Chaffey Event “Am I Really Just a Coffee Cup? A Doughnut’s Existential Crisis."
By Eve Scolari
Mathematics and ceramics are vastly different. These two topics seem as if they would never have any correlation. Yet, the Chaffey College event “Am I Really Just a Coffee Cup? A Doughnut’s Existential Crisis,” specifically discussed the relationship between the two subjects. This event was hosted by event coordinators Hannah Seidler-Wright, Morgan Rea and Stan Hunter; mathematics and ceramics professors.
Topology is a sub-category of math. It pertains to the idea that if one object is deformed enough and turned into another object, all while keeping the original shape, both objects will be the same due to them simply being another type of each other.
The event coordinators used the example of a coffee cup and doughnuts to visually present the idea of topology. In order to provide a hands-on explanation, the ceramics and math professors provided the attendees with doughnut-shaped pieces of clay to work with.
They explained that the goal was to create a coffee cup out of the doughnut without removing the original hole in the middle. The coffee cup-doughnut phenomenon could be extended to anything with a hole all the way through, even something as significantly different as a tube top.
It was reiterated several times that a doughnut, or, in the context of the event, a piece of clay and a coffee mug (with a handle) were exactly the same due to the shapes and the idea of topology. I believe this lesson proved that many seemingly disparate disciplines and concepts are inherently interwoven with one another.
I feel as if the arts are overlooked, seen as nothing more than just hobbies for people to partake in, instead of viewing them as significant in our educations and lives, as mathematics are. The event proved to us that through the theory of topology, a coffee cup with a handle and a doughnut are exactly the same.
I feel as if they were exposing us to different aspects of academia in order to prove that no one topic is better than another. They also were attempting to explain that anything can be educational and teach us a lesson; even something as delightful as ceramics.
If this fact is stressed more to the general population, we as individual people can partake in the hobbies that we enjoy, without worrying about being seen as lesser than a larger well-known topic.
This event also showed how topics that are vastly different can bring people together. During that short time, we as a group were able to bond over our love for ceramics and mathematics, as well as doughnuts and coffee, all while learning about the relationship between the two topics.
I felt as if the coordinators were very passionate about the topics they were explaining to the attendees. As these professors were so enthusiastic and excited about this topic, it ultimately contributed to the fact that the event was a beautiful representation of celebrating our differences, in both favorite subjects and pastimes, all while bonding and learning about school-related topics.
This Chaffey event was eye-opening in that it proved that topics can be very closely intertwined together, regardless of how unrelated they may seem. It also showed how both the arts and mathematics have places in the world.
In the end, we need to celebrate our differences in hobbies, career choices and enjoyments together as a community.