When choosing my Byrne Seminar for the spring semester, I knew immediately that I wanted to take a paper-based electronics class. As someone who has an interest in both art and science, I thought that I could truly let my creativity flow. I wasn't completely sure what to expect, but I was excited to find out. Dr. Mazzeo, an Honors College Faculty Fellow who lives in the building and an engineering professor, teaches this course. His Byrne revolved around incorporating capacitive touch into any project you desired. Once we learned the basic technology, he allowed us to do whatever we wanted. Having that kind of freedom was kind of odd, but really refreshing in a classroom setting. My group decided to do a version of Tap Tap Revolution with one playable song to the tune of Shakira. Other groups did their own versions of classic games, like chess and pinball. With the help of Dr. Mazzeo and our TA, Mandev, we worked hard to make our projects a reality.
In general, I have always enjoyed hands-on or interactive projects in class. I believe those projects are the easiest ways to learn or understand why something functions a certain way or where it comes from. Not only was I able to meet a diverse range of people in the class, I was also able to (lightly) understand capacitive touch and how it works. By creating buttons and wiring a breadboard, I began to understand applications outside of class. It was also really cool to have the class at the Honors College Makerspace. I believe that the Makerspace is such an awesome resource. By having the Byrne there, I became more comfortable using the machines in and out of class. I also enjoyed having Dr. Mazzeo as my professor and interacting more with an HC Faculty Fellow. He was very clearly knowledgeable and passionate about his work. Overall, my experience with this Byrne was rewarding!