As part of the Early Career Professionals Affinity Group’s spotlight month, co-lead Alyssa Acosta discusses how to find the right fit in a job.
During their golden anniversary, the University of North Dakota Section welcomed back alumni to celebrate their outstanding milestone.
Every day more and more people find themselves in a situation where they need extra storage space. This need generally derives from either commercial or residential purposes. Whether you’re in the e-commerce field, looking for extra space to store inventory, or whether you’re someone looking to downsize and the fuss of buying a new house is simply an unappealing endeavor, a metal storage unit might be what you’re looking for.
Storage units are usually built with either masonry, wood, or metal. There are many reasons a business might choose, but you’ll learn why metal is superior.
1- Security and Safety
Regardless of your background, your assets are valuable. Metal is an incredibly strong material. Metal storage units are tougher to break into, which means you can rest assured knowing your belongings are safe. Most storage unit facilities are already equipped with a burglary alert system, but that doesn’t always stop a determined thief. A metal building adds an extra layer of security as it can be quite difficult to break into.
2- Pest Control
Invasive bugs and critters can severely damage your belongings. A metal storage space is more difficult for different types of vermin to get into. If the wrong bug gets into your space, everything you own can become contaminated. A small rodent can even destroy what you own. Not to mention, an infestation of any kind poses a giant risk to the storage structure itself. Metal is a tough, unforgiving material for pests to try to break into. If you’re deciding between a wooden shed or a metal storage unit, it’s clear which choice makes the most sense.
3- Adaptability
Metal is highly adaptable. Over time, your needs might change. You might become a business owner and have a family. Steel storage units are often built with an open floor concept, a feature that promotes versatility. Therefore, if you do end up needing more space, you don’t have to worry about finding another unit as you can just use the space that’s already there. The spectrum of adaptability is quite diverse. If your storage needs are agricultural, professional, commercial, or residential, a metal structure will serve your needs. Not only is metal adaptable to your needs, but it’s a highly recyclable material. When users and business owners alike are done, the metal can be used again in the future, serving other needs.
4- Durability
One key question you might ask yourself is: how do I know my assets are safe? We already know metal will give a burglar a difficult time, but what about stronger forces? What about Mother Nature herself? Let’s start with something basic: heat. A metal storage unit equipped with metal reflective roofing can help keep your inventory in a cool, hazard-free space. Furthermore, metal storage units can even protect against much harsher elements, such as a fire. Because metal is fire resistant, your items are much safer in a metal building rather than a wooden one.
No matter if it’s for personal or business use or if it’s short-term or long-term, storing items in a metal storage building offers numerous benefits over alternative storage solutions.
Even a well-maintained carpet will eventually need to be replaced, with experts suggesting that a full replacement is often necessary after about 10 years. Replacing your home’s carpeting is beneficial to you no matter what the reason for it is. Here are five signs that your home’s carpet may be due for replacement.
1. You’re About to Sell Your House
Before putting your home on the market, you should replace the carpeting. Not only will it be a selling feature to prospective buyers, but it will also raise your home’s value. Buyers want the house to be in good condition, and adding new carpeting will help achieve that.
2. Odors Won’t Go Away
If a cleaning doesn’t get rid of unpleasant odors, it’s possible that the issue isn’t the carpet itself. Instead, the padding beneath the carpet or the floor itself might be the problem. If so, you’ll need to replace your carpet in order to get to the root of the problem.
Water damage can be a particular hazard when it comes to odors, as lingering moisture can create mildew and mold beneath your carpet. You won’t see it, but the unpleasant smell can eventually indicate that you need to replace the carpet to get underneath and clean up that mildew or mold.
3. You Are Redoing Your Home’s Look
Whether you’re simply refreshing your home’s decor, painting the walls, or doing a full remodel, replacing your carpet is a good idea when doing any type of home improvement project. Adding new carpet to your home while you’re upgrading your home’s aesthetics is smart because it will enhance the overall look and add to the appearance of a new space.
4. Allergies Are Becoming More of a Problem
This can be one of the more subtle and hard-to-realize reasons it’s time to replace your carpet, because you may not make the connection. But if you or other residents of the household seem to be struggling more with coughing, itchy eyes, runny nose, or sneezing as the years go on, it’s possible that the carpet is the culprit here.
