While
most students are struggling to finish that final paper or project,
Elaine J. Oehmich’s classes are earning their final grade by
dragging out the paint and ladders and giving back to the community.
Oehmich, an adjunct art professor, gave her Design Fundamentals
I classes the responsibility of revamping the interior of the Sleeping
House and Rock House in lieu of a personal final project.
The Sleeping House and Rock House are both transitional living facilities
in Boone run by the Hospitality House.
“Students use whatever skills and talents learned in class
and revamp the shelter,” said Oehmich. “It’s a very
fulfilling experience.”
Oehmich said students work with the residents of the houses, asking
what they would like to see in their living space, then follow time
and money constraints to complete the redesign.
Jenny J. Ellis, junior interior design major and project manager
for the Sleeping House project, said she sees her assignment as
helping a charity and not as a final project for class.
“I definitely think it aids the class, but we are also learning
a lot about the community and giving back,” Ellis said.
Oehmich said this community connector is part of her design for
the project.
“Students feel more rooted in the community,” Oehmich
said. “They feel more at home.”
Ellis said the classes were split into groups, assigned different
rooms and given two months and no budget or money to complete the
project.
Students were then responsible for contacting different businesses
and organizations to find the materials to bring their ideas to
life.
Ellis said several donors such as Lowes Hardware, Cheap Joe’s
Art Supplies, Blue Ridge Building Supply, Boone Paint, Charleston
Forge, Sherwin Williams, local artists and others provided the materials
needed to redesign the rooms.
Ellis said the project also gives her hands-on experience that she
would not have garnered within classroom walls, such as client interaction
and communication.
“You have to be able to communicate ideas,” Ellis said.
Ellis said client interaction also creates the difference between
the service learning project and a personal final project.
“It’s not your own blank canvas; it’s someone else’s
home,” Ellis said.
Kalin S. Moore, junior interior design major working with the Rock
House group, also said client interaction is a skill she is gleaning
from her service learning project experience.
“I’m learning how to work with clients and how different
products work in a house,” Moore said.
Moore said her experience with the Rock House is definitely a positive
addition to the class’s curriculum.
“I think it’s really beneficial, not only for interior
design but the community as well,” she said. |
