I started rock climbing for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Every Wednesday and Sunday night the Rock Climbing Club here goes to Rock Climb Fairfield, just past the train station parking lot, and I join in when I can. Now, am I actually good at climbing? Not really. Frankly, I can only scale the kiddie beginner walls around six times before my arms go limp. But the thrill of trying something different is reason enough to do it. Because, in my humble opinion, college is the time of your life to try something new. It’s the time to meet people and to make life fun outside of all the drudgery and stress of school. So, of course I’m going to rock climb.
Seeing my athletic desires fulfilled, I sought out ways to satisfy my desire for a creative outlet here at Fairfield. Art has been a very dear hobby to me for basically all my life, and I wanted to see what Fairfield has to offer. I reached out to Dr. Marise Rose, the director of studio art here at Fairfield, and I inquired about the creative resources we have on campus, but was given this response:
“Per the dean, our academic spaces and equipment can only be used by students enrolled in Studio Art courses, this is a legal liability issue. Even clubs aren’t allowed to use our resources. I encourage students to reach out to Student Life about having a maker-space type thing in BCC or elsewhere where students would be able to access creative technology outside of classes.”
The maker space idea piqued my interest, and such a place could be where resources such as embroidery machines, automatic vinyl cutters, and woodworking tools are available for students to use for free, even for non-art students. Looking for more information, I asked senior art student Leo Mcnamee about the creative community on campus, and he stated that, “there really isn’t a community here.”
Of course, I would love something like a maker space for my own use, but I want to approach such a possibility from the angle that it’s another way to give students more opportunities. I expanded my athletic horizons through something like rock climbing because it was accessible and available to me, but creativity is not something nearly as encouraged for students to develop at Fairfield; but it should be, especially since Ignatian Spirituality advocates for the well-roundedness of the entire individual.
Allowing students the ability to have a creative outlet supports not only their versatility and critical thinking, but also their mental wellbeing. I have become more physically active since I first came here last August because it never fails to clear the mind—and creative outlets can do the same as well. There is a reason why therapists encourage their patients to start drawing, as it is a way to reflect and remove yourself from whatever is going on in your life.
Right now the Dimenna-Nyselius Library is asking for students to submit their creative works for a student art exhibition. Submissions end on Feb. 21 and can be submitted via the QR code. This initiative is a great opportunity to foster a stronger creative community here on campus. Any medium is accepted, from sunset photography to amateur crochet. The art club as well, run by another senior art student Julia Braatz, meets twice a month, with various supplies provided. If you are looking for places to make art outside of campus, places like The Art Studio or Hands on Pottery downtown can help you. There is no harm in ever trying something new—but hopefully soon we can have the space to do that on campus.
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