The Society for Engineering and Physics, also known as SEPH, is a club open to all majors, gathering participants and learning how to create and use technology. Through SEPH, students from all backgrounds are able to unify their knowledge to offer different perspectives on projects. It also provides hands-on experience when it comes to learning how to apply engineering and physics techniques. Students who enjoy learning how things work and using their hands will not want to miss out on this unique club!

Juan Treto Jr., the President of SEPH, has been actively progressing the club and making it better. During their first semester, SEPH had been working off money from fundraisers and pushed for e-council.  However, today, they buy the tools themselves to be able to have sufficient supplies. Although the process is strenuous, the end product makes it all the worthwhile.

The club has several projects underway at the moment.

“So, we have a group doing tesla coil. There’s a group doing a pumpkin launcher and another group that’s doing magnetic levitation, which is my group,” Treto Jr. said. “We have another group that is working with a 3D printer, and there’s a fifth group that goes around and sees if they can fix anything that’s broken.” Participants can help with whichever group they want and switch groups to learn something new.

Not only is SEPH active project-wise, it is also open for everyone who wishes to attend. This club is not just open for engineers or physicists. In fact, Treto Jr., makes it his job to encourage students from all backgrounds to attend.

“We don’t realize it, but everything we do falls into physics,” Treto Jr. said. “So, a lot of people have an interest for that and then a lot of people are very creative and they like to build things, which contains an engineering aspect. It’s nice to have people from different areas. Right now, we have a psychologist and he absolutely loves it.”

On average, SEPH has about 15-20 students per week. One of these students is Leo Esquimia, who has been attending SEPH since the beginning of the semester. Esquimia has played an active part in the creation of the tesla coil and has enjoyed meeting new people while doing it.

“It’s a really friendly environment, and coming in, you don’t feel like a stranger,” Esquimia said.

Esquimia also described his reasoning behind choosing to create a tesla coil instead of the other tech offered.

“I am in Physics 216 right now and the big ideas of that class are electricity and magnetism. And, so a tesla coil combines both of them so it seemed like a really great way to apply the concepts I’m learning in class to an actual project.”

If anyone is interested in joining SEPH, be sure to go to Gardiner Hall 229 every Friday at 5:30 p.m.