Over time, pet dander, dust, and pollen will embed themselves into the fibers of the carpet, and eventually, this can compound to the point where it begins to negatively affect your health. Vacuuming with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter can help, but eventually, the carpet will need to be replaced.
5. Your Carpet Has Reached a Certain Age
Like any other material, carpet degrades over time even with excellent care. It doesn’t need to be something as obvious as stains, rips, or burns. It might be that the color has faded or washed out a little bit. The padding might not have as much spring or give to it. You may begin to see wrinkles or ripples in places.
In some cases, it may be possible to avoid a replacement by having your carpet re-stretched by a flooring professional. But that procedure is a significant process, and it may make more sense to replace the carpet rather than undergo it.
Installing roof-mounted solar panels is a great way to lower your energy costs, reduce your environmental impact, and add value to your home. These panels harvest clean, free energy, which can provide long-term savings and energy independence. Some homeowners can even turn a profit by selling the excess energy they generate to their local utility.
Rooftop solar installations are the most popular way to generate solar energy at home. They work by using solar racking to hold the panels in place on flat or sloping roofs. Here are three ways installing rooftop solar panels can serve your energy needs.
1. Roof-Mounted Solar Panels Save Space
Roof-mounted solar systems let you use your yard to grow beautiful grasses, flowers, and trees. They are a wonderful solution for homeowners who are short on space. These solar systems generate nearly as much energy as ground-mounted or pole-mounted solar systems, but they don’t clutter your lawn with equipment. Similarly, if you have a commercial building, rooftop panels can free up space for signage, landscaping, or a public courtyard.
2. Rooftop Panels Are Easy to Install
Rooftop panels are easy to install on most buildings. Professional installers typically use screws or lag bolts to attach the mounting system to the roof. They can quickly position the panels on most rooftop surfaces, which reduces the amount of work and time it takes to complete the job. The installation process is minimally invasive, which reduces the potential for disruption to your property. In most cases, installers will work to maximize the surface area of the solar panels on your roof. This maximizes energy collection and optimizes energy production. Furthermore, roof-mounted solar systems can eliminate the need to install additional support structures to hold up the panels, which can help you save money upfront.
3. Roof-Mounted Solar Panels Raise Your Property Value.
Installing a roof-mounted solar system can make your building more attractive to future buyers because it promises them free energy moving forward. Once the system is in place, the panels are cheap to maintain, which minimizes the cost of upkeep. Homeowners can increase their resale value by nearly $6,000 per installed kilowatt. In other words, if you install a 6-kilowatt system, your home’s resale value could increase by nearly $36,000. Solar panels also provide real value by protecting roofs from debris, rain, and snow, which can extend their lives. Since solar panels absorb sunlight before they can enter a building, they can help keep its interior cool and increase its energy efficiency as they generate electricity.
Using Rooftop Solar Panels Is a Great Way to Generate Energy
If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible way to reduce your energy costs, rooftop solar systems are an ideal choice. If you’re keen to minimize your carbon footprint, save money, and add value to your property, installing a rooftop solar system is a wonderful choice. Investing in rooftop solar panels for your house is an investment that will save you money and reduce your home’s energy consumption for years to come.
As part of their spotlight month, the Mid-Career Professionals AG describes how SWE members dealing with career breaks, job loss, family planning, relocations, or career transitions can all benefit from participating in the SWE Mentor Network.
As part of their spotlight month, the Early Career Professionals AG discusses the importance of fitness for field engineers, including three key benefits it offers to enhance job performance.
SWE is thrilled to announce a new and improved Advance Learning Center (ALC) designed to help you find exactly what you need, when you need it.
At this year’s WE24 conference, we sat down with all three of the keynote speakers after their presentations for a quick Q&A.
