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15 Minutes…Aaron Basinger on engineering, St. Francis, and the importance of nature

Interviewed by Sophia Marcum

Aaron Basinger graduated from BHS in the spring of 2013. I was able to get an interview after buying the last pint of strawberries from a Suter’s Stand he was working at. Talk about luck!

Where are you attending school now and what are you studying?

I am currently enrolled at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. I am in a transfer program for engineering and will leave Franciscan with an Associate of Arts in theology, then transfer to Gannon University to finish my mechanical engineering degree.

Mechanical Engineering covers many possible areas of expertise, are you drawn to any specialty in particular yet? 
I don’t have any particular jobs in mind but I did enjoy programming with Matlab. It was fun using it to analyze data and for our final project a partner and I used it to make a probability - based stock indicator. There is also something called finite element analysis that I think sounds like fun. What the computer does is break up the object you are modeling into a bunch of little pieces and then simulates different kinds of forces acting on it. This is very useful for running tests before building a design.

How would you describe the mindset of an engineer?
Engineers need to be really good at analyzing situations and the problems they are trying to solve. They also need to be great at realizing the assumptions they are making (whether conscious or not) and cannot judge ideas before honestly considering them.  

My professor once told us a story of how a power company was having problems with ice building up on the lines, which would cause them to break if it got too heavy. To brainstorm possible solutions they got a group of their employees together who did a diverse range of jobs. One man who worked in a non-technical position thought about using a helicopter to blow off the snow and ice. It turns out after looking at all of the ideas the engineers decided this was the best solution and it is what the company ended up doing.

A survey of 55,000 students was conducted by Niche to determine which U.S. colleges were the friendliest. Franciscan University of Steubenville ranked 5th in the nation. Do any particular college experiences come to mind that attest to this friendliness?
Probably one of the best examples I can think of is orientation weekend. There were several events for the new students and the upperclassmen on the orientation team even did a skit that was really fun to watch.

During the orientation weekend it was very common to introduce yourself to whoever you were around, whether you were standing in a line, eating meals, or at the social and church events. I made a lot of good friends that weekend because everyone was so friendly and open to meeting new people.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? If so, what was the result?
Yeah, once or twice, which is surprising considering all of the work I have to do. The first time I think I was working on a lab write-up (which I never finished before morning) and the second time I was making a review sheet for my final.

The current pope is the first in history to take the name Francis, the same saint for whom your university is named after. Do you think the life and teachings of St. Francis are particularly relevant to our culture today? Why or why not?
Yes, I think his life and teachings are extremely relevant. Our consumer-based, fast-paced culture needs to strive to follow his example of radical poverty by sacrificially sharing money with the poor and time with those who are lonely in places like nursing homes and prison.

St. Francis lived an intentional life for God and this is so often overlooked today. Healthy relationships don’t just happen. It’s the same in our relationship with God. Someone who says they will go to church or volunteer “when they get the chance” or “when they feel like it” may never because there is always something else to do and you don’t always feel like it. Sacrificially giving time, money, and energy to others is essential for a healthy relationship with God.

As a culture, we also need to respect nature, not to the exclusion of humanity but in a way that seeks the harmony intended between humanity and nature. This harmony is possible when we conduct ourselves as responsible stewards of creation.

St. Francis lived in miraculous harmony with nature and his teachings regarding it are very important in a day where it is so easy to harm the environment or forget that humans are a part of this world as well.

St. Francis also preached a message of repentance, something necessary for everyone. In his admonitions for the Franciscan order he says of Matthew 5:8 (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.)  “They are clean of heart who despise earthly things and always seek those of heaven, and who never cease to adore and contemplate the Lord God Living and True, with a pure heart and mind.” Saint Francis lived a life so radically abandoned to God that he was privileged to receive through a vision the stigmata which are the physical wounds of Christ.

How do you describe Bluffton to people when you talk about where you grew up?
I usually tell them it’s flat and try to describe how in the country around it. Wherever you look, at some point you will see trees. The wooded areas are just at different distances from you. I also tell them that Bluffton is one of the best towns for walking to places since it is so small.

College can be hectic. How do you keep up with current events? Any favorite news sources?
Actually I filled my Facebook feed with news agencies I like. If I see something everyone is talking about I make an effort to look it up and skim the actual thing, whether it is an encyclical or a piece of legislation. Once in a while I will look at the Blaze or C.N.A. If I get the chance I will watch CSPAN because that also tells you real information about what is actually happening in the government.

If you had one superpower, what would it be?
I would want to fly. I have had flying dreams before and they were awesome.

You're working at Suter's this summer as you have in past years. Farming and working with the earth are proven to be very healthy for both mind and body. What are some of your favorite ways to interact with nature?
Actually just that! Farming and taking care of the plants at Suter’s. Sure it is hard work but it is quiet work where you can be peaceful. What you are doing doesn’t require much thought or talking. I also like just sitting and looking out at beautiful scenery, like a sunrise or beautiful landscape.

Aaron will be returning to the Franciscan University of Steubenville for his junior year of college in the fall. Leave a comment to wish him luck!

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