Tag Archives: crochet

Senior Year Experience: Igniting Creativity and Innovation at Williams College

Posted on by

As senior year at Williams College nears its conclusion, students are offered a unique and exciting opportunity to leave their legacy through the Senior Year Experience (SYE). The Makerspace and Fabrication Lab are collaborating with the SYE to offer seniors opportunities to channel their creativity and bring their most ambitious ideas to life.

makerspaceWhether it’s working on a meaningful piece of art, designing an innovative product, or building something entirely out of the box, the SYE provides access to cutting-edge tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking equipment, and more. But it’s not just about the tools students are guided by experienced staff who are passionate about turning ideas into tangible results.

The SYE encourages seniors to think big, experiment boldly, and create something that truly reflects their passions and journey at Williams. It’s not just a project; it’s a chance to showcase innovation, dedication, and individuality as they prepare to step into the next chapter of their lives.

What is the Senior Year Experience?

The Senior Year Experience (SYE) is an exciting opportunity for seniors to dive into extracurricular projects that reflect their passions and aspirations. Whether you’re envisioning a sustainable 3D printing solution, designing intricate textiles, or building innovative prototypes with Raspberry Pi, the SYE provides the perfect platform to bring your ideas to life. The possibilities are as vast as your imagination.

What sets this program apart is its access to an incredible network of resources, including the Makerspace, Fabrication Lab, and perhaps even parts of the interdisciplinary MakersWeb. These spaces foster collaboration and creativity, connecting students with over 20 unique workspaces across campus. It’s not just about the tools; it’s about the vibrant community of creators who inspire and support one another.

Students have the freedom to explore a wide range of mediums, such as:

  • 3D Printing and Scanning: Create intricate designs or explore sustainable printing solutions.
  • Laser Cutting and Engraving: Add precision and detail to your projects with state-of-the-art technology.
  • Photogrammetry and Mold Making: Transform objects into digital models or design complex molds.
  • Fiber Arts: Try your hand at quilting, sewing, crocheting, or even experimenting with mixed textiles.
  • Microprocessor Prototyping: Build interactive devices using Arduino or Raspberry Pi.
  • Woodworking and Cricut Cutting: Craft furniture, decor, or intricate designs with these versatile tools.

The Application Process: Turning Ideas into Reality

Getting started with the Senior Year Experience (SYE) is as straightforward as sharing your vision. The process is designed to be simple yet impactful, ensuring that every participant has the opportunity to fully explore their creativity. Here’s how it works:

1. Submit Your Idea

The journey begins with an email. Reach out to David Keiser-Clark, the Makerspace Program Manager, to pitch your project idea. Don’t worry if it’s still in the brainstorming stage. This is your chance to outline your vision, explain your goals, and share what excites you about your project. Whether it’s a sustainable solution, an artistic masterpiece, or a tech-driven innovation, the SYE is all about giving life to bold and unique ideas.

2. Collaborate and Create

Once your project is accepted, you’ll dive into the creative process with the support of campus experts and access to state-of-the-art tools. From 3D printers and laser cutters to fiber arts tools and microprocessor kits, the Makerspace and Fabrication Lab have everything you need to bring your concept to life. You’ll also have the chance to collaborate with knowledgeable staff and fellow students, making the experience as enriching as it is productive.

3. Showcase Your Work

At the end of the semester, your project will take center stage. Whether it’s displayed at an exhibition or shared with the broader campus community, your work will inspire future innovation and creativity. Completing an SYE project isn’t just about the final product, it’s about the process, the lessons learned, and the mark you leave on the Williams community. You also will be offered an opportunity to amplify your work by writing a guest Makerspace blog post.

What You Need to Know

  • The SYE accepts up to five projects per semester on a first-come, first-served basis. This ensures each participant receives a personalized, focused experience.
  • Selected projects are matched with the expertise available on campus, ensuring the right guidance and resources are at your fingertips.

The application process is intentionally simple, giving you more time to focus on what really matters, creating something meaningful, innovative, and entirely your own. So, if you have an idea that’s been buzzing in your head, now’s the time to turn it into reality. The SYE is your platform; all you need to do is take the first step.

