From raising our glasses in celebrating Zinck’s Night at Carson City Saloon to having up-close-and-personal seats to the Cornell v. Pitt basketball game at Petersen Events Center, this past year has consisted of one engaging and exciting adventure after another for our beloved membership. One such recent adventure of which I am extremely proud to have played an integral role in organizing is the holiday tour of the Nationality Rooms of the University of Pittsburgh.
On the surprisingly warm and sunny second weekend of December 2015, nearly 40 local alumni, ranging in class year from 1955 to 2015, and their guests gathered at the Cathedral of Learning, the tallest university building in the western hemisphere and second-tallest in the world, for a personal guided tour of its holiday-decorated nationality rooms. The Nationality Rooms are a collection of 30 classrooms depicting, named for, and donated by the various national and ethnic groups that helped make a permanent impact on the history of the city of Pittsburgh and its namesake university. Each classroom is designed in the architectural style and adorned with traditional fixtures and artwork from time periods of each nationality or ethnic group. Unique to the winter holiday season, each room was in addition beautified with decorations from the holidays predominately celebrated by each culture, such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Featured rooms on the tour included, but were not limited to, various cultures of the British Isles, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Though the classrooms are open to tours and the public year-round, they are frequently utilized by the university and its student body for lectures and study space throughout the academic terms.
Following the approximately 90-minute student-led tour of the first floor of rooms, our group had the opportunity to visit the gift shop and peruse the culturally-authentic items for sale, some of which were handmade by student tour guides specifically for the holiday season. Shortly after, we proceeded across the street for a luncheon at The Porch at Schenley, a local favorite restaurant. Holiday treats of homemade hot chocolate with whipped cream and cookies were provided while attendees freely mingled and shared in the joyful spirit of the season. Overall the event was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from attendees. It is my wish, as not just a Cornellian and board member of our regional club, but also as a native Pittsburgher that all alumni will be able to share in the joys of living in the backyard of such a dynamic American city.
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by Gregory Tonarelli, ILR ’14 alumnus and Vice President of Programming for the Cornell Club of Pittsburgh
The assumption of many people is that guided trekking will always cost more than do it yourself holidays.