On October 2nd, a group of Kent Lions left early in the morning for a trip in the pre-engineering program to the Maker Faire in NYC.

The maker’s fair is a scientific fair both for inventors who have new technologies or handcrafts to share with public, and enthusiastic science lovers who are interested in learning about new inventions and sharing ideas with each other. There are not only professional scientists, but also crafters, students, educators, and engineers, as well as some world-famous companies like Google, Intel and Microsoft. The fair provides a platform for all ages to enrich their knowledge of science by exchanging ideas and having fun at the same time.

While we were exploring the fair, we saw various kinds of inventions we had never seen before, such as the first smartphone 3d printer from ONO company. The company even invented a special kind of refill resins which covers all kinds of colors and different textures. Another popular area in the faire was the course where the drone race took place. Many at the fair were able to learn about how the drone works and build their own.

However, a small and simple workshop impressed us most — the one run by Hotchkiss students. They made metal crafts together with small kids, creating animal figures by soldering tin. Although the works were not masterpieces, we all agreed that informing kids about chemistry through creation would be a precious experience in their childhood.

The purpose of this trip is to learn about the new technology as well as to broaden our horizon of modern science. The demonstrations at each tent were easy to understand and to apply to our everyday life. The Kent students can’t wait to progress in engineering this year with creative innovations, and Dr. Nadire hopes “to see a Kent tent in this fair soon.”