一本道无码

For some 一本道无码 students, the learning doesn't stop when classes pause for spring break.

Pittsburgh Alternative Break(opens in new window) is a week-long program sponsored by SLICE (Student Leadership, Involvement and Civic Engagement) designed to give 一本道无码 students a more in-depth look at social issues impacting the city through hands-on service projects, reflective learning and cultural experiences. This year鈥檚 focus was the neighborhood of Larimer, where the students participated in discussions related to community development and how to engage communities in transformational change.

鈥淢y friends were traveling to different cities in the U.S., but my preference was to stay in Pittsburgh and get a better understanding for what the people are like beyond campus,鈥� said Tra Bui, one of a group of students from 一本道无码 Qatar who are here for the spring semester. 鈥淚 also thought it might be an opportunity to meet and share experiences with more service-minded people like myself.鈥�

, adjunct professor of art at 一本道无码, was invited to speak to this year鈥檚 cohort regarding his extensive work in the neighborhood, specifically his work with the .

Pe帽a explained how he spent the first phase of that project recording the personal stories of long-term residents in 2016. He began with one-on-one interviews where each participant was paid $25 for 30 minutes. From there, Pe帽a began working primarily with senior residents to collectively build an informal history of the neighborhood.

"John鈥檚 approach showcased for our students the best practices in community building and organizing." 鈥� Meggan Lloyd

Bui had never heard of that kind of community art before.

鈥淚 remembered going to the city鈥檚 archives, but that experience was more of a formal text of what the city is like,鈥� Bui said. 鈥淭he idea of recording people talking about their families, their experiences and how old they are, that鈥檚 very specific and has much more soul to it.鈥�

From 2017 to 2019, Pe帽a collaborated with the Larimer Senior Group on a temporary work of public art. The project, consisted of an exterior display structure with removable text that changed every two weeks. The text shared stories from the oldest residents in Larimer about their lives in the neighborhood. Each story unfolded over a series of months while the seasons framed the gradually paced narrative.

鈥淛ohn鈥檚 approach to this work showcased for our students the best practices in community building and organizing, emphasizing the importance of building trust and authentic and intentional relationships, and how to view neighborhoods through their strengths,鈥� said Meggan Lloyd, assistant director of SLICE.

After Pe帽a met the students in Bakery Square and showed them the projects he had worked on, he walked them over to the home of Anthony 鈥淢ister Tony鈥� Mainiero, Larimer鈥檚 oldest living resident. Pe帽a said meeting the 103-year-old man was the highlight of the program for students.

鈥淗e was so energetic!" Bui said. "I can鈥檛 help but remember my surprise."

Keirah Uribe, a sophomore in business administration, appreciated all the history Mainiero was able to share with the group.

鈥淗e told us many of the surrounding areas once had churches, some of which were torn down while others were abandoned. He seems happy just to share things he has done, like the trees on his front lawn and how he has shaped them. He had a garden for his wife, but when she passed he didn't see the purpose in maintaining it. Where his car is now parked is where the garden used to be,鈥� Uribe said.

First-year architecture student Jiaxin Lin said she would have loved more time to talk with Mainiero.

鈥淢ister Tony reminds me of my grandparents," Lin said, "and how lonely they become as they get old."

鈥淭he whole week was very eye-opening as I became more aware of things I knew happened in the housing realm but still made me sad to hear,鈥� Uribe added, 鈥渟uch as having to stand and prove you are a person whose life is important, so your home doesn鈥檛 disappear and you become displaced.鈥�

Anshuka Asnani, a graduate student of architecture and Pittsburgh Alternative Break coordinator for the past two years, encourages other students to participate in the program for a meaningful experience.

鈥淭here is so much to learn about underserved neighborhoods, and the impact it has caused on the people in the community is important to understand,鈥� Asnani said. 鈥淚 feel I can empathize with people around me more.鈥�

Not only did students articulate they felt more familiar with the neighborhood of Larimer after the program, they also expressed a desire to return there, according to Lloyd.聽

鈥淎ll the friends I met were really amazing people, and it was very fun to talk and work with them,鈥� Bui said. 鈥淲e all became so engaged in the service project, at the end no one really wanted to go home.鈥�

Lloyd is hopeful that any connections, insights and experiences that the students gained during the program will inform their tenure at 一本道无码 and beyond.