Pitt-Greensburg invites public to join in campus walk, reading program in support of diversity

Organizers at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg are inviting the public to join the campus community in a roughly mile-long walk Saturday as an expression of unity.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., the Garden of Hope walk will allow participants to proceed at their own pace, with opportunities along the course to reflect on messages of inclusion.

It’s one of a series of programs at the Hempfield campus meant to support the university’s efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion.

Also, in an ongoing Westmoreland Reads program, Pitt-Greensburg is partnering with a number of local organizations to encourage county residents to join in reading and discussing “How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America” by Clint Smith.

Pitt-Greensburg will host an interactive Zoom discussion with the author at 7 p.m. March 20.

Saturday’s walk will be led by Pitt-Greensburg President Robert Gregerson. The master of ceremonies will be Roland Woods, assistant dean of students and director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Check-in for the walk will begin at 9 a.m. near the Bobcat mascot statue in the Smith Hall parking lot, where the course also will end. Visit bit.ly/GARDEN-OF-HOPE-WALK-23 to register for the event.

“Our goal is to get at least 250 people from the campus and the community taking part in the walk,” Woods said. Area human service agencies and nonprofits have been invited to participate.

According to Woods, the walk is meant as a literal stepping-off point for “engaging in a healthy conversation about race, respecting differences in perspective and building bridges for unity.

“Another goal is to embrace the presence of others without judgment while creating an open dialogue about cultural awareness.”

The walk, he said, will take participants through the campus village for honors students, over a stream and past trees and green spaces. The route is mostly flat and is designed to be inclusive, including for those with mobility challenges.

Along the way, the walkers will see displayed messages related to the theme of the event, said Woods — including words of acknowledgment and encouragement for people of different abilities and ethnicities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and those struggling with mental health.

Diversity events will continue, Woods said, with an Oct. 26 panel discussion on LGBTQ-related topics.

Pitt-Greensburg instructor and Westmoreland Reads founder Sheila Confer said all first-year students on the campus are reading Smith’s book as part of their coursework, but members of the larger community can take part in the program at any time during the academic year.

It’s the second year of the program, which encourages those on campus and in surrounding Westmoreland County to read the same selected book, Confer said.

“This time, we’re spreading it out over the year to give people more time to read the book,” she said.

Last year’s selection was “Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist” by Eli Saslow.

While Pitt-Greensburg students tend to demonstrate kindness toward others, Confer said she hopes their engagement with the Westmoreland Reads topics will help them go a step or two beyond.

“Our next steps are to help them build their empathy, to be able to interact more with people who come from different backgrounds than they do,” she said, “Also, to learn how to engage in respectful dialogue with people they might not always necessarily agree with.”