Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucy Beattie, a junior chemistry and secondary education double major, took up knitting as a way to relax and refocus.

“I was looking for something to do with my hands while also learning how to make stuff in that dark time,” Beattie said. “I started learning how to knit, and it ended up being very calming and cathartic. It became a really good way for me to get my anxiety and worries out without being destructive.”

Now as a favorite hobby of theirs, Beattie can be seen working on their projects just about anywhere on campus.

“I’ll do 10 minutes here and there as a way to take a study break and get my mind focused on something else or just to let my mind drift,” Beattie said. “Right now, I’ve been making a lot of scarves. I’ve made scarves for all of my hometown friends, and now I’m working through making them for my college friends.”

Although knitting may seem complicated to beginners, Beattie asserts that the best way to learn is to practice.

“I definitely did not understand how knitting worked at all before, but the important part is to figure out generally how the knitting works together and then figure out the motions,” they said. “People will learn how to knit very quickly because the motion itself is very fast, but you don’t have to be very quick at first. It’s better to take your time to learn the motions and do them correctly.”

Beattie has been knitting for almost three years and first learned through watching tutorials online. Unlike other craft-based hobbies, they explained that knitting is affordable.

“It’s not very expensive because once you find knitting needles in a size you like and find some yarn that you like, you’ll only spend between $5 and $10 every now and then,” they said. “You’re not buying stuff every week unless you’re really hardcore at it. I’ll shop about once a month for supplies.”

Currently, knitting is only a hobby to Beattie, but in the future they hope to cross over different mediums like crochet and possibly even sell their work.

“Right now, I’ve mainly been making gifts for people,” Beattie said. “I think eventually, one day, I would like to knit and sell sweaters and stuff.”

Elijah Tang-Spigelman, sophomore music education major, has a heavy workload and very little free time at William Jewell College. When he needs a break from schoolwork, however, he turns to his favorite hobby – “Dance Dance Revolution.” The arcade game is one many have dabbled in, but few have mastered. The game requires players to time their steps on a mat in coordination with arrows presented on a screen. The step-movements are commonly synced to music either from Japanese pop culture or, less typically, American pop music. 

Elijah’s favorite song selection is “District 1” from the Pump It arcade dance programs. He noted that “1949” is the most challenging song to complete and only one champion has ever finished the round perfectly. Players move quickly and efficiently to succeed at a level – some even get on their hands and knees. It is no wonder that “Dance Dance Revolution” can be categorized as exercise — there is a lot of physical and mental training that goes into becoming an accomplished player.

Ideally, Elijah spends six to eight hours a week playing “Dance Dance Revolution.” All of those hours in an arcade can add up to quite the expense report. He estimates that each hour of Dance Dance entertainment costs $10. To some, $80 a week may seem like a lot, but when you consider that a complete setup of one of these arcade games costs upwards of $5,000 it makes sense.

There are things Elijah does to alleviate the burden of his expensive hobby. For example, he has a portable mat to dance on that he rolls out whenever he needs a dance break. These portable mats cost around $30 – but they are only for single-player mode. When Elijah wants to dance with his friends, they head to the arcade.

Elijah enjoys playing with his friends and has a few people he can practice his skills with. However, when he needs the support of fellow Dance Dance Revolution enthusiasts, he turns to a Facebook group of over 200 people. In this community, players can share accomplishments, frustrations and support each other. 

Starting any new hobby is not easy. Even so, Elijah believes that anyone – regardless of musical ability or coordination – can succeed in “Dance Dance Revolution.” He suggests that new players start slow and never push themselves too hard. He advises sticking to enjoyable hobbies, such as he does with “Dance Dance Revolution,” in order to fully appreciate all of the challenges and entertainment life holds.