The Mysteries of Pittsburgh

So I wanted to write a little bit about not only why I wanted to become a CA, but what I want to do in that role as well, which is to broaden the experiences of those around me beyond the campus bubble that I know I find myself living in a good deal of the time.

I have had probably the best experience at CMU that I could have hoped to have in my four years in college, as a student, a resident, and an RA. It has been absolutely terrific and I wanted to try to pass that along and help a house full of students, residents, and RAs as best I can. That being said, one thing I find myself wishing I had more of is a connection with areas all over Pittsburgh, not just Oakland.

The reason I've been thinking about this lately is that I just finished reading a book called The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. It's the story of a recent Pitt grad and his first post-graduation summer in the city. It was really fantastic and part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was because it took place in the Oakland/Shadyside neighborhoods and described landmarks that I was familiar with throughout the story. It really got me thinking, though, as it described the streets and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, that even though I know a certain radius around CMU's campus really well, I don't know other areas like Mount Washington or Point Breeze or even trails in Schenley Park as well as I probably should for having lived in the city now for three years.

I spent this past semester in London and at the end of the semester I reflected on whether or not I considered myself to have really lived in London. That is, whether I took advantage of everything I could while I was there or whether I had just spent four months in the city doing nothing more than going about my daily routine. I ultimately decided that it varied from week to week. The first few weeks there I took advantage of everything I could and went all over the city. Towards the middle, as the weather got worse and I settled into the city, I fell into a routine and didn't do all that I could have done in the city. The last few weeks I was there, though, as I began to realize I was leaving and probably wouldn't be back for a long time (and as the weather got nice) I started again going out to random underground stops with friends and walking around the neighborhoods they opened up to. One of the best things I did during those last weeks, though, was to go on a self-charted graffiti tour to see as much of Banksy's work as I could find. It was amazing and I felt as though just by walking some of those backstreets and looking at the artwork of unnamed Londoners scrawled on walls and under bridges that I was connecting with the city in a way I hadn't before.

That's why my goal for this upcoming year, potentially my last in Pittsburgh, is to get out and connect with the city like I was able to connect with London in my last few weeks there. I think of Pittsburgh as a home but I want to know it as best I can before I leave it. So I'm going to take day-trips and walk to places I haven't been yet and familiarize myself with parts of the city I don't know all that well.

And I want to take my residents along and encourage a connection for them, too. I want to look for service opportunities away from CMU's campus, for restaurants not on Forbes Avenue or Craig Street, for running routes that don't lead to the Cathedral of Learning. I want to encourage a connection with the city as I build on my own, so that they really feel comfortable in Pittsburgh, as that can make a huge difference in whether or not you enjoy your time at CMU.

I guess the takeaway from this post is that I think, as house leaders, we really should be striving not only to create a community within our houses and within our campus, but to broaden the experience that all of our residents and RAs have around the greater Pittsburgh area and in any other way we can. To really expand their focus to all the opportunities they have while they're in college, especially being in a city as accessible as Pittsburgh. The best way I can think to do that is by example, and I hope to be able to do that this year.