Assistant Opinions Editor
Have you ever wanted to create something new? Inspire change? Make a difference in your education? Do you have a brand new idea for an invention? If so, you are in luck considering what our campus has to offer.
Nov8 (Innovate) Day was on November 8th, 2018. To celebrate, CSU Bakersfield’s school of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering hosted Nov8 Day at the Fab Lab.“It’s supposed to be about promoting creativity and innovation” said Bobby Hartsock, a prospective Masters of Administration graduate student and Fab Lab specialist.
“[The Fab Lab] is a fantastic place. It’s a spot where you can learn all of these machines and tools that are going to be a really big part of the future for a lot of companies,” Hartsock said.
Students were invited to the Fab Lab to create screen printed shirts on the Fab Lab computers, featuring the Nov8 logo.
“Today is innovate day. It’s a day where you reflect on innovation. We are celebrating that day by [students making] shirts so they know how it feels to make things here at the Fab Lab” said Martin Mendoza, a student assistant at the Fab Lab.
“The benefits of the Fab Lab are that anyone of any major here at CSUB can come in here for free to make their projects,” Mendoza said.
The Fab Lab provides materials, printers, computers, and other machines for students to use while creating their projects. While it is free of cost for students, community members need to provide their own materials.
According to Maria Renteria, a senior engineering major and Fab Lab student assistant, “Students should know it’s completely free. If they have any idea or projects they want to work on they can come. We have so many machines and a lot of people don’t know what they can do in here.”
Many students who participated in the event were excited to screen print their own shirts at the Fab Lab and use its equipment.
Alexandria Thomas, a junior year psychology major, said “I think [The Fab Lab] one of the most fantastic places. It’s also one of the most underused places.”
After screen printing shirts, NSME hosted a screening of the movie “Iron Man.” Featuring Marvel’s 2008, “Iron Man,” students were inspired to be innovative on our campus. Iron Man was a character who changed the world with his creations, as not just a superhero but as a man with creativity.
The goal is to inspire students to be creative in everything they do. By providing resources such as the Fab Lab, NSME allows students the tools they need to create their own projects. For students who have an idea for something to create, the Fab Lab is an option.
“I hope students will know we are reaching out to them…We have the Fab Lab for them to enjoy,” said Mikaela Becina, a sophomore biochemistry major and NSME student assistant.
