Maggie Lile, playing in the dirt
In light of the recent success around Augsburg’s Makerspace revival, some students feel that an alternate space is needed to accurately represent the thoughts and feelings of the student body. That being said, the newly rejuvenated Makerspace will be facing some competition this semester with the recent establishment of Augsburg’s very first on-campus “Breakerspace.”
“It just really upset me that this kind of resource wasn’t already available,” said Augsburg student Ima D. Stroyer in an interview with the Echo. “After a long day of classes, I’m just itching to swing a sledgehammer around, you know? I know I’m not alone on this, so I wanted to help other students that felt like me to feel represented on campus.”
After a long day of classes, I’m just itching to swing a sledgehammer around, you know? I know I’m not alone on this, so I wanted to help other students that felt like me to feel represented on campus
Ima d. stroyer
Stroyer, the founder of the new Breakerspace, was inspired by an almost-fatal encounter with the elevator in Christensen Center. After trying to get up to the Commons for lunch, the elevator began to violently shake for a few suspenseful seconds until finally crashing down all the way onto the ground floor. Shaken, yet curious, Stroyer ventured out of the broken elevator and into a large, vacant dungeon-esque space. “Despite the rats fighting in the corner, I was immediately charmed by the space,” they stated. “It was like fate.”
The Breakerspace is home to all of the destructive tools your heart could desire. Flame throwers, sledgehammers, bowling balls, and 200 year-old highly reactive TNT are just a few of the many options at hand. And, best of all, the Breakerspace will even give students access to operate a full-size Cat 340 Ultra High Demolition (UHD) Excavator.*
Not only does this space give students the freedom to wreak havoc independently, there are some upcoming classes happening if your destructive desires require some guidance. Next week on Tuesday from 7-9 p.m., “Bricks and Flicks” will welcome students to the Breakerspace to watch a movie while throwing bricks at the failed pottery from the art department — note that this event is B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Brick). Next up on Thursday is “Donuts and Demolition,” where students are encouraged to practice their demolition skills around the Breakerspace while accompanied by donuts. Lastly, on April 21, the “Smash or Pass” event urges students to bring in various breakable objects. All students attending the event will then take turns deciding whether or not they would like to “smash” the object or “pass” it on for someone else to smash.
Along with these upcoming classes, the Breakerspace will be hosting AA (Annihilators Anonymous) meetings on the first Sunday of each month for those who may need it. Make sure to stop by Christensen -87 to check out the amazing new Breakerspace!
*Cat 340 UHD Excavator only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays in compliance with Augsburg’s rental agreement with the Department of Demolition at the University of Minnesota