If you happened to peer down into the Collaborative Research Center basement on a chilly Thursday evening this past winter, you might have seen clusters of scientists hard at work at the tables. But instead of discussing posters or a symposium talk, they were participating in “Give Back Through Arts and Craft,” one of several projects sponsored by the Office for University Life & Community Engagement’s (OULCE) community-building microgrant program. This particular project was led by Sara Omer, a third-year graduate student in the Bargmann lab, and Lola Neal, a sixth-year graduate student in the Vosshall lab. During the winter edition of “Give Back Through Arts and Craft,” Sara and Lola invited Rockefeller students and staff to learn how to crochet scarves for donation to charity. I was one of many first-time crocheters who attended, eager to meet people and learn a new skill after work. Yarn and needles were provided using microgrant funds, removing any barrier to entry other than an interest in crocheting. Now that scarf season is (thankfully) over, I asked Sara and Lola to reflect on how they designed and ran their arts-and-crafts initiative.
When designing their project, Sara and Lola wanted not only to build stronger connections on campus, but also to contribute to the greater community outside Rockefeller. “In such a privileged place like Rockefeller, there is always time to give back to our communities. We have the benefit of having heat in our apartments, labs, etc., but right outside these gates and in the rest of the city, these luxuries are not guaranteed,” Lola wrote. Sara also touched on Rockefeller’s presence in the Upper East Side as a motivating factor for looking beyond the campus gates. “New York is so huge, and it would be a shame to live here for . . . seven years doing my PhD and not interact with more community members.”
Outside of their lives at the lab bench, Sara and Lola are both avid crocheters, and it was Sara’s idea to use their shared hobby as the project’s mechanism for giving back. They decided on crocheting scarves because they are an easy project for beginners, and warm clothing is always needed during New York’s harsh winters. After reaching out to a number of potential charities, Sara and Lola partnered with the Bowery Mission, a nonprofit dedicated to meeting the essential needs of New Yorkers experiencing poverty and homelessness. Among their many services, the Bowery Mission accepts and distributes clothing donations, which fit with Sara and Lola’s goal of donating arts and crafts.
Despite their many combined years of crocheting experience, teaching a group of people how to crochet presented a bit of a learning curve for the project leaders. “I didn’t realize how overwhelming it is to teach multiple people at once,” Sara said. However, as beginners like me learned the basics of making stitches, Sara gained insight into her own crocheting process through the task of breaking down and verbalizing the steps. “It was very nice to kind of slow down and try to explain something that I’ve been doing for years in a very simplified way.”
Lola wanted project participants to benefit from the methodical nature of fiber arts. “The frustration of learning can be difficult, but embracing the process and knowing that mistakes while learning crafts are very low-stakes can relieve some of the pressure many of us in academic science have to face in our daily lives.” As a participant, I can attest that crocheting was a great way to wind down after a long day in the lab. Even though I had to unravel and re-crochet chunks of my scarf many times, I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment as I watched my rows grow neater and my hands move faster over the course of the three crocheting sessions.
By the end of January, the crafting group completed forty scarves that were all donated to the Bowery Mission. Since the ice and snow have long melted from the sidewalks, Sara and Lola have found a new craft to match the warmer weather. This past May, they hosted a pipe-cleaner flower making session to decorate the Bowery Mission dining room.
With two rounds of crafting under their belts, Sara and Lola hope that they were able to empower participants to continue trying new hobbies and volunteering. “[I] wanted people to be able to open themselves up to doing something different than just what’s on campus . . . It’s nice to know that people are very excited about doing stuff outside of science,” said Sara. Lola encourages others to exercise their creativity in finding ways to give back as well. “The opportunity to help is there, even if it is not built into the system of the university itself. If you have an idea or want to help someone, seeking out the resources to do so is possible in a place like [Rockefeller].” Having taken part in “Give Back Through Arts and Craft,” I will certainly think a little harder about how to use my hobbies to bring joy to others.