Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, July 27, 1983, Page 19, Image 19

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    Portland Observer, July 27, 1963, Section II. Page 3
COMPUTERS
OMSI Computer
Center open to public
The O M S I Computer Center is
open weekends for public use. In d i­
viduals may utilize the Center's
equipment and software for re­
search projects, self-education, per­
sonal business education or game
playing.
Public hours are Saturday and
Sunday, 9:30 a.m . to 2:30 p m ,
with ticket sales for the day begin­
ning at 9 a.m . Access is on a first-
come, first-served basis, with no ad­
vanced reservations.
Equipment
available
includes
Apple I I. Atari 800, Atari 400, V IC -
2 0 ,T I9 9 , Timex 1000, H P85, Os­
borne and G IG I computers. Our
software library, always growing,
contains Visicalc and word process­
ing. as well as Sargon II (chess),
Castle Wolfenstein, Olympic De-
cathelon.
Centipedes,
PacM an,
Missle Comm and, Caverns o f Mars,
and many other games.
Users may choose among several
computer
languages
including
Applesoft B A S IC , Atari B A S IC ,
M B A S IC , C B A S IC , transForth,
graForth, LIS P , figForth, Pascal,
L O G O , and Pilot.
For more inform ation about the
Center contact: O M S I, 222-2828.
How about a career in
microelectronics?
A few spaces are still available
in Portland Comm unity College’s
Microelectronics Process Technolo­
gy Program, a two-year program
which leads to an associate o f ap­
plied science degree.
The program will begin its second
year at PCC this fall, and technical
courses for the degree are taught at
P C C ’s Cascade Campus exclusively.
Approximately 30 students are ad­
mitted to the program yearly and
must begin with the fall term.
The purpose o f the program is to
provide trained technicians for the
electronics industry. Students re­
ceive instruction in integrated circuit
and hybrid circuit processing, pack­
aging, laser trimming and testiriF
Upon graduation they will qualify
to work in cleanroom and semi-
cleanroom environments involved in
integrated circuit or hybrid circuit
prototype engineering or produc­
tion.
A number o f prerequisite courses
are required and are offered at all
PCC campuses. Details o f the pro­
gram are outlined in PC C brochures
and in the new fall schedule o f class­
es which will be available in mid-
August. Additional inform ation can
be obtained from M ary Southworth
at the Cascade Campus (283-2541).
Early registration is recommended,
mended.
Computer Science
at Oregon State
Students at Oregon State U niver­
sity are standing in line to cash in on
the nationwide boom in the compu­
ter industry— and with good reason.
They are virtually assured o f a job
upon graduation.
Since 1980, the num ber o f
com puter science m ajors at O SU
has jum ped fro m 250 to an esti­
mated 550 this year. T h e increase
has been so dram atic that O SU has
in itia te d a pre-com puter science
program this fall. N o longer will un­
derclassmen be able to m a jo r in
com puter science. Instead, they
must take two years o f curriculum ,
including several specified courses,
to be eligible for a major which now
requires ju n io r standing and a 3.0
(B) grade point average.
W hy all o f the sudden interest in
computer science? OSU department
chairman Fred Tonge says there are
several reasons.
“ One o f the main reasons is, o f
course, the econom y,’ ’ Tonge not­
ed. “ There are jobs waiting for peo­
ple in computers. M any people are
now getting second degrees in com ­
puter science— people in forestry or
fisheries, for example— for the sim­
ple reason that there are jobs avail­
able in the fie ld . I t ’ s sort o f the
bright spot in the economy.
“ A nother thing which helps the
continual growth in computers is the
g la m o u r," he added. “ There has
been alot o f national publicity about
com puters and many people who
m ight have gone in to physics or
chemistry arc now going into com ­
puter science.
"T h e third reason is a general ex­
posure to video games and com pu­
ters o v e ra ll," Tonge said. "T h e re
are many more com puters in high
school now and students are much
more aware of them ."
But the p rim ary reason fo r the
com puter science boom is the
econom y. W h ile jo b prospects in
many professional fields have dwin­
dled, opportunities in the computer
science industry are skyrocketing.
"T h ere are supposed to be about
fo u r jobs w ailing for every person
train ed on the bachelor le v e l,"
Tonge said, "a n d it's about 25 jobs
Machine shop student
learns computers too
G O VERNM ENT C H A N N E L
CO O RDINATO R
compared to the old one's one.
"Although milling machines are
getting more sophisticated, pro­
gramming is still done the same
w ay," says Pelly, not to discount
the usefulness o f other shop ma­
chinery. "Learning to operate the
new machine makes it possible for
our graduates going into industry to
use other computer operated tools.”
