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GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University’s library director recently tapped into students’ creativity with fashion to teach them about leadership and teamwork.

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

“I looked online for an activity to teach teamwork, and I came across this idea,” Hipps said. “In addition to accomplishing our main goal, it also enabled us to repurpose some of the newspapers we were about to dispose of. The project was a blast. The students loved it.”

Using newspaper, tape and scissors, the students had a limited time to determine the item of clothing they would create and execute their designs. Hipps said the class enthusiastically dove into the assignment. The other staff library staff members served as judges to pick the winner.

The winning team consisted of Alistair MacGregor, Tyler Morrison and Hailey Nichols, and each received a little gift package in honor of their achievement. Their design was a newspaper suit. Creations from other teams include a dress, a graduation cap and a bikini with a cover.

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

“A lot of people cooperate, but they don’t know how to get their ideas across and be a team member,” she said. “People cooperate by saying, ‘That’s a great idea. I’ll do it.’ But with collaboration, group members talk about the situation together and derive the best solution. Collaboration requires all group members to share their opinion.”

Nichols, a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sport science pre-physical therapy/occupational therapy, said she liked the project.

“The thing I enjoyed most about this activity was getting to work with my group to come up with the idea for the suit made out of newspaper,” Nichols said. “I learned that you can 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 working on a project. Having an open mind to what your teammates are telling you helps make you more successful.”

Hipps said the class lesson was a success because it made each student consider where he or she falls on a team. She discovered that every student participated in the activity in some way, even those who are introverts by nature. That was important to her because she wanted everyone to actively participate and not just observe. Participation is a large portion 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. Then, the students evaluated themselves on skills associated with the project – communication, leadership, problem-solving, team-building, expressing feelings and getting along with others. They indicated whether they were good with those skills or needed to show more or less of that ability.

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

The Tusculum Experience course introduces students to the university, helping them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the institution’s unique civic arts platform, history and traditions.

Upon successful course completion, students understand what it means to be a serious university student and demonstrate awareness of Tusculum’s history and mission. The course is built around the Pioneer I’s – part of the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan called Pioneer Ready. The Pioneer I’s qualities are proactive, interactive, organized, Nettie-like, engaged, ethical and responsible.