STORY BY BRANDI DYE
The physics program at Drake University is considered one of the hardest majors offered by many.
The Bachelor of Science physics degree requires 50 credit hours of physics courses, such as Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics.
To put it in perspective, the Bachelor of Science biology degree requires 32 credit hours of biology courses, both according to the Drake website.
“The subject is just so hard,” Joel Venzke, a physics, mathematics and computer science triple major said.
Venzke, a junior, is the president of the Drake chapter of the Society of Physics Students and the vice president of the math club, and is a part of two physics research teams.
Studying physics requires a strong base of mathematics, Venzke said.
Athanasios Petridis, the chair of the physics department, emphasizes the commitment it takes to pursue physics,
“I make them think whether physics is the right thing to do.”
Some physics students, like Venzke know what field they are interested in, and start doing research in the area.
Venzke is interested in computational physics and is doing research with Dr. Klaus Bartschat. There is no defined career path for physics majors.
Some physics majors become doctors or lawyers or professors but those are by no means limits.
“Since I’m minoring in music I’m hoping to find some interaction between those two,” first-year physics major Katie Huber said.
Petridis feels that many people may not know what physics is about and fear it.
Petridis hopes that the more people know about physics, the bigger Drake’s physics department will get.
“I would like to increase the number of students by 20 percent,” Petridis said.
The small size of Drake’s physics program was part of Huber’s attraction.
“It’s small but still a really good program, Huber said. “It might be small but that’s advantageous.”
First-year physics major, Matt Malmberg was attracted to Drake’s physics program because of their Three-Two dual degree program.
Malmberg plans on being an engineer and Drake’s Three-Two degree program allows students to pursue all the requirements for a Drake degree while also preparing to study engineering at an institution that has a physics program.
After three years working on the Drake curriculum, students are qualified for professional studies in engineering at the Seaver Institute of Technology at Washington University.
“Physics and engineering go hand in hand,” Malmberg said.
Malmberg will graduate with a Washington University engineering degree and a Drake physics degree.
“It’s hard as hell,” Malmberg said. “Using math to explain things, it’s a different way of thinking.”
“You’re gonna do physics because you wanna do physics,” Venzke said. Petridis was in agreement. “You get to do something you like to do,” he said.
Drake’s rigorous physics program is not for everyone, with fewer than 30 students.
“When everybody else doesn’t have class you will have class,” Huber said. “You will spend twice as much time on physics than you will get credit for physics.”
But those involved are passionate about what they study.
Malmberg put it simply. “It’s hard but it’s worth it.”
