ALYSON OLIVER
campus editor
TCC student creators share their perspectives on the impact entertainment media has had on them creatively and artistically.
The South Campus welding department just did their biggest project yet.
Before Thanksgiving break last semester, they decided to begin replacing the gate that leads behind the welding labs where materials such as metals are stored.
“We had a gate there at one point but it was kind of falling apart, so we just took the reins and built a new one for our advanced layout class,” welding instructor Jason Russell said.
Russell chuckled, saying the old gate had been there long before he arrived at TCC.
He and 11 students constructed the gate from scratch, socially distanced. The only thing left to do to finish the project is lettering and a cutout for the front of it.
Each student had varying roles during the construction of the gate.
“I ended up doing some of the measurements as far as the pickets inside the fence as well as the mainframe of the fence,” student Jacobs William said.
The hands-on experience resulted in Williams getting hired at Watts Water Technologies, building tank vessels for water supplies and water heaters.
Student Riley Davis said the course is the closest he’s going to get to actual job training without being in the career field. That response is exactly what Russell is going for with the structure of the course.
He hopes students gain the knowledge to build off the top of their heads or have an idea of where to begin.
During projects, Russell is willing to assist students by answering questions but mostly lets them lead it.
Taking the course has been a way for Williams and Davis to fulfill their career aspirations.
Davis plans on doing something production-related after graduating. His end goal is to do pipework for companies, but, for now, he’s focusing on structural work.
Williams has set his eyes on the railroad-making business. He laughed, then said it’s a pretty good-paying gig.
The experience he’s gained from taking courses on welding has motivated him to start a side business. Williams purchased personal machinery to continue building his expertise.
This gate project is one of many that have been done around campus.
“The machine division, they’ve had us build a few things,” Russell said. “Woodworking [as well]. We try to, in that intermediate layout [course], to have projects for them to build to kind of leave their footprint around TCC.”
More information on TCC welding courses can be found on the welding technology homepage.
