Lee Note 63 Math in the workplace June 22, 2001

From Ken Buffington:

I don't remember my math teachers name from my sophomore year. I do remember that I flunked out the first half and transferred to business math. I liked the business math, but when I hired on with Exxon, they sent me to Lee College for three years for training. The courses were sometimes titled instrumentation and such, but the truth was that every one of them was algebra, trig and geometry.

My first course at Lee was taught by a laid off engineer from NASA. His last name was Hiltpold and he assured us we would have the equivalent of a second year degree in algebra and he meant every word of it.

We complained to our training supervisors from work because he was so hard (even for the people that knew algebra). The supervisors told us to quit whining and start studying. Since we were all working shift work, we had study and help sessions at work.

I passed that course (with a lot of help) with a grade average of 70. I did better on all the other courses, but I never did really understand algebra. I loved the slide rule and either the trig or geometry (I don't remember which was which).

If I had tried to learn the math in high school, I probably could have had an easy time with my training courses. Exxon was only interested in you being able to figure out how much gas, water, etc. could pass through a pipe at a given pressure. In the plant, I rarely used that information. I just had to be able to figure out which pipe went where and when to line it up.

My life as a Process Technician was pretty simple and fun for me.

Ken Buffington

Update from Carla Poteet

Hi Kay!

Well, guess no one remembers my cheating nightmare – I did hear from someone that said that she remembered me having hives.

Maybe no one wants to admit they cheated on a test in high school or maybe I just dreamed it! Wonder why I had hives if that wasn't it? Guess it isn't important now! Certainly glad that I wrote in about it because I have REALLY enjoyed reading people's math memories and appreciate everyone who responded! This is just so great for people to re-connect after all these years!

Loved the pictures and memories of your mini-reunion in Dallas! Wish I could come to the reunion this summer, but I won't be able to get to Texas this year until August or Sept. - will be thinking about y'all!

Have a wonderful time!

Carla Poteet

From Kay:

I would like to thank Carla for her original note. I hope that these math notes have helped a lot of people heal some old feelings.

Kay Morrow Wright