The Alabama School of Fine Arts has a reputation for being a challenging yet encouraging school. However, where is the encouragement for those students who don’t leave once their last bell has rung? Dorm students don’t have the chance to go home to their parents' cooking or relax in their own beds on a daily basis. They do have the comfort of what is expected: 5-6 p.m. dinners and RA-led events once or twice a week. Thanks to these known routines, dorm students can live more comfortably. But there is one special non-dorm faculty member that has been contributing to this comfort as well.
Iris Rinke-Hammer, a member of the creative writing department who has been teaching at ASFA for more than 30 years, felt the need to get involved with dorm students. During the summer when finalizing the strategic planning for her year, she saw an opportunity to get involved with the dorm.
She said she has been reminded of her early years as a core teacher who wishes to regain that interaction with students from all departments,
“It is really cool to be in an environment where you’re with students from all the different departments and to have that contact,” Rinke-Hammer said.
With this goal of reconnecting with the diversity of the school and a chance to help out her students, she decided to help out.
Rinke-Hammer, who made it a part of her educational routine to interact with the dorm students, has begun to bring dinner for dorm students over the weekend. For her first dinner, Rinke-Hammer brought lasagna accompanied by a salad with a yogurt dressing. The inclusiveness of a vegetarian lasagna option was also included for dorm students who do not eat meat.
On Sept. 1, Rinke-Hammer held her first dorm meeting for crocheting. She has dedicated the first Monday of every month to spending time after school with dorm students. She hosts crocheting events to teach those interested. She provides both the yarn and needles. This time is spent crocheting, teaching, and socializing. This adds to the events that dorm students can partake in and assists RAs with their event planning for the week.
Iris Rinke-Hammer’s involvement and support within the dorms have already shown importance to the dorm students.
“In this little bit of time that I have done the food and the crocheting, I hear kids saying 'Hi, Mrs. Rinke-Hammer,' [and] it’s nice to have that connection. I feel like it broadens my life too,” she said.
The impact that Rinke-Hammer has had on the dorms with just the beginning of her involvement has already taken a positive turn for both dorm students and herself.
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