By Jonathan Hunt
Galerie Shibumi in Chinatown is set to open its doors on Thursday, January 16, 2025, for a new exhibition by artist and award-winning filmmaker Ari Kim. However, I was able to attend a VIP reception last night and got a preview of this exquisite show. The show, titled “Mae-Deup (매듭),” this show draws its name from a Korean term that translates to “knot” or “connection.” For centuries in Korean decorative arts, this knotting practice has served as a symbolic thread tying people together across generations. Now, in Ari Kim’s hands, it becomes both a thematic anchor and a creative prompt for an array of paintings and installations that invite viewers to reflect on family ties, memory, and the subtle gestures of care that shape our lives. The exhibition officially runs from January 17 through February 23, and those who step inside will encounter an immersive blend of visual art and music intended to stir emotions and spark personal recollections.
According to gallery representatives, “Mae-Deup” will feature a series of Ari’s latest paintings, each exploring the idea of connectedness through imagery that unites past and present. Central to many of these works is the motif of braided hair, a visual cue that has both personal and cultural resonance for the artist. In Korean tradition, hair is regarded as an ancestral gift, something to be treated with reverence and protected from harm. Ari draws on that notion, depicting intertwined locks as more than a mere stylistic choice. Instead, these braids evoke an umbilical connection between figures who may be family members—perhaps a mother and daughter, or an older self and a younger self. The choice remains deliberately ambiguous, inviting viewers to place their own interpretations and familial histories onto the canvas.
“Mae-Deup (매듭)” marks a new phase for Ari, who has spent a significant portion of her creative life exploring different mediums. Raised in a household that encouraged artistic expression, she recalls being two years old when she first started drawing on wallpaper whenever she ran out of paper. Rather than scolding her, her mother let her continue, fostering a sense of freedom that Ari says laid the groundwork for her future pursuits. That early embrace of color, line, and space eventually led her to study painting, printmaking, and video art at the collegiate level. Yet her artistic trajectory would change again when she discovered the power of filmmaking during her undergraduate years at NYU.
Surrounded by peers who were dedicated to cinema, Ari initially joined their film sets to help out, never suspecting how much the process would captivate her. Spending weekends filming meant immersing herself in an environment where collaboration was paramount. Sound technicians, cinematographers, editors, and actors all brought their individual visions and skills, blending them into one unified endeavor. In contrast, painting had allowed her a measure of solitude and personal control—she could decide every detail herself. But filmmaking required relinquishing some of that control and trusting a collective. Far from seeing this as a drawback, Ari found it liberating and inspiring, a creative synergy she now channels into all her projects.
That synergy is perhaps most evident in how “Mae-Deup” integrates a musical component alongside the visual works. Rather than display her paintings in silence, Ari enlisted award-winning composer and musician Jackson A. Waters, known for his compositions for orchestras, chamber ensembles, and wind groups. After discussing the backstory behind each piece, Waters composed a distinct musical score for each painting. Gallery visitors will have the option to listen to these scores through Bluetooth beacons placed near the artworks, allowing a personalized experience of pairing each visual piece with a specific auditory mood or narrative. By doing so, Ari aims to expand the emotional resonance of her work, ensuring that each painting conveys not only an image but also an accompanying soundscape.
The underlying themes of “Mae-Deup” reflect not just aesthetic concerns but also personal introspection. Ari has long been interested in how small, often unspoken acts of care connect people over the years. She recalls instances from her own upbringing, such as her grandmother quietly shielding her from the sun or her mother removing a stray white hair. These may seem mundane on the surface, yet Ari sees them as profound demonstrations of love and concern. Capturing these moments in paint has become her way of preserving and venerating them, and she hopes viewers will recall their own silent gestures of affection within their families. In her view, these subtle behaviors form the knots—both literal and metaphorical—that hold relationships together.
While painting remains a cornerstone of Ari’s practice, her evolution as a filmmaker has also garnered significant recognition. She has won awards at the Cannes World Film Festival, the Berlin Short Film Festival, and the Independent Shorts Award for her work on “The Eyes of the Ocean Are Always Swollen.” Despite the accolades, Ari insists that film and painting are complementary rather than competing disciplines. She regards painting as a private, inward journey—something she does in her studio with no one else around—while film is an ensemble endeavor, requiring an array of professionals to bring an idea to life on screen. Filmmaking, in her words, demands “an extraordinary level of trust”: a willingness to believe that each person’s contribution will enrich, rather than dilute, the vision.
