Carving Into A New Hobby

Every Tuesday night, a camouflage tarp is placed on the floor of the Habitat for Humanity theme house to prepare for woodcarving club. Sabria Roggendorf ’25 and Gabrielle Aldrich ’24 prepare for their weekly woodcarving meeting, pulling out neatly labeled containers and bins with necessities like knives, finger guards and band aids. Roggendorf and Aldrich tuck the tarp under the furniture in the common area to minimize wood shavings from getting everywhere (spoiler: they still do.)  

Pre-cut slabs of wood fill a red crate, varying in weight from light to heavy. Beginners will soon reach their hands in to grab the lighter blocks of basswood, while seasoned carvers, like Aldrich and Roggendorf, opt for the denser, more challenging blocks of yellow birch or ash wood.   

Almost every chair in the house is dragged into the common room to accommodate the club members. Before each meeting, Habi’s common room seating is arranged in a circle to facilitate quality connections between club members. “I like being able to see everyone and their progress carving,” says Aldrich. “It feels more inclusive and opens people up. You may come with a friend, but leave with several more, as well as a few wood shavings hidden in the cuffs of your jeans.”  

The bathroom is not immune from woodcarving paraphernalia either, with multiple magazines titled “Woodcarving” patiently waiting to be read. 

“It’s the best club on campus!” said Ellie Strade ’27. “Just some people sitting around in a circle hacking some wood.”  

A cow planter greets everyone at the bottom of the stairs as they enter Habi. Its body faces parallel to Maple Street, while its head tilts toward the club members coming to the meeting. As excited carvers come inside, the cow’s charm adds to the warm and inviting vibe of the house.  

As woodcarvers file into Habi’s common room, they grab a knife, finger guards and their woodblock of choice before getting in the zone, carving away to reveal a piece of art.  

Wood shavings line the rug, forming a trail from the front door, through the common room, and into the kitchen. Aldrich’s room connects to the right corner of the kitchen, resulting in wood scraps making their way onto her floor, as well.   

At the beginning of the fall, meetings were held outside. The cozy backyard of 11 Maple St. provided the perfect ambiance for woodcarving, complete with a sizzling fire and picturesque golden hour. The immaculate setting did not go unnoticed – the first few wood carving meetings brought over two dozen people. Woodcarving might just be trending, and how could it not be with members like Aldrich rocking hand-crafted accessories across campus?  

“I was blown away by the amount of people who showed up to woodcarving,” said Aldrich, Habitat for Humanity president and woodcarving enthusiast. “Once, we had a good 35 people show up in the backyard, and I was just baffled at the turnout and how many people were interested in carving.”  

As the North Country temperatures grew chilly, the woodcarving club was forced to relocate to the next best thing: Habi’s common area. Fewer people show up when meetings are held inside, but with the space the five-person theme house has, the common area is still crowded.   

“When you first start carving, you carve away little wood shavings, but once you really get into the groove, you learn how to take out big chunks,” said Aldrich. “Wood pieces will fly across the room.”  

“It was really cramped the other night, and there were definitely wood carvings from other people on my pants,” added Nora Kenyon ’27.  

In the backyard, string lights hang around the firepit, held up by posts that Aldrich constructed from nearby tree branches. Even with the freshly fallen snow in late November, one can still envision the magical scene of warm Tuesday nights spent woodcarving in the Habi backyard. Leckonby Stadium and North Country Field can be seen beyond the string lights and through Habi’s fence, a reminder that even in their magical enclave, they are never far from the St. Lawrence community.  

Habitat for Humanity absorbed the woodcarving club in the spring of 2022. After COVID-19, the club was brought back with the help of former Habitat for Humanity Co-president Morgan Hanaway ’23. Hanaway, a passionate woodcarver on her own, took over the club from the remaining woodcarving members before they graduated. The club lives on within the theme house. Roggendorf, a Habi house member, currently serves as woodcarving president.  

Woodcarving Club has something for every level of experience. “Beginners will start off with something simple, like a spoon or a mushroom,” said Aldrich. “Some people will venture into animals like we have someone working in a turtle right now. Last year, I made a giraffe, which was pretty cool. I recently realized I can carve rings, and my favorite project I’ve worked on is carving a life-size model of my hand.”  

Roggendorf also encourages students to try their hand at the club. “I’m currently working on a spork,” she said. “It is a great way to get a little break from homework on Tuesday nights and learn a new hobby.”   

“I started wood carving because of Gabrielle,” says Kenyon. “I’ve gone to a couple of the wood carving sessions, and my roommate is really good at it, and now she wood carves in our room. It’s a really fun activity for everyone.”  

Kenyon felt a bit nervous going to a club with a lot of upperclassmen, especially given she had only really interacted with first-year students at the start of her college experience. However, she stuck with it and is now a regular at meetings.  

“It’s a perfect opportunity for students to take a break in the middle of their week and relax,” says Aldrich. “They can just come to hang out and cut away all their worries.”  

Along with its relaxing nature, woodcarving meetings are also a great way to branch out and meet new people.   

“Woodcarving is the ideal event to meet new people and learn a fun new craft!” explains Habi House member Madyson Mccarthy ’25. “Carving with Habi is a great way to branch out and try something new,” she continued.  

“Woodcarving is the best club,” says Roggendorf. “We just carve wood and hang out with friends.”    

Aldrich’s passion for woodcarving is evident in her room decorations. Her life-size hand sits next to a mushroom on the windowsill, both carved from a piece of yellow birch. She grabs her impressively crafted giraffe and holds it up proudly. Several pieces of wood stick out from a bin near the entrance to her room, something that is not commonly found in the dorm room of a college student.    

“It is really rewarding to see members walking away with newly carved creations,” says Aldrich. “I feel honored to introduce them to woodcarving and see them fall in love with it the same way I did.”