The Year of the City

The first blog that was assigned to my Understanding Literature class included three literary works all with the overarching theme of boundaries. The works addressed the physical and imaginary boundaries of human life. In Robert Frost’s Mending Wall, he incorporated both of these types. First, there is the physical boundary of a wall between him and his neighbor. The wall is a characteristic of separation: it separates the lives and the property of two neighbors. Ironically enough, it is the construction of this same wall that brings the neighbors together. Loyola College’s Year of the City is symbolic of this wall. It was an idea and a tool that took Loyola Students away from their private lives and brought them out into the city. Here the students got to know the area around them and experience the things that this city has to offer.
This past Tuesday, I attended “Looking Back and Moving Forward.” This program was held as the closing ceremony for the Year of the City. By attending, I learned about the many opportunities offered during the past two semesters, some things I hadn’t even heard of. This past year has included countless chances to leave the enclosure of Loyola College and get out into Baltimore. Loyola’s focus on Jesuit education stresses the importance of educating the entire person and for that person to reach out to others. This is exactly the goal that the YOTC accomplished. By incorporating the Year of the City into classroom curriculum, I got to see the city through the eyes of native. The boundaries of Loyola College were broken down and I got to step out to the other side.
Father Linnane came up with an idea for Loyola College to become more connected with Baltimore shortly after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. He felt that urban citizenship shapes Jesuit education and, therefore, urban life should be connected to the classroom. With an overall sense that Loyola overlooks the life and struggles of the city, Fr. Linnane sprung his idea. He wanted to integrate students into the city, so with that he claimed the ’06-’07 year the Year of the City. This claim was a very successful attempt to enhance the relationship with Baltimore. Baltimore is a very diverse and unique city with many cultural outlets and a rich history. The Year of the City would be a mutually beneficial partnership.
During the program, many different people spoke who had in some way contributed to the YOTC. The most profound speaker to me, though, was Amy Maher. She was an intricate part of the St. Mary’s/Loyola Partnership. Maher addressed how the world around us can make us sick but how “it’s not that people don’t care, it’s that they don’t know.” Citizens—and Loyola students in particular—need to know so that they continue to care. This concept and the word with were very important over the past year. The Year of the City was a way to begin conversation, start action, and move towards destiny. The destiny of Loyola is the city and this year has planted seeds for the future.
Through the Year of the City, students got to experience the city, work with it, and learn about the great many things that it has to offer. I personally got to travel to museums, walk around the city, hear speakers, and take public transportation all as part of this great effort. The movement affected the entire Loyola body and the City of Baltimore as a whole. It was a great idea that will hopefully be continued over the years through students’ individual efforts.