In the fall semester of 2021, a new organization was created at Austin Peay to enhance the creativity and competitive spirit of students all over the campus.
Blue Tinsley is a senior majoring in English with a double minor in Creative Writing and Engineering. He is the current interim president of the Innovative Design Club or as they like to call it the “Indy Club” for short.
Tinsley is holding the position as president until official elections for all the positions are held this semester. Any and all students interested in becoming involved with the club are encouraged and invited to attend.
According to Tinsley “The Innovative Design Club’s goal is to allow creative students to join together to build projects as a team, and even compete with one another. Art and Engineering students are the primary audience, but anyone who loves design is welcome.”
The organization primarily focuses on 3D printing at the moment. They are hoping to expand in the future, however. “We would like to incorporate other hobbies and skillsets such as EVA Foam sculpting, electronics, and even woodworking” explained Tinsley.
The plan currently is to hold small contests where students can compete on themed designs, and group projects with larger goals that incorporate more skillsets.
Tinsley’s favorite class at APSU, Foundations 2, was his inspiration for starting the organization to share with students. He expressed that “We built, sculpted, and even experimented with 3D printing, which was the jumping off point for what has become my all-time favorite hobby and even the Etsy shop I run now.”
The faculty advisors: Jody Alberd of the Engineering Department, and Tobias Layman of the Art Department are helping to give the club access to as many resources as possible.
The members of the Innovative Design Club feel that the resources available to them will not just be great for their club, but they can also be beneficial to other students and groups on campus.
Tinsley explains “There is an excellent wood working shop in the Art department, two manufacturing labs in Engineering Technology, and across the campus there are 3D printers, CNC machines, Circuit Cutters, lathes, drones, and many other machines that make fabrication limitless.”
He also expressed that, “I don’t think most APSU students are aware of how many amazing resources we have.”
Tinsley also feels that “By pooling together these resources, the Innovative Design Club can in effect make this campus an enormous makerspace.”
The club is open to anyone with an interest in creating, be that for artistic or engineering purposes! Students can simply reach out to them, or look for fliers with their meeting times, contests, and other events.
If you are the head or part of a student organization and would like to collaborate on an event, they welcome the motivation and creativity aspect of different projects.
The club meets on the first floor of the Engineering Technology Building in Lab 110. Specific days and times have not been permanently established yet. Tinsley invites anyone to reach out to him [email protected] if they have interest or questions about the club.
Blue and the other founders of the club are hoping this organization helps inspire future students. He stated that, “Myself and a few students from the Engineering Department began assembling a group with the help of APSU faculty at the end of 2021, and now we plan to make the most of this 2022 and start something that continues long after we have graduated.”
