Typewriters are sustainable: 2023 NIU STEM Fest
Today, at the annual STEM Festival hosted at NIU, I introduced my typewriter to the public for the first time, writing in public, and it turned out to be quite an eventful day. What made this day special was the overwhelming presence of children.
Our booth was dedicated to environmental health and the Sustainable Development Goals, which might leave you wondering why a typewriter was the centerpiece. Well, typewriters don’t require electricity to run and are resource-efficient in both production and maintenance compared to computers. For this occasion, I brought my trusty Royal Futura 800.
To my surprise, it was the typewriter station that drew the largest crowd, surpassing even the water and air quality exhibits. The mysterious machine must have looked like nothing else they had seen and it attracted a lot of curious looks. Soon enough, I found myself running out of paper, and I quickly learned that large index cards were the best choice if we wanted the kids to take home their creations.
The children flocked to the typewriter, and while many recognized what lay before them, only a handful had ever tried their hand at typing on one. Typing proved to be a bit challenging for their small fingers compared to the responsive computer keyboards they were accustomed to. We had to encourage them to press the keys with extra force since they typically handled the machine with a gentle touch. They were amazed that there was no way to erase typos, and the ability to change the ribbon to red became a major hit.
Kids wrote on a wide range of topics, from their fun experiences at the festival to their favorite animals, foods, and computer games. Touchingly, many of them penned heartfelt messages to their siblings and parents, affirming their love. Listening to the stories shared by parents and grandparents about their own experiences with typewriters, including taking typing classes and completing assignments, was a heartwarming highlight of the day. The event reaffirmed my belief that more children should be introduced to typewriters and have the opportunity to use them. From now on, I'm committed to bringing my typewriter out to the world more often and sharing this unique and valuable experience with younger generations.
