With so many different clubs on campus, it can be hard for students to decide what organizations they want to be a part of. Maybe you’re interested in so many different things, you’re not even sure which meeting to attend first. If this sounds familiar, there’s a new group on campus for you: Maker’s Club.
President Jake Kosa and Secretary James Waring, both in the class of 2025, told me that Maker’s Club is the new and improved successor to the now defunct Association for Computing Machinery Club. Both were involved in ACM but saw room for improvement, with Kosa telling me it felt “overly organized and formal” and Waring feeling it “wasn’t very approachable because of the name.” Hoping to get more students involved, the students worked with faculty advisors Dr. Christopher Tralie and Dr. Casey Schwarz to combine both ACM and the Robotics Club into a group that would welcome many interests.
Coding and robotics not your thing? There’s still a place for you at Maker’s Club. Walking around Musser Auditorium at the club’s first Makeathon, students were working on a variety of projects. Maya Kyriakos, ‘26, was busy with biochemistry homework. Ikenna Onyemeke, ‘24, was typing an original story. Breeze Tucker, ‘24, told me they were researching second edition modules of the roleplaying game Pathfinder, hoping to introduce the game to new players.
This variety is exactly what the club was hoping for. “We’re dedicated to creating social spaces for student projects,” says Waring, “anything from doing homework, doing video games, making art, and writing code – anything you want to do.” Kosa emphasized a desire for more artistically minded students at Maker’s Club. “[STEM] is our comfort zone, just because we’re the spiritual successor of ACM, and the fact that our faculty advisors are computer science. But we want to branch out towards other subjects eventually, so maybe next year we can see some more artistic stuff.”
Maker Club’s long term goal, he says, is to secure funding for Ursinus’s very own makerspace – a long time ambition of students and faculty alike. Makerspaces are popping up on college campuses across the country. They’re collaborative work areas that provide free tools and equipment for bright minds to create whatever they can think up. makerspaces contain 3D printers and laser cutters, but Kosa also wants Ursinus’ to have items like a sticker printer and an embroidery machine. “I don’t want it to just be a STEM thing. I’d like to see it for everybody.”
If you weren’t at the first Makeathon, there are three more events to attend this semester. The Green Game Jam starts at 7 PM on Friday, March 17 and ends at 1 PM the following day. Students will compete to make an environmentally themed game – digital or not. From Friday, April 7th to the 8th there will also be a Robotics Interest Competition within the same hours. This event welcomes students regardless of their abilities – you’ll have fellow club members alongside you to help you out. Closing off the year, there will be one more Makeathon from May 5 to 6. Interested students can also email makers@ursinus.edu for access to the club’s Discord server to receive live updates and give input.
Tatiana Kent takent@ursinus.edu