In discussing how she balances these different forms of creativity, Ari points to the contrasting demands each places on her. In painting, she can shift gears at a moment’s notice: one day might be consumed by detail work, another by sweeping gestures that redefine the entire canvas. In filmmaking, however, a single oversight—whether in the lighting design or the sound editing—can upset the delicate equilibrium of the entire scene. Yet she values this collaborative test of faith, comparing it to the trust that exists in tight-knit relationships, where one relies on the other to maintain the shared bond.
Ari’s fascination with bonds extends beyond just family connections. One of her earliest breakthroughs in New York came when she screened a twelve-minute video piece titled “소주 한잔 해요 (Let’s Have Soju).” This project revolved around a two-hour phone call with her father, who had often spoken about how meaningful it would be for them to share a drink one day. That aspiration represented more than a simple beverage—it signified time spent together, emotional closeness, and a ritual passing of adulthood. Although the video was heavily grounded in Korean-language dialogue, Ari was surprised to find it resonated with a woman who did not speak Korean. Through subtitles and raw emotional content, this viewer was reminded of her own father, someone she had not thought about in years. The encounter solidified Ari’s conviction that honest storytelling can surpass linguistic and cultural divides, reinforcing her dedication to making work that stems from deeply personal truths.
“Mae-Deup (매듭)” is further set apart by the environment in which it is displayed. Galerie Shibumi is notably smaller and more intimate than many of New York’s larger exhibition spaces. Located in the heart of Chinatown, it draws a diverse audience, some of whom might intentionally seek it out, others of whom might stumble upon it by chance while exploring the neighborhood’s narrow streets. Ari appreciates this scale, describing it as a place that allows viewers to slow down and engage with each piece, rather than hurrying through a vast hall. She believes that this unhurried, thoughtful engagement mirrors the show’s focus on patient, attentive observation of human relationships.
In addition, the artist emphasizes that although “Mae-Deup” spotlights her work as a painter, she has no intention of leaving filmmaking behind. In fact, she is currently finalizing a short film titled “(24),” shot the previous summer, and she has also begun outlining a screenplay set in 2012 New York, centered on the dynamic between a grandfather and granddaughter. With each step forward, Ari envisions weaving her two main art forms in increasingly interconnected ways, always looking for opportunities to merge the introspective qualities of painting with the collaborative thrust of filmmaking.
Regarding the commercial side of this latest body of work, pricing details remain private. Interested collectors are encouraged to email contact@galerieshibumi.com for specifics. Ari’s decision to keep pricing off the public list is partly practical but also speaks to her perspective on how art enters someone’s life. Just as the braids in her paintings represent an ancestral gift or a symbolic connection across time, so too does the act of purchasing a piece form a new knot between the collector and the creative journey that birthed the work. In her view, that exchange can be as meaningful as the artwork itself.
As the show’s opening date approaches, the anticipation among art lovers in Manhattan is noticeable. Critics who have previewed images from “Mae-Deup” mention its poignant blend of Korean heritage and universal themes, praising the heartfelt narratives that emerge from seemingly simple depictions of braids and familial embraces. Others highlight the unique technological element: the ability to hear a specially composed musical score while viewing the art. This innovation encapsulates Ari’s broader mission: to forge connections that transcend visual boundaries, linking one sense to another in the same way families are linked by intangible threads of devotion.
In many ways, “Mae-Deup (매듭)” feels like a culmination of everything Ari has been working toward—a marriage of cultural heritage, personal reflection, and collaborative innovation. For New Yorkers who wander into Galerie Shibumi starting January 16, the exhibit offers more than just paintings on a wall. It promises an encounter with the artist’s own recollections, a journey through the quieter moments that punctuate a family’s story. And it invites each viewer to linger, to listen, and to discover in their own memories the knots and connections that hold their lives together. With the show running through February 23, there is ample opportunity to appreciate this weaving of personal narratives, ancestral traditions, and contemporary artistry that Ari Kim has so thoughtfully prepared. And in a city that often rushes forward, the gentle reminder to pause and observe the tender bonds forming right in front of us may be the most meaningful creation of all.