Dustin Seplow

About two years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Dustin Seplow. Right now, he is a senior in the NYU Journalism Department. During the brief time we visited I was impressed by how he thought and what he said.

Dustin has been a regular reader of this blog and follower of my adventure in mathland.

I was happy yesterday to receive an email from him. He said some good things that I want to share with you.:

---------------------------------------


"After months of reading your blog and occasionally commenting under the guise of 'Anonymous' I received an email that immediately prompted me to write you.

"As a senior in the NYU journalism school I am continually bombarded with announcements of class openings and closings. This particular notice caught my eye as it pertains to a topic that you have encouraged me to think about recently, the role of mathematics in journalism and the events it covers.

*JOURNALISM BY THE NUMBERS *

The aim of this course is to give you tools that will make you a better journalist. These are tools that few journalists have and many are afraid of—mathematical tools.

This course will center upon mathematical ideas, but this will still be a journalism class.

The mathematical concepts will be presented in a way that is accessible even to mathphobes, and abstract ideas will be pinned to real, concrete events that have caused headlines.

"I hope this can provide some encouragement to you as you continue the developmental process for your book. Perhaps one day "Journalism by the Numbers" will have some new required reading.

"As for your ponderings regarding the educational value of studying Chaucer versus the names and songs of 50 indie bands, I couldn't agree more. I don't mean to devalue the numerous lessons that one is rewarded with upon reading Chaucer. Yet, often times I cannot help but view education as something much more amorphous than it's commonly agreed upon definition.

"To me, education is nothing more than a lens. Viewing any one thing with an analytical eye leads to learning. Analyzing the separate members of any band, their motivations for playing music, their inspirations, and then the products of their collective efforts can lead to as much enlightenment as learning about a few characters' journeys to and from an English town.

"To me studying any subject, or object, in this manner is education in action. Yet, as I hope to commence on my own teaching career in the coming months I must decide whether or not my definition for education is truly accurate. It would be a great disservice to my students to forgo a system of education proven successful over many decades for the radical ramblings of my own mind.

"I think Tom Miller definitely had a point when he said, 'Geoff Chaucer has lasted more than 600 years for a reason.'

"But does something's duration of study directly correlate to its scholastic value?

"If calculus can answer a question like that, then I am prolonging graduation and signing up next semester, for I have a lot more to learn from my college years."

-------------------------------------------------------

Dustin, thanks for an insightful note. And good luck as you finish your student career at NYU and either start now or take the next steps toward a career that I'm sure will make the lives of lots of young people (and some old ones also) better.

I need to find out what book or books they are requiring for that course and also what kinds or other readings or exercises.

I also intend to let the director of our School of Journalism know that NYU is offering Math for Journalists.


--------------------------------------------------------

Math 112

I'll write about in a separate post, but I am big time impressed with Stephen Reyes, my college algebra teacher.