There are many benefits to attending a large public university. As students, we have a range of resources and tools at our disposal to help our ideas become a reality. The problem: we often forget these resources during our academic pursuits or simply do not know they exist.

We strive to correct this problem by continually informing Kent State students about new technologies, resources and additions to our campus. The rest of the burden, however, falls on you, the student. The next time you have an assignment consider the different possibilities provided by the services and tools on Kent State’s campus. Kent State, after all, has cutting edge technology littered throughout all of its buildings and it is all here for you, the tuition-paying student.

One of these resources, 3-D printers, has recently become available courtesy of your Undergraduate Student Government. 3-D printing has become more prevalent because of a decreasing cost of entry of the new technology, but the printers still retail for more than $1,000. Kent State students enjoy a unique position as our university and Undergraduate Student Government shoulder the burden of cost for these printers. These types of purchases by USG and Kent State add another tool at students’ disposal.

The old adage, “If you can dream it, you can build it,” rings true when considering the capabilities of 3-D printers. These printers use code to lay down layer upon layer of material until the digital model becomes a tangible object.

We urge students to continually pay attention to the resources, both old and new, which are available to use. The student who utilizes tools such as Kent State’s 3-D printers has a distinct advantage over his or her competition.

As the technology advances and becomes more prevalent, barriers to entry begin to disappear. Overcoming these barriers, ranging from availability to cost, allow organizations and individuals to utilize new technology to help turn ideas into reality. In this instance, it only took one group, USG, to realize the benefits of a certain technology before it appeared on our campus.

If we continue to voice our wants and needs as a student body, our university and organizations can fight for the resources and tools we need.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.