Illinois Valley Community College will be hosting its 25th annual MIMIC Fair on April 20. It will begin at 9 a.m. in rooms CTC124 and 125, and end at 2 p.m.

The MIMIC fair is an event run by students who study Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Typically, these science students work with members in IVCC’s business classes, teaming up to market and sell their projects to the public.

This year, the CAD team is working solo, but it has not stopped them from producing, advertising, and putting their merchandise on the market.

Lydia Walker, for example, has worked to round up a number of local businesses and schools to spread the word about MIMIC and the upcoming fair. Students may have noticed some of her posters or bookmarks decorating the halls and tables.

The theme this year is “travel-friendly.” Each table at the fair will be decorated to take viewers to a new place.

Dorene Data, the MIMIC and Women in Tech (WIT) advisor, discussed the different locales one might explore at each display. Regions range from the Caribbean to Australia to the Grand Canyon.

Keeping with the theme of travel and transport, students have designed a variety of products that can be taken on the go.

For example, the “Bermuda Bucket,” created by CAD student Maximilian Walker, is a bucket with adjustable straps made entirely from a 3D printer.

Nini Hoang, a member of both MIMIC and WIT, came up with a collapsible table that folds down until almost completely flat.

One more table product that will be on the market is a small, circular surface that can be placed on the top of a red Solo cup.

Other merchandise includes a hotel door alarm and a phone case that can be attached to a belt loop to keep track of the device while hiking or walking around.

Students have been working on their projects throughout the semester, preparing models and waiting for their 3D-printed designs to be manufactured. After much trial and error, the products will be ready for the public on April 20.

If attendees are not interested in purchasing student-made products, there are still plenty of prizes they can put their money towards. Possible raffle winnings that correlate to the theme include an Apple AirTag, a gift-card to Outback Steakhouse, a Japanese snack basket, and more.

Data also spoke on the importance of MIMIC at IVCC.

“It gives [students] a real world experience preparing them for their entry into the world of work,” she said.

Walker agrees, “MIMIC is where students can apply everything they’ve learned toward their degree. It’s a place where they can demonstrate all that they have learned.”