Junk journaling, hammer throwing and more: Explore the hidden talents of the CWRU community
Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are known for their innovative thinking across campus—and these creative mindsets can be seen in their countless unique and fascinating hobbies. National Hobby Month is celebrated annually in January, leaving no better time to spotlight some of the talents that inspire our faculty, staff and students.
Their interests, which range from junk journaling and hammer throwing to street photography, are as diverse as the individuals who pursue them.
Read on to learn about five university community members who shared their hobbies with us, and, if you missed it, meet six others who were featured earlier this month.
Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Cathy Charles (CWR ’21; MED ’21, public health)
Doctor of Medicine candidate
A hobby I’ve been passionate about since childhood is scrapbooking, which has now evolved to junk journaling. I love to collect receipts, pamphlets, tickets, napkins, postcards and so much more to create journals about my trips or day-to-day life. I find this to be therapeutic and a great creative outlet! They are really nice to look back on as keepsakes as well.
Nowadays, I've encountered a challenge where a lot of tickets are all online or QR codes, and I wish more tickets were still physical. They are such great mementos of places I've visited or events I've been to. The whole point of junk journaling is to use "junk," so I find myself peeling labels off bottles or cutting up brochures and paper bags. One man's trash is definitely another man's treasure in this case. I've also always loved collecting stationery over the years so I am able to use some of the stickers or papers I've collected in my journal too.
Joe DeLong
Lecturer, Department of English, College of Arts and Science
My unique hobby is the track and field discipline of hammer throwing. I didn’t start competing until a few years ago, but it’s become a true passion of mine. Throwing fascinates me with its blend of strength and artistry. The forces generated by elite throwers can seem almost like a superpower—top competitors accelerate hammers weighing as much as bowling balls to over sixty miles per hour. Technique plays a crucial role and throwers must learn a sequence of quick, complex movements that have been likened to dance.
This past year I was champion of the USA Track & Field (USATF) Lake Erie Association in my age group. My results for 2025 placed me 8th in the U.S. for my age group, as well as in the top 28% in my age group internationally. I look forward to competing at the USATF national masters championship when it comes to northeast Ohio this July.
Arianna Simon
Second-year history and art history student
My mom and I began doing jigsaw puzzles at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as something to do while we were stuck inside. I quickly fell in love with the process of putting puzzles together. Before I went back to school in person I moved from 500-piece puzzles to 1,000-piece puzzles and began to amass a large collection containing images from all over the world. As an art history major and someone who really enjoys detail-oriented work, I find puzzles and the art that they contain to be a perfect fit for me.
I plan to puzzle competitively after finishing my undergraduate studies. I spend much of my free time during breaks puzzling and maintaining or cutting time off my personal best. One day, I dream of working in a museum and developing puzzles with contemporary artists as a way of expanding access to art and culture.
Grace Vibbert
Business Systems Analyst III, University Technology
I collect hobbies, including costuming, fencing, dance, knitting and spinning my own yarn. Lately I've been enjoying working with glass enamels. I was inspired by a metals class at CWRU, which I took as an employee. I had never worked with glass enamel before and Margaret Fischer, former instructor in CWRU’s Art Studio Program, was really great and encouraging. I loved the color of the enamel and the magic of seeing what came out of the kiln versus what went in.
A few years ago I bought a second hand kiln and I've been enjoying playing with different types of glass enamel and techniques ever since, including cloisonne, champleve, plique-a-jour and enamel paints. My favorite thing to make are small portraits. I want to re-create a portrait in the Victoria and Albert Museum that is enamel on copper and will be the largest piece I've done.
Matthias Buck, DPhil
Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine
My favorite hobby is street photography, taking pictures of people in their natural habitats like New York City or in train stations around the world, often in a candid manner. I want to capture authentic behaviors and feelings in my pictures, so often when people see my camera or cellphone, the moment is gone. I have taken pictures in more than 40 train stations around the world, often marveling at the architecture and diversity of travelers.
A longer term project is "Broadway in a day, 2002-2027", where I take one day in the summer and start at the beginning of Broadway near Wall Street and walk all the way to where it crosses into the Bronx. It's a good day's walk with amazing transitions, SOHO, Mid-Town, Times Square, Columbus Circle, and the Upper West side.
