There’s a new club on campus and it’s something UMass has never seen before. Fun? Yes. Useful? Beyond useful. CAD was created by Christopher Ferrick, Declan Gwynne, and Matthew Eden and can be defined as Computer Aided Design. The program being used by the club is Autodesk Fusion, a new program that is free to all students. The three co-founders usually show up with a plan of what they’re going to make that day and help students design the specified part by going step-by-step on a projector.
(You can email Chris at cferrick@umass.edu to join UCAD and receive more information)
The interesting part of this club is that there is a competition within UCAD and it has to do with the program being used: Fusion. Autodesk asks that you make something with their program with at least fifteen parts, and they will guarantee 250 dollars sent to you. It can be absolutely anything, but it has to have those fifteen parts. You can’t submit the same thing as another person, so the members of the UCAD club are all going to make something and then give away the $250 at the end of the semester. However, you can work with the founders of the club to individually send in your own design and guarantee your 250. From dog tags, to Wall-E parts, to ping pong tables, and speakers, the possibilities are endless.
Not only is UCAD fun (and not to mention profitable), it is also a crucial resume builder. Depending on your major it is essential to know CAD. Why? Well, most things are designed, tested, and then subsequently made on the computer. If you don’t know how to make something on the computer that you want made in real life, there’s going to be a problem. It is especially pressing for engineering students who are not taught CAD in their curriculum. Not to mention, employers are always looking for something that sets you apart from other people. What says different and exciting than saying you were a part of UCAD and explaining you know to use a computer aided design program.
In the end, what’s different about UCAD from other clubs is how it is arranged. It's an engaged lecture, not a club to come and do something, but a club to come and learn something. It’s fun and actually pretty interesting to see what you can make with the program. You can fool around and make whatever you’d like. It’s kind of like that one web design class you had in high school that you played around in. You always went into the programs and made the weirdest crap you could think of. At the same time, you’re learning a valuable skill that will set you apart from others. As a whole, students can expect to be able to make their own designs, and will be able to use this important program as a resume builder.
Oh yeah, and you get that 250 bucks. Any club that can help me get that kind of money is going to be interesting to me (Hello textbooks and Chipotle). So get out there and cash in. Us students sure as hell need it.
Again, it's cferrick@umass.edu for more information.
