NICOLE HASEK, TRUMPET STAFF WRITER
Before coming to Wartburg from India, Tsering Tashi knew he wanted to start a club here that could benefit students who share the same passion as him.
The second-year biology and neuroscience double-major is the club president and creator of the new computer science club.
“In May Term my first year, I thought of starting a computer science club because I really liked programming,” Tashi said. “The club aspires to coalesce a group of passionate computer scientists and expand student’’s knowledge in programming beyond just the classroom.”
The computer science club was approved by Student Senate on Nov. 19, and officially started at the beginning of Winter Term.
For computer science majors, the club allows them to learn from others who have the same interests. According to Tashi, before the club was created, it was not easily available to students outside of the classroom. Students will now have a chance to be more involved in the computer science department, even if that is not the area in which they are studying.
“I think developing a club that students can join will benefit them by being more involved in the department, and maybe the club could even host activities to involve other students outside of the major and educate them a little about the computer science world as well,” Bridget Schaufenbuel, fourth-year secondary education mathematics major and computer science minor, said.
Even for students who are not computer science majors, the club may still be beneficial for anyone who wants to advance their programming and computer skills.
“I believe learning a little about computer science creates a whole new perspective about how things actually work in all of our technology that we use today,” Schaufenbuel said.
Some life-long skills that may come from learning computer science are problem solving, creativity and patience. These programs require out of the box thinking and time dedicated to completing them, according to Tashi.
With the skills gained from studying computer science, students will be able to better break down problems and find the best solution out of several possible ideas. Coming up with these solutions and creating codes may be frustrating and time-consuming, requiring students to remain calm and patient under possibly stressful situations, which can be used in many real-life situations, what is the source for this?.
The club’s first event early this semester was speaker Blake Meyer, 2019 Wartburg alumni, sharing the coding projects he had worked on at CUNA Mutual Group. Events like this are what Tashi is most excited about, and it is the club’s goal to continue hosting these events.
“The executive team meets every month by Zoom during which club members are also invited,” Tashi said, “During the club meeting, I would go over tasks prepared for the team members and ask theirs and the club members’ opinion regarding upcoming events.”
To join this club, students may contact any of the executive team members via email. Along with Tashi, this includes Shaukat Ibrahim, treasurer; Tonia Ibrahim, social media coordinator; Joanna Longwe, vice president; and Daniel Gahn Martine, secretary.
Knight Wire 
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