Anna Kleis
Professor Zabalbeascoa
FYSH: Text and the City
17 April 2015
The End of an Era
There is a
quote from Jack Kerouac’s On the Road
that is particularly touching, and one that I wanted to start my final response
for my Lowell excursions with: “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just
keep on rolling under the stars.” I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately,
so this sentence really spoke to me as my final semester of freshman year is
wrapping up. Being at Lowell for the better part of a year has compelled me to
think of all the good is does for so many people. The past six excursions I
have attended have only proved this point further. People here at this
University and outside of it possess an innate and generous need to better
themselves and more evidently, those around them. In the three excursions I
attended in this second half of the semester, I attended one required and two
of my choice. The required excursion was the play “Oceanside” performed at the
Merrimack Repertory Theater and directed by Nick Gandiello. My first optional
excursion was Meghan L’s Honors Thesis defense in the library that we attended
as a class. My second optional excursion was a Foster Care Awareness Day at the
Plummer House Foster Care facility in Lowell. Despite the dissimilarity of
these three events, a common idea runs through them. The play, the thesis
defense, and the foster care event all took place for the betterment of Lowell
and it’s inhabitants. The individuals who put on these events all have an
altruistic mindset, striving to do good for the people surrounding them.
Ultimately, these three excursions are tied together by the altruism that they
portray.
When I heard
that we would be attending a play for our required excursion this time around,
I was optimistic but hesitant. I have always enjoyed watching movies and other
forms of entertainment, but I had never enjoyed watching live plays. This fear
could have stemmed from when I was little and saw “A Christmas Carol” live in
Boston, uncontrollably crying because I was terrified of the portrayal of Jacob
Marley’s ghost (which still scares me to this day). Anyways, I have to admit
that I was skeptical about seeing “Oceanside.” I knew that the Merrimack
Repertory Theater is an established facility in the city of Lowell and that
some great work has been performed there. After a bus ride to the Inn and
Conference Center and a walk through downtown Lowell, my friends and I arrived
at the theater with time to spare. We got almost front row seats to the show,
benefitting my play-watching experience. After the play ended, my friends and I
walked back to the bus stop, discussing the play in its entirety and reflecting
on the discussion that is to come.
I was pleasantly surprised with “Oceanside.”
I thought the actors played their parts in a believable way and put on a great
show. I am no theater expert, but I was very impressed with the overall
performance and the themes throughout the play. It was somewhat dark but had
moments of comedic relief that both the rest of the audience and I thoroughly
enjoyed. What I loved most about this excursion was the end of the play when
the actors bowed and acknowledged the audience. The amount of pride on their
face was uplifting. Their proud expressions spoke for themselves. I could truly
see the diligence and immense effort that these actors put in for months to put
on this production for those loyal to the Merrimack Repertory Theater. They are
doing what they love for the sake of what every theatergoer loves. They are contributing to the artistic aspect of Lowell, spreading awareness for the arts and enhancing them simply by doing what they enjoy most.
The first
optional excursion that I went to was Meghan’s Honors Thesis defense in O’Leary
Library as an integral part of class. Our class was among the numerous family
members, honors faculty and advisors in the audience who assisted Meghan along
the way with her honors project on video production. Meghan will graduate in
May with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and go on to graduate school to study
education to eventually become a teacher. With the help of her honors mentor, Meghan
constructed a near twenty-minute video detailing the video production process
and its benefits, particularly in education. Throughout her video, Meghan
reiterated that video production could be utilized in classrooms to encourage
group projects, foster creativeness, and build the knowledge that is needed in
our technologically advancing world.
Not only did
Meghan’s presentation directly benefit me by serving as one of my excursions, it
indirectly worked in my favor because it was an example of what I will have to
do in three years and therefore it was a valuable experience. I admired the way
that Meghan conducted herself, presented her project and answered questions at
the end. I hope that I possess that same confidence when I present my thesis as
Meghan did. Additionally, I revered her motivations behind this video project, the
idea that she is developing her tools that she will utilize when she is a
teacher to better her students’ knowledge of all concepts. Merely her
willingness to become a teacher and provide education to children is a true act
of altruism. I believe that she will go on to do great things in the world of
education because of her inherent ability to teach, be taught, and enhance her
skills whenever possible. Meghan is indicative of a selfless person who will go
on to improve the lives of many of her students. She is a by-product of the
city and all the benevolence that it has to offer.
The third
and final excursion that I partook in was an event for Foster Care Awareness
Day on April 8th. My Child and Adolescent Development teacher
suggested the event because she is the advisor for the Foster Care Awareness
organization here on campus. It was held at the Plummer House in Lowell, a
foster care facility located on Broadway Street. The event was kicked off by a
thank you from the club advisors and an introduction of a spokesperson and
volunteer for the home, Kathleen Truscot. She described the mission statement
of the Plummer House and the services they provide. In essence, they encourage for
those who seek help to get that help at their facility for as long as they need
it. After Kathleen spoke, a foster parent (whose name I do not remember) told
her story about raising her now adopted daughter whom she met through the
foster care system at the Plummer House. She praised the entire experience as
the most rewarding thing she has ever done and something she would not “have
traded for the world.” After she professed her love for both her daughter and
the foster home she came from, Kim, a student at UMass Lowell, told her story
of growing up under foster care parents in homes that were never really hers.
She described the struggle growing up and how she has overcome it today.
Nevertheless, the foster care system has provided her with the tools to yield
her a successful college experience. They pay for her college tuition and offer
monthly visits in order to check up on her progress. Although she is reminded
every day that she is a product of foster care, she is grateful that it has
served her in the best way possible.
All of those
who conducted and had the courage to speak at this event on Foster Care
Awareness Day are the epitome of this city’s philanthropy. They have nothing to
lose and everything to give. The Plummer House, it’s volunteers, it’s parents
and its children serve to better the society that we live in, beginning with
the Lowell area. As Kathleen described the foster mother who spoke: “She is an
ordinary women who does extraordinary things.” Indeed, these kinds of people
have the warmest hearts in the darkest of circumstances. They are destined to
live in places where they will make a difference, and Lowell happens to be the
perfect place.
As my
freshman year comes to an end at UMass Lowell, I am able to reflect on not just
the benevolence of the faculty, staff and students here, but also of those all
throughout this city. I have branched out from my residence of Sheehy Hall on
South Campus to diversified and historic locations all around the vibrant city
of Lowell, Massachusetts. I cannot seem to fathom the helpfulness and pure
kindness that stems from every building, every office and every street corner.
“Oceanside” signified those from the arts and their true passion for
entertaining people. Meghan’s presentation of her Honors project represented
the impact that simply one person can make in a particular field, hers being her
future influence in the worlds of chemistry and education. Lastly, those at the
Plummer House who advertised foster care and all of its benefits showed me the
devotion that one person can have to other without having someone devoted to
them. The best kinds of people inhabit this city. I love that I have made this
place my home, and referring back to Jack Kerouac’s quote, I am just going to
keep rolling under the stars, appreciative of all that I have and all that is
to come.
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