Joseph Handlin

A place to channel your hobby, the Maker Space in the Rydal building’s Room 002 is the spot to be. Looking to get feedback on a piece or project? Want to 3d print a critical part? Various tools and gadgets are available during the school day for student use- just be sure to reserve them. In this article, we sit down with Bill Cromar, a professor in New Media, to get some more information.

Recently, I’ve been getting more interested in 3D printing, so I decided to go to our very own Maker’s Space, right here on campus in the Rydal building, room 002. You can easily miss it if you aren’t aware of the Maker’s Space. I sat down with Bill Cromar, a professor in New Media, to get some more information.

“What kinds of projects can I 3d print here?”

“Well, it isn’t just about 3d printing, this is a place for IST, Art, Engineering, and hobbyists to get together and feel creative.” He says

“What is your favorite part of being here?”

“So many, I mostly enjoy the unexpected things that happen, the uncommon ideas. Anyone can come in with any project, as long I get students I normally don’t get to teach, too, which is a really rare opportunity. I get to hire for the best job on campus, they(student workers) get to become teachers, support internship, suggest tools, in a way this is a product of everybody who works. Sometimes students are a bit overwhelmed, there are a lot of have-to’s, but here, you’re here because it is a want-to. If you don’t want to be here, its a normal boring job. We don’t care what project you’re working on, we’re happy to have a place where you can go to get some feedback.” He responded

“How has the pandemic treated the Maker Space?”

“The pandemic has really slowed down traffic here, we stayed open to keep an important part of campus available to students.” He replied

I decided to interview the student-workers here as well. First, I spoke with Tony.

“What is your favorite part of working here?”

“the opportunity to use new tools I wouldn’t normally use. I wanted to know more about them. I want to know the specs to obtain a 3d printer. We’re in a really nice space in Rydal 002, its very accessible to students.” He says

“What is the coolest project you have worked on?”

“I printed the Tesla Cybertruck, since I loved RC cars as a kid. Unfortunately it doesn’t move on its own, but you can push it and it rolls around. I’m really proud of how it came out.” He explained

Next, Ariel had this to say.

“The clients we get everyday come in with unique ideas and projects. I like learning how to use the machines for myself. I’m relatively new, but I do have some cool projects in the works which I won’t spoil here.” She said

Finally, Mike, the most senior of the workers, sat down to talk to us

“I came in around 2019 with the old monitors. I spent 5 weeks mastering the tools, and it convinced me that this was the best place to be. We’re getting new equipment soon.” He informed us.

“What kind of equipment?”

“A new scanner, I was able to scan my head and print it out on our PRUSA machines. It was super cool.” He told us.

“If you had to pick, what are your favorite projects?”

“Definitely the lightsaber project, but my VR gloves are a close second. I had to design and wire the gloves myself, but it was fun. I also built brackets for my dad’s trucklights.” He explains.

“That’s awesome, thank you all for your time!”

If you would like to learn more about the Maker Space, you can go here for more information.