me to prove to myself and everyone else that I have what it takes to become a successful engineer. By working on group projects will help me demonstrate all the skills I have gained throughout my life. It will be an excellent opportunity for me to show my teamwork and cooperation qualities that I have learned while playing team sports for so many years, and my leadership skills from being a captain of two teams.

Overall, after spending seven years in high school, believe i had more than enough time to think what I want to do with my life. In my opinion, I have what it takes to become a civil engineer. City College and your class is a great place to start implementing and mastering all required skills future engineers must have.

 

TECHNICAL POEM

Soldiers In My Bag

Unzip the bag, look inside!

Five soldiers in a row, they all shine.

Pick up one, spin him around,

Get a ball and bounce it on the ground. 

It feels good, the tension is right. 

The poly and natural gut combo is on fire!

Focus on the serve and keep in mind

To swing fast on the ball towards the left side. 

Back to the baseline, toss…

Serving flat this time aiming the cross. 

Out of reach, returns the ball short,

I’m bringing my soldier close to the net to finish the point off. 

When I’m on the court, makes me who I am,

It feels so great, like an extension of my hand.

We win points together; we keep moving on.

Tighten up my fist roaring “COME  OOOOON!!!”

 

TECHNICAL DESCRIPION 

Introduction 

Tennis is a sport with a long long history and controversy. Throughout the years there has been evidence that various forms of tennis had been played by many cultures. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians are some of them. But in the early 11th century, French monks are the ones who developed the “real tennis” similar to what the sport looks like today. Later on, Henry VII and Henry VIII of England spread the game widely. However, it was not until the late 15th century when wood and gut racquets along with balls of leather and cork were developed (Bellis).

Since the beginning of tennis, the sport has evolved so much. The most important reason other than money and popularity is technological advancement. Early player used wooden racquets with natural gut strings. The amount of power and spin they were able to generate is a fraction of what modern players can do. Materials such as carbon and graphite reduced the impact of the variation on the hand dramatically (Ferrara & Cohen, 2013). Polyester technology, almost impossible to break strings, made players swing at the maximum of their ability without any concerns. The combination of both, racquet materials and string components gave players the ultimate control, spin, and power (Strauss, 2012).

Description 

As a tennis player myself, I had tested many racquets before I ended up with the one best fitted for my playing style. I played with aluminum oversized racquets when I first started and switched to medium size graphite frame.  I had even tried old traditional wooden racquets, and I can assure you that the material and the design of the racquet itself can determine the way you play the game. It might look very simple, but there is a tremendous amount of engineering involved in the production of a racquet. Every single detail matters. Here are some key components of a tennis racquet. 

The head and the sweet spot

The head of the racquet is the oval shape where the string is attached. The mesh that looks like a grill is called the strung surface which contains the sweet spot. Probably the favorite area of the racquet for every tennis player. There is where the most power is generated with the least amount of effort. 

The head of a racquet can vary in shape and size. 

Typically, a racquet’s head falls into one of the following categories:

Mid-sized

Ranging from 85 to 95 square inches these are the racquets that most of professional and recreational tennis players use. They are typically made with premium materials such as graphite and other carbon fiber variations. Mid-size racquets offer a great compromise between a larger strung surface and sweet spot and a maneuverable frame that lets you generate good racquet speed when you swing.

Standard-sized heads

These are the racquet that early tennis players were using. Varying from 80 to 85 square inches gives a smaller strung surface and sweet spot, making it very challenging to produce nice clean shots. 

The beam

The beam is the frame around the head. It determines the thickness of the racquet and is very crucial for tennis players. Usually wider beams add power, but when coming in contact with the ball, it vibrates like a trampoline leading to lack of control. Thinner beams add much more control, but players have to hit harder to get faster shots.

The throat and shaft

If you look at old racquets, you’ll see that they look like lollipops, a straight stick attached to the heard. Modern racquets use an open throat design which gives better stability, enlarges the sweet spot and compensates off-centered hits. The throat becomes the shaft from the point where the two sides of the throat meet like the tip of a triangle, to the bottom of the handle.

The grip 

Ranging from 4 to 4-5/8 inches in diameter to fit any player, the grip has an octagonal shape for better adjustments. This particular design is there for a reason. Players use different grip when serving the ball and different grip when hitting a forehand or a backhand. 

Length and Weight

Racquets typically 27 inches and weigh between 9 and 12 ounces, unstrung. A heavier racquet usually provides more power. However, that really depends on the players’ physical abilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, tennis has become a very popular sport all over the world. However, whether you are a beginner, amateur or professional player, you should use a tennis racquet that fits your style. There are so many factors that can affect a racquet’s performance, such as head size, sweat spot, grip, weight, materials, etc. Fortunately, there are so many options out there. Engineers and sports companies have and will continue improving in any ways possible to master the technology of tennis racquets. They will create new materials to reduce even more the impact on the hand and maximize the overall control. Ultimately, it is up to you, just get a racquet and a tennis partner and go have fun.

 

RESPONSE TO THE VELDT

 Ray Bradbury wrote “The Veldt” in 1950, but who would have thought that what back then seemed as science fiction would be today’s reality. Cutting edge technology, super fast communications, electronic gadgets everywhere. Even smart houses, almost like the one Bradbury has imagined, are becoming more and more popular. Technology has certainly become a big part of our everyday life, but is it a good thing? Well, in my opinion, it is. Computers, cell phones, printers, internet, etc. have intergraded the way we live. We can communicate, do research, and develop new products faster and more efficient than ever before. Nobody can argue that. But, in many cases technology has brought negative results. We can see that in “The Veldt” where the nursery and the smart house have taken over all the duties the parents had. They let their kids spent so much time in an imaginary world, a simulation, that they have lost connection with the real world and their parents.

      Bradbury’s short story is a remarkable work of literature that every future engineer can relate to. A breakthrough, the smart house that can do anything you ask, a technology which meant to help people’s life turned out to destroy a family. Our duty as engineers is to create and develop a new and more advanced technology. The intentions are always good. We always try to make the world a better place. But, creating and developing new products is not enough. We have to ask ourselves if what we produce is beneficial. We have to make sure that the society is ready to receive and use our innovations.