The Woodshop “I was encouraged to feel limitless
“As I progressed through my
“There was this one spoon I made;
and to truly think outside of the
years I returned to Woodshop as
it took a ton of sanding, I would
wooden box, which often equated
one of my electives in 7th Grade.
literally like walk around just
to me making things that were
During this elective period,
sanding this spoon because it had
too big to bring home, but the
I remember building a cradle
to be really smooth. It was really
takeaway was that I could do
for my sister who was pregnant
time consuming, and it took a ton
absolutely anything I put my mind
with my first nephew. I also built
of patience and it really taught
to….shout out to Michael Falcone,
a checkers/chess table with
me how to be more patient myself
my former Woodshop teacher,
a drawer to store the pieces.
because I was always the type
for instilling the belief in this little
My mother stenciled this table
of person who just wanted to just
brown girl that she was capable
and it is still in our family today.”
get something done as quickly
of doing anything she put her
— LABAN CABRERA, CLASS OF 1984
as I could because I wanted to
mind to.” — SHAUNA KAMIEL, CLASS OF 1995
get that satisfaction quickly. But “My favorite place was definitely the Woodshop. I have so many
“I also loved Woodshop. I made
amazing memories there; and I
a kid chair for a family member.
still have a lot of projects I did
Also, I created a Kwanzaa Kinara
there actually. I built bulldozers,
seven candle holder as a gift for
and boxes, and I think a lot of the
my older brother who celebrated
beginnings of my creativity and
Kwanzaa.”
my confidence expressing myself
— NATASHA HUGGINS LEITCH,
artistically came from VCS.”
CLASS OF 1993
— EVA ZUCKERMAN, CLASS OF 1997
“At Harvard I was President of the
“My mother would not let me
theater organization; I was doing
wear heels, and I was determined
a lot of producing and logistical
to have high heeled shoes.
work but I also did a lot of
I decided I could make them in
costume design, set building and
Woodshop by attaching some
even puppet design on one show.
carpet to a couple of pieces of
VCS’s theater program—and
wood and gluing it all together.
Woodshop!—prepared me well.”
This was probably 1981? I was
— MAGDALENE ZIER, CLASS OF 2008
advised by the teacher that ‘it doesn’t work that way.’” — ERICA TRIPARD, CLASS OF 1985
24 | THE MURAL
learning that sometimes things take time to make it as good as it can be, and to put in that effort and put in that time and in the end when I finally finished sanding everything and I was able to glaze it or put the finish on it, it looked so nice and it felt really nice and it was all smooth.” — LIAN BENZ, CLASS OF 2022
“Throughout life, I have always thought of it whenever I smell wood chips and am grateful for the ability to be at least a little ‘handy’ because of the skills learned there!” — SARAH YARDENI, CLASS OF 1986