Pelly says a higher skill level for
running machines is not needed in
today’s machine shops. "B u t, stu­
dents do need more skills at pro­
gramming and running a com­
puter," he says. " T o run a machine
like this, students need to have pro­
ficiency in trigonometry as well as
good machine skills."
Now that the machine is installed,
the college hopes to offer evening
classes beginning fall term for ma­
chinists in the area who want to
update their skills. " W e want to en­
courage participation from the
outside." says Pelly. " W e expect
most o f it to be from skilled ma
chinists because of the skill levels
required.”
"W hen good students get through
these classes they have the most
complete training available in this
A numerically controlled, com­
puterized milling machine has been
added to the Portland Community
College machine shop at the Sylvania
Campus for use by students enrolled
in their sixth term o f the machine
shop technology associate degree
program there.
"T h e Supermax Y C M -2 0 brings
our program to state o f the a r t,"
says Donald L. Uppendahl, dean of
business and industry at the Syl­
vania Campus.
Basically, (he new Supermax
machine uses a program recorded
on computer cassette tape (or in
some instances floppy discs) to
make pocket-milled molds which
are used for such things as gear
housings and parts for component
boards.
Machinists instructor Vince Pelly
explains that students in machine
shop technology learn to program
such machines to make the parts. In
comparing the new machine to an
older one in the shop, Pelly says the
new machine can be programmed to
produce an elaborate pattern in the
mold, whereas with the older one
each step must be programmed
manually. The Supermax has a
memory storage capacity of 999
tv n * rtf n r n o r o m
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL COORDINATOR
Coordinate* and produce* program* for the State
and local government channel. Train* member* of
the community to produce government program
ming. Al*o perform* outreach activities to gener
ate interest, involvement and promote specific
programs.
Qualified candidates must have a two year Com
munity College degree in T V. production, pro
gramming or equivalent media experience. Expar
ience in community and educational service* pre
ferred. Must have an understanding of State and
local government and an ability to work with it*
representatives and a cross section of govern­
mental and political community. Creativity is a
must and the ability for working towards deadline*
is important. Must be willing to work irregular
hours and weekends Should be a fast learner and
a self starter
The position requires a variety of organizational
and coordinating skill*. Contacts in the commu­
nity are useful. Interested persons should contact
Personnel in writing at the following address no
later than Friday, August 5, 1983:
CABLESYSTEMS PACIFIC
Attn. Personnel
3076 N.E. Sandy Blvd
Portland. OR 97232
** « a v e I I n n r n d a h l
PLANNING YOUR
FUTURE?
....OR STUMRLING
INTO IT?
for someone with a master’s degree.
N a ito n a l projections show that
computer science and computer en­
gineering will have manpower short­
ages until the 1990s.”
Those projections apply primarily
to graduates with master's and doc­
to ral degrees, but Tonge said he
doesn’ t "see the bachelor level
dropping much, either."
OSU graduates follow the nation­
al trend, and though Tonge has no
exact figures, he estimates that the
department's job placement is close
to 100 percent. Opportunities are es­
pecially good in southern California
and Texas.
Students have been quick to real­
ize the jo b p o te n tial and have en­
rolled in com puter science classes
everywhere. W hile the rush o f stu­
dents has increased the exposure
and prestige o f O S U ’s computer sci­
ence department, it has also brought
some problem s in to focus, Tonge
noted.
There is the continual problem o f
keeping qualified faculty members
on campus to teach the ever-increas­
ing student population because o f
co m p etition fro m ind u stry. N ot
only are college professors lured
away by higher salaries, but poten­
tial future teachers leave school be­
fore getting advanced degrees.
A n o ther problem on the O S U
campus is access to the computers,
according to Tonge.
“ C o m p u ter tim e is at a lim it on
this cam p us,” Tonge said. " T h e
com puter center is separate fro m
our department and they arc limited
fo r instru ction al tim e because o f
their budget. That fund hasn’t really
grown in recent years."
A lre a d y , the com puter center is
overflow ing w ith students needing
com puter tim e and no re lie f is in
sight. One so lutio n, according to
T ng e, could be the use o f m icro ­
computers for precomputer science
students, especially in the introduc­
tory courses, but funding would
have to be obtained.
M eanw h ile, the departm ent w ill
use the new pre-com puter science
program to help ease the crush o f
students and adapt to the future.
YOU CAN:
DESIGN BUILD OPERATE & MANAGE
A NERVE CENTER FOR PLANET EARTH
CONSIDER A XIST CENTURY CAREER IN
T elecom m unications
Cablcsystems Pacific and Cablcsystems M ultnom ah East
A n Equal O p p o rtu n ity Employer
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