For as long as most RL folks remember, the Western Civ project has been a 9th grade rite of passage. Each boy is tasked with creating (or re-creating) a physical artifact that holds particular significance in the history or western civilization. Many boys utilized the IDEA Lab this year for their projects. Cam built a harpoon, carefully shaping the shaft with a spokeshave, and using an angle grinder to sharpen the point that he researched. John learned to use the lathe in order to make a maple baseball bat, which he then stained and engraved using wood burning. Kalyan made a working Arduino-powered Enigma Machine. Many other students built components of their designs using laser cut, 3D printed, or vinyl cut parts which they designed using OnShape, a browser-based CAD tool. See all of the finished projects below!