By Madeline Condor | Staff Writer
A part of the Experiential Learning Commons on the Garden Level of Moody Memorial Library, the Moody Makerspace is open to all Baylor students, faculty and staff, with no requirements for major or classification. It houses a variety of tools available for use in personal or academic projects, including a 3D printer, a laser cutter, a computer adapter, a sewing kit, woodworking tools and more.
McKinney junior Shea Berthelot said she used the Moody Makerspace to create a couples Halloween costume.
“My boyfriend and I knew we wanted to do a couples costume, … so we decided to go as Anakin and Padmé from Star Wars,” Berthelot said. “[The Moody Makerspace] has a sewing machine, so we drew out patterns and we pinned it and figured out how it was all supposed to fit together. … And [my boyfriend] printed a whole lightsaber, which was pretty cool.”
Berthelot said the best part of the resource is how accessible it is.
“There are people there to help you if you need it,” Berthelot said. “It was free to use because not everybody can have [materials like] a sewing machine. And it’s pretty intuitive to learn how to use if you didn’t already know how to use it. And it was just a really fun creative outlet that I don’t get to have a lot of time for typically, so knowing that that’s available at Moody is really cool.”
Moody Makerspace manager KJ Mikulencak said she wishes more students knew about the space.
“I enjoy watching students progress from just wanting to 3D print something that they found on Thingiverse, which is an online resource for models, and then after they’ve gained confidence in that, they want to try the laser,” Mikulencak said. “They gain confidence in that, and then they move on to something else. … Then after a few months of being a part of our space, we know their name and they start teaching other people how to use the equipment. That’s really fun to watch.”
The Experiential Learning Commons hosts a variety of workshops for students, faculty and staff to create their own projects and learn new skills, from 3D printing to GIF creation. Students can register on the Moody Makerspace website.
Mikulencak said her favorite part of managing the Moody Makerspace is seeing “the cool things that the students come up with,” though her tool of choice is the laser cutter.
“We have a large 24-by-36-inch laser cutter that can cut wood, acrylic, leather, cork, foam, board. It can cut all kinds of things or engrave a variety of materials,” Mikulencak said. “So we have lots of students that use that for class projects. And it gets really busy around Christmas; people want to come make gifts.”
To visit the Moody Makerspace, students, faculty and staff must present a Baylor ID card. If they need additional help with their projects, they can make an appointment with Mikulencak by going to the “Meet Our Staff ” page and finding her profile.