A Network of Campus Partners

The SYE thrives on collaboration, integrating support from campus partners like Alumni Engagement, Career S

ervices, the Zilkha Center, and more than a dozen others. These partnerships enhance the program’s impact, offering students a robust platform to refine their skills and showcase their achievements.

Leadership Behind the SYE

The Senior Year Experience (SYE) at Williams College was initiated under the leadership of Associate Dean Ray Grant, who serves as the Associate Dean for Senior Year Students and Director of Students in Transition. Dean Grant has been instrumental in shap

ing the SYE to provide seniors with meaningful opportunities to celebrate their achievements, explore new interests, and prepare for life after graduation. His dedication to student development ensures that the SYE remains a cornerstone of the senior experience at Williams. 

If the SYE had a superhero, it would be Dean Ray Grant: the guy who turned the “senior slump” into a launchpad for creativity and adventure. As the Associate Dean for Senior Year Students, he’s made sure the SYE isn’t just another check-the-box requirement but a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make your mark at Williams. His goal? Help every senior leave with stories, skills, and something awesome to show for their time here.

Why SYE Matters

Beyond creating something tangible, the SYE is about professional growth and personal fulfillment. Imagine presenting a digital portfolio of your project to potential employers, highlighting skills in research, design, and execution. Platforms like Wakelet and Bulb, recommended by the SYE team, provide seamless ways to compile and share these experiences.

Inspiring Creations

The Makerspace has already facilitated awe-inspiring projects, such as:

  • High resolution 3D photogrammetry scans of million year old Bovid teeth from an archeological site in the Siwalik Hills, India
  • Extracurricular 3D-printed and painted board games like Catan
  • Sustainably harvested Hopkins Forest logs to laser-engraved garden signs for the Zilkha Center
  • Museum quality exhibition reproductions such as this Mayan Tenon (“monster” head)
  • Lincoln life masks brought to life with 3D modeling

These creations demonstrate the blend of creativity and innovation that the SYE nurtures.

Happy applying!

Stitch by Stitch: Building an Ocean in the Berkshires

Posted on by

Imagine walking into the ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance and finding yourself underwater surrounded by waves of vibrant coral, not in glass tanks, but crocheted by hundreds of hands across the Berkshires. This isn’t a fever dream. It’s the Berkshires Satellite Reef project, and it’s growing one loop at a time.

Worldwide Crochet Coral Reef

Worldwide Crochet Coral Reef

Williams College is diving headfirst into the worldwide Crochet Coral Reef project, a global, art-meets-science extravaganza designed by sisters Christine and Margaret Wertheim of the Institute for Figuring. This isn’t just art for the sake of beauty (though trust me, it’ll be stunning). This is art with a purpose, spotlighting climate change, celebrating mathematical forms, and building community all at once.

What’s a Satellite Reef, Anyway?

Participants working to craft the reef.

Participants working to craft the reef.

Glad you asked! The Berkshires Satellite Reef is our community’s personal contribution to this worldwide coral constellation. Over the next year, students, faculty, staff, and neighbors will come together to crochet corals of all shapes, sizes, and textures, using yarn, plastic bags, fabric scraps, and whatever else we can loop together.

In Spring 2026, these tiny textile ecosystems will unite as one immersive installation right here at Williams. Picture it: a fiber-optic reef you can wander through, crafted by hundreds of hands, from campus crochet circles to weekend workshops across Berkshire County.

No Crochet Experience? No Problem!

Instruction on how to crochet.

Instruction on how to crochet.

Whether you’re a seasoned stitcher or someone who’s never touched a crochet hook (hi, that was me), we’ve got you covered! Join one of our Coral Crochet Workshops and learn the basics, no experience required. You’ll get a free kit with yarn, a hook, and instructions (and maybe a super cute bag to hold it all). Or drop in for one of our Coral Crochet Circles and stitch alongside fellow reef-makers.

It’s low-pressure, high-reward. You’ll learn something new, meet great people, and contribute to something way bigger than yourself (literally, it’s life-size!). And your name will be in the credits for the installation.

