Gwen Sobkowiak | staff writer

I’ve been attending random on-campus events at Duquesne since I was 16. People often ask why I bother going. To me, it’s really quite simple. I think the kind of learning that happens there is just as important as what happens in my classes.

I did a nontraditional form of high school. It was like taking a lot of AP classes. But I was taking all my classes on college campuses. I started in 10th grade. I took classes at Community College of Allegheny County, Carlow University, Geneva College and, of course, Duquesne. It was this neat thing called dual enrollment, except I lived in South Oakland — Pittsburgh’s college hub — so I didn’t enroll anywhere except at the colleges. I graduated with my diploma from the state of Pennsylvania and was able to start college with enough credits to cover all of my prerequisites and a minor in Spanish.

The experience gave me the opportunity to explore the world with self-guided curiosity.

It’s been five years since I went to the first on-campus event that I can remember. It was a talk that Duquesne President Ken Gormley gave about his 2021 publication, “The Heiress of Pittsburgh.” President Gormley, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry to say that I’ve never read your book. But it was neat to hear about something that you did that stretched beyond this campus. I loved the idea of being a university president and still having the passion to write a romance novel.

A year later, I was part of a poetry reading for my Spanish class with Dr. Lucia Osa Melero. The Spanish poet Fernando Valverde recited his thoughtful musings on self-identity, school shootings and dignity in his native language. My classmates and I exchanged the seat next to him, dutifully reading the English translations aloud to a patiently listening audience. I got to experience reading poetry in both of my languages for the first time in my life. It felt like a whole new world had opened for me.

In my freshman year, I made my way to the Towers Multi-Purpose Room once a month, accompanied by my randomly selected curious new friend of the week, to attend a multitude of cultural dinners from around the world. I learned about food from Greece, Afrobeats dances from Ghana and talked to students from Morocco about their experiences studying in Pittsburgh.

I used to have a goal where I attended a lecture in the ballroom once per semester. I’ve heard talks on the ethics of showing human remains in museums, former Vice President Mike Pence’s thoughts on being in public office, and the real story behind the conquests of the Americas.

I’ve really been to all kinds of events on campus, from blanket making for shelters, Sacred Conversations On Race and immigration, and an intradepartmental training program on how to care for patients with aphasia.

Sometimes my friend will ask me why I attend such a mixture of events, even when they’re not for extra credit. The answer seems so obvious. When else will I be able to engage with the world and my community in this way?

The truth, too, is that I’ve been curious about this kind of stuff since high school. I’m desperate to see as much as I can in my time here, even if it doesn’t relate to my major or my classes. Sure, some of the events I’ve attended haven’t been much in terms of substance. But even then, I still walk away having met some nice people with a cup of popcorn in hand.

I don’t want to blink and realize how much there was to learn here that I missed.

We’re surrounded by such an extensive knowledge base, not just in terms of academic text. I genuinely feel like I’ve learned so much simply by meeting people. There’s a lot to be learned from hearing about the experiences of others.

Last week I attended a beautiful panel held at Gumberg Library that examined the media’s role in the face of tragedy.

The panel included three media members (Paula Reed Ward, Lillian Thomas and Bob Mayo) who had documented the Tree of Life shooting in Squirrel Hill that happened back in 2018. Michele Rosenthal, the sister of two victims, and Soo Song, the former attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice who had worked as the prosecutor on the case, also sat on the panel.

It was two hours of discussion about the role the media had played in covering the case, the emotions that the reporters and the families felt throughout the trial and a myriad of thoughts about ethical journalism practices.

I’m not a journalism major, but I left with insight into how communities respond to tragedy, the integral role media plays in shaping our historical narrative and the ways in which we can move forward even in the face of hate.

I spoke with Michele after, and she introduced me to her friend, who had survived the tragedy. The two women hugged and had their arms around one another as they talked. They quipped about Michele swearing while speaking and about how the two had grown close following the shooting. They told me briefly about how only through the support of each other had they continued on. Michelle mentioned that her friend was a good baker. The two laughed. I thanked them for taking the time to share their stories with us.

I didn’t get any extra credit from attending the event. It wasn’t required of me, it wasn’t even particularly convenient. But I know that it was worth it.

What else would I be doing with myself? What other opportunity will I have to meet these beautiful people and to hear them share their stories again?

Since high school, I’ve believed that it’s better to engage with the full breadth of life. I make the time to listen to that speaker, check out that art installation and try that new dance. I really only get to be here once, as far as I know. I’d rather have a jam-packed schedule than miss out on all of these neat nights. Each new event offers me a gift, something learned.

Gwendolyn Sobkowiak can be reached at sobkowiakg@duq.edu