Pokémon Engineering

No, this is not a new program for the Faculty of Engineering. Though it would be cool if it was…

I had another subject planned, but as I always do, I started at the last minute, and then I decided this subject would be better suited for a bigger audience (like in the Fall term, when all the first years are gonna be here), so… I decided to write about something else. Me being me though, and just having gotten out of Hell Week (and a 2-day gaming session of Metroid Prime 2), my brain is everywhere but on articles. I was gonna tell the EIC that I wasn’t going to have an article ready (though she said to notify her of this last week), but my roommate, the GOAT Tanaka C., came up with an idea that sparked this article subject.

The Faculty of Engineering here at UW has 15 undergraduates programs; there are 18 Pokémon Types, but I’ll try to make each program’s typing unique. Like Pokémon, all degrees will have at most 2 types; honorary mentions are other types that could characterize the degree or got left out due to the type limit. Please keep in mind, these are just my opinion! If I really wanted to be objective, I’d have to do 15 bachelor’s degrees…

Architecture/Architectural Engineering — Fairy, Rock

Architects and AEs know their way with materials, physics, and aesthetics. They’re artists, reaching for the most beautiful, safest building possible. Their steady attitude in the face of gigantic projects deserves respect!

Honorary Mention: Flying. If you’re scared of heights, how are you going to work on tall buildings?

Biomedical Engineering — Dark

While the very name “Dark” may seem evil, Dark types are super cool (look no further than Greninja, Urshifu and Incineroar) and the type has some of the toughest Pokémon ever. A tough program like BME only accepts cool, tough students, and produces cooler, tougher engineers (e.g. Ash’s Krokorok->Krookodile).

Honorary Mention: Normal. Like SYDE, BMEs need a mastery of multiple systems to get the job done. That requires knowledge of the basics, and a lot of coverage moves (see SYDE).

Chemical Engineering — Poison, Ice

No, we’re not trying to poison anyone (that would be the Chemistry students). No offense to my other CHEs, but if our specialty is gonna be working with large amounts of chemicals, we might as well have a type related to chemicals. As for the Ice type? That’s because one of my professors was talking about the applications of ice-baths for temperature measurements.

Honorary Mention: Fire. Sometimes we cool stuff down, sometimes we heat stuff up. Also, some chemicals are terrifyingly combustible/explosive 🙁

Civil Engineering — Fighting, Rock

Whenever I think Civil Engineers, I think big, buff — oh wait, I’m thinking of constructions workers (Gurdurr, specifically). Still, I consider CIVEs to be the muscle of Engineering, the trusses that support our cities and infrastructure.

Honorary Mention: Flying (same remark as AE).

Electrical/Computer Engineering — Electric, Fire

Electric types, obviously! Also Fire types because:

1. Electrons generate heat, especially when they go through some resistance.

2. Short-circuits… Especially if the short-circuit causes a fire.
Honorary Mention: Ghost. ECE seems hard. Life-sucking even…

Environmental Engineering — Grass, Ground

We admire your passion for the environment! Please save us from global warming before it’s too late!!!!

Geological Engineering — Ground, Rock

We admire your passion for earth! Maybe you’ll discover some cool minerals on your expeditions! With your Ground typing, you should be safe from electric currents (unlike ECEs).

Management Engineering — Dragon, Psychic

Dragons are powerful, fearless leaders, aces in (almost) every situation… Your prediction abilities with data analytics and optimization are scary good… maybe as good as an Alakazam’s (and it has an IQ of 5000)!

Mechanical Engineering — Water, Steel

Though this reasoning might not do the MEs justice, Water is the most abundant Pokémon type, and there are always a lot (and I mean A LOT) of MEs (I swear, Mechanical IS the most popular Engineering discipline). Also, you (probably) use hydraulics a lot?

Honorary Mention: Fire. Be careful not to get burned when welding! Make sure to have lots of Burn Heals on you!

Mechatronics Engineering — Steel, Electric

A combination of ECE and Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics is where all the fun is at. When you work with circuits, softwares and robots, you’re working with Steel and Electricity. If you want a role model, look no further than Gym Leader Clemont (from the anime, not the 3DS games).

Honorary Mention: Psychic (see Software Engineering).

Nanotechnology Engineering — Bug, Electric

I’ve been learning quite a few things about Nanotechnology Engineering in the past few weeks, mainly that it’s not all about tiny tech. Alas, the only thing I can think of that screams tiny is Bug Pokémon (actually, 2 of the 6 smallest Pokémon are Bug types). Well, if it’s any consolation, NEs can think of themselves as being just as tough as Ant-Man. Just don’t steal his suit so you can shrink down to work on your mini-circuits!

Software Engineering — Electric, Psychic

When you’re working with code, you need some level of psychic prowess to be able to predict what will happen before you run it (especially if you’re coding on paper COUGH MTEs COUGH). Plus, working on the softwares of the latest tech, and figuring out how to make them work for all kinds of people… that also takes major brain power (no wonder they ask for super high grades to get into this program!). Hopefully, you don’t get zapped as often as ECEs…

Systems Design Engineering — Normal

Though Normal types seem basic, they are anything but. Normal types can be jack-of-all-trades, being able to use moves from many different types, and many Normal types having a second type to buff them up. When I think of SYDE, I think of engineers who are strong in the fundamentals, but possess strengths in other Engineering areas.

One final thing: GET YOUR ENGPLAY TICKETS!!!!!!! In-person ticket sales start on the week of July 7th, or if you go to @uwengplay, and look at the posts for “The Waterlodyssey”, you should find a ticket link! If both Iron Warrior and MathNEWS are telling you to go… it’s because you should! We all deserve one evening of comedy, drama and good songs… before Finals hit us like a truck.