A Bishop Noll sophomore found a modern way to express her passion for an ancient practice by designing a 3D printed zodiac sign chart. Nyree Ruiz is a member of the school’s Workshop Club, which began last fall and meets in the new STREAM Lab. Ruiz began working on the chart in September by drawing her vision on paper.
“My inspirations were the zodiac signs themselves because it is so interesting how unique each one is and it's interesting how they can just sum up a whole person based on a birthday,” she said.
Her chart includes the zodiac symbols, their planets, constellations and names. The pieces are printed using the STREAM Lab’s 3D printer.
Sponsored by engineering teacher Brian Lambie and STEM teacher Mary Albrecht, the Workshop Club benefits students by opening the STREAM Lab for them to create personal projects outside of normal class hours. Students can work on projects from their own imaginations and in their own time.
Ruiz, of Hammond, said once she heard about the club forming, she was immediately excited because she enjoyed using Tinkercad, an online 3D modeling program, as a freshman. She had learned to create the designs but was never able to print them on a 3D printer. She was excited to try it.
“I think everyone should try the Workshop Club because it is really fun and it gives you a chance to make imagination come to life. Mr. Lambie and Mrs. Albrecht will help you along the way so there is no worry about needing help either with designing, printing or coming up with ideas.”
The STREAM Lab opened for classes in January 2020 and all in-school freshmen students took Project Lead the Way’s (PLTW) Intro to Engineering class in the lab. In addition, Bishop Noll offers PLTW Computer Science, Principles of Engineering, and Biomedical Science. The lab is also used as a meeting space for other groups such as the Women's
Empowerment Club and yearbook. The lab's large space and multiple workspaces make it a perfect place for social distancing.
“What I enjoy most about the STREAM Lab is how beautiful it is and how much effort was put into making it look so beautiful. Just being in there inspires me to be creative,” Ruiz said. In addition to the Workshop Club, Ruiz is involved in the Bishop Noll Band and Art Club.
Bishop Noll is enrolling students for fall 2021. For more information, please visit bishopnoll.org/admissions or email Director of Admissions Jeff Stur at jstur@bishopnoll.org.