Photo by Rose Cohen ’22
The Fimbel Lab, located in Prospect Hall, marked one year of operation with a birthday celebration this week.
BY GILLIAN PETRARCA ’23
The Fimbel Lab celebrated its first birthday on Jan. 30, in an event hosted by the Lab from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The celebration was open to staff and students, and guests celebrated by decorating cupcakes and making arts and crafts with lab equipment.
The Fimbel Lab is attached to Prospect Hall, occupying the space that used to operate as Prospect Dining Hall. It’s a space on campus where students can use power tools to create projects for their personal use or for class assignments. Over the year, students and professors have taken advantage of the space, using laser cutters to monogram and finish wood or sew circuit boards into stuffed animals to make them light up.
“I love the Fimbel Lab, there’s such a variety of tools,” Sophie Clark ’23 said.
Fimbel Lab employee Moss Moreland ’20 agrees. “My favorite thing I’ve seen in the Fimbel Lab so far has been the paddle making lab,” Moreland said. “It was really cool to use the laser cutters to monogram and finish the wood. You can really make anything you want here.”
Before the Fimbel Lab was created a year ago, Mount Holyoke offered the Makerspace, a much smaller version of the lab. “Before the Fimbel Lab was created, we were in a smaller space for Art 211, we were really limited in what we could do,” Professor of Physics Kathy Aidala said. “There were many limits to the last space. Here we have more space to not only work, but [to] build a community.”
Aidala, who was crucial in helping choose the design of the Fimbel Lab, said that the location was very intentional.
“Having the lab connected to a residence hall encourages more students to use the space,” Aidala said. “We also chose Prospect because the view is beautiful, it invites more students to come use the space and hopefully come back.”
The Fimbel Lab has not only allowed many students to create their own projects, it is also a reason that many students were drawn to Mount Holyoke.
“The Fimbel Lab was one of the big reasons I chose Mount Holyoke,” Fimbel Lab employee Morgan Sammut ’22 said. Sammut said that the Fimbel Lab really distinguished Mount Holyoke from other campuses that they toured.
“When I saw the Fimbel Lab I really saw myself at Mount Holyoke and one day working in the space,” Sammut said.
The future of the Fimbel Lab is bright. Fimbel Lab Design Mentor and Technical Specialist Shani Mensing ’15 said that she hopes more students will take initiative in using the space in the future.
“I hope a student org is created in the Fimbel Lab,” Mensing said. “I really hope students begin to have more of a voice in the Lab, because this space really is made for them.”
Fimbel Lab Design Mentor and Technical Lead Kris Camp said this is just the beginning for the Fimbel Lab. “I’m most excited for what I don’t see coming,” Camp said. “This is just the beginning, I’m always surprised with how students and faculty use the space.”
“I hope everyone comes down to the Fimbel Lab at least once,” Camp said. “It really is for everyone.”