Sustainable Stitches: Crafting with Care

53 pounds of yarn

All yarn was either donated or purchased as upcycled materials from the Old Stone Mill Zero Waste Maker Space

Here’s where it gets even cooler: this reef isn’t just about raising awareness, it’s about doing something. We’re experimenting with sourcing materials that are eco-friendly or upcycled (think yarn remnants, old plastic bags, strips of sheets, even industrial shrink wrap from commercial pallets). Our Makerspace and FabLab are testing out how to turn industrial shrink wrap, police caution tape, and packaging tape, and bulk sized cereal bags into crochet-ready materials. Who knew that caution tape and shrink wrap could become sea anemones?

Get Involved: Be Part of the Reef

  • Learn to Crochet: Join a workshop and get your free kit.
  • Crochet at Your Own Pace: Make corals at home, in circles, or with friends.
  • Donate Materials: Yarn, hooks, plastic bags: we’ll take ‘em!
  • Drop Off or Mail Corals: Send your creations to campus by March 1, 2026.

For specific details, please view our Berkshires Satellite Reef website, this instructional video (How To Crochet A Hyperbolic Plane), or these PDFs:

Making Plastic Yarn from Industrial Shrink-wrap for the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project

Posted on by
Participants in the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project's crochet workshop, led by Led by Rae Bravo ’28, Annie Trucano ’29, and Professor Amy Holzapfel (standing).

Participants in the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project’s crochet workshop, led by Led by Rae Bravo ’28, Annie Trucano ’29, and Professor Amy Holzapfel (standing).

Well, not technically underwater. But when you walk through the main library entrance, you may find yourself surrounded by beautiful crocheted coral pieces. The Williams FabLab was hard at work on Wednesday, October 1st, crocheting hyperbolic corals to contribute to the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project.

The Berkshire Satellite Reef Project was inspired by the worldwide Crochet Coral Reef, a global community art initiative started in 2005 by Australian artists and sisters Christine and Margaret Wertheim. The initiative raises awareness about threats to coral reefs by bringing people together to create art. Here at Williams, participants were invited to the FabLab to learn how to make these pieces themselves. Led by Rae Bravo ’28 and Annie Trucano ’29, each participant received a kit with yarn, a crochet hook, and a hip homemade bag to carry it all in.

Each crochet piece is made with upcycled yarn from community donations. The creations have unique shapes and colors, reflecting the vibrant biodiversity of reefs, which are under threat due to changing ocean conditions from climate change.

FabLab and Makerspace Make Plastic Yarn from Industrial Shrink-wrap

The FabLab and Makerspace collaborated to purchase a functional replica of a Meyer rope making jig. (Martin Meyer of Sheffield, IA, received patent 1,510,691 on October 7, 1924, for a 4-strand hook, non-geared rope machine.) 

We tested our Meyer prototype during the June 2025 Alumni Weekend, where many kids (and adults) had opportunities to cut 18″ wide industrial shrink-wrap into manageable one-inch widths, and loop them onto this hand-crank machine, and crank, crank, crank! Their work caused the four separate plastic loops to twist, until finally the four loops would twine together, creating a reasonably strong braided plastic yarn. We donated this plastic yard (“plarn”) to the Berkshire Coral Reef Project, where people subsequently crocheted it into the hyperbolic coral reefs that will be on exhibition.

Meyer rope jig in use with Ari Merrill '28 holding the ends of the loops of shrink-wrap.

Meyer rope jig in use with Ari Merrill ’28 holding the ends of the loops of shrink-wrap.

A close-up showing the effects of twisting shrink-wrap and how the individual pieces twine into a four-strand plastic rope.

A close-up showing the effects of twisting shrink-wrap and how the individual pieces twine into a four-strand plastic rope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Amy Holzapfel, chair and professor of theatre and a Gaudino Scholar, for graciously providing the kits and helping bring this project to life.

Read more in The Williams Record about The Berkshire Satellite Reef Project and Amy Holzapfel’s contributions.

Postscript (March 13, 2026)

Exhibition Dates/Hours:
Sunday, April 19 – Tuesday, May 12
Every Day: 10am-4pm
Evenings: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 6pm-8pm
CenterStage, ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance, Williamstown MA