Tusculum Students Create Items From Newspapers in Leadership Class – www.elizabethton.com

GREENEVILLE – Tusculum UniversityThe school’s library director recently called upon students’ creativity in fashion to teach them about leadership and teamwork.

Kathy Hipps, who oversees the Thomas J. Garland Libraryalso teaches a Tusculum Experience class for freshmen and transfer students. During one of her classes, she divided them into groups and had each develop a plan for using newspapers to design clothing.

“I was looking online for an activity to teach teamwork and I came across this idea,” Hipps said. “In addition to accomplishing our main goal, it also allowed us to reuse some newspapers that we were about to throw away. The project was great. The students loved it.”

Using newspaper, tape and scissors, the students had a limited time to decide what garment they would make and execute their designs. Hipps said the class was excited about the assignment. The other library staff served as judges to choose the winner.

The winning team consisted of Alistair MacGregor, Tyler Morrison and Hailey Nichols, and they were all given a small gift package in honor of their achievement. Their design was a newspaper suit. Other teams’ creations included a dress, a graduation cap and a bikini with a cover-up.

The goal of the exercise was to show students how they fit into a team – whether they are a leader or a follower. The class also discussed the difference between collaboration and cooperation.

“A lot of people collaborate, but they don’t know how to communicate their ideas and be a team member,” she said. “People collaborate by saying, ‘That’s a great idea. I’m going to do it.’ But in collaboration, group members talk about the situation together and come up with the best solution. Collaboration requires all group members to share their opinions.”

Nichols, a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sports science prior to physical/occupational therapy, said she enjoyed the project.

“What I enjoyed most about this activity was working with my group on the idea for the newspaper pack,” Nichols said. “I learned that you get a lot more done when you work as a team and that it’s also important to listen to what your team is telling you while you’re working on a project. Being open to what your teammates are telling you will help you be more successful.”

Hipps said the class lesson was a success because it made each student think about where they fit on a team. She found that every student participated in the activity in some way, even those who are naturally introverted. That was important to her because she wanted everyone to be an active participant and not just an observer. Participation is a big part of a student’s grade in the class.

After the students completed their work, one student from each group modeled for his or her classmates and judges. The students then rated themselves on skills related to the project: communication, leadership, problem solving, team building, expressing feelings, and interacting with others. They indicated whether they were good at those skills or whether they needed to demonstrate more or less of that ability.

“We had a lot of fun with this active, experiential learning project,” Hipps said. “Through hands-on experience, they were able to learn more about teamwork and themselves in a fun way that will benefit them in their careers.”

During the Tusculum Experience course, students are introduced to the university and gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the institution’s unique civic art platform, history, and traditions.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will understand what it means to be a serious college student and demonstrate an awareness of the history and mission of Tusculum. The course is structured around the Pioneer I’s, part of the Quality Improvement Plan called Pioneer Ready. The qualities of the Pioneer I are proactive, interactive, organized, Nettie-like, involved, ethical and responsible.