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Canfield students assess 'new' Youngstown
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Alicia Taylor remembers when her mother used to relate stories about the dangers of downtown Youngstown and cautioned her about visiting.
Nevertheless, the Canfield High School senior sees a far-different city.
“I think Youngstown is a new, growing place. More and more people are seeing the potential of downtown Youngstown,” she said.
Among those who saw such promise was Taylor, who joined about130 Canfield High juniors and seniors in advanced-placement English and honors-reading classes for a field trip Tuesday to explore and learn more about the city’s past, its offerings and plans.
Inspiration for the event came from a book the students read titled “The Hard Way on Purpose: Essays and Dispatches from the Rust Belt,” by Akron author David Giffels.
The memoir offers a collection of wry essays and recollections of life and people in the Rust Belt. In it, Giffels draws numerous parallels between Akron’s struggles and those of Youngstown.
Far from being filled with poverty and crime, Youngstown “is a fun place to hang out,” said Taylor, who added that she enjoys patronizing downtown restaurants and attending Friday open-mike sessions at Greyland Gallery on West Boardman Street.
“It’s the blend of the old and new that impresses me,” senior Cooper Johnson said as he and several fellow students gathered outside of Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts, 32 N. Phelps St.
Johnson said that he and several friends come regularly to hear live entertainment and that he’s happy to see new eateries and more visitors to the city.
Johnson added that his parents remember longtime downtown department stores such as McKelvey’s and Strouss’ — as well as when Youngstown fell on hard times.
One group of students took part in a guided tour called “Embracing Ruin,” in which they learned more about the city’s complicated struggles and the history of several buildings. Also discussed were long-vacated and under-used spaces.
“Isn’t this where a building was torn down?” one student asked as the group assembled near a parking lot off West Federal where the Paramount Theatre had stood.
Among those who received a better sense of the city’s history was 12th-grader Jacob Duda, who said he was surprised that Youngstown has many offerings for those his age.
Duda, who hopes to be a computer engineer, said he has a lot of friends at Youngstown State University and that they often visit downtown restaurants. He’s also impressed with the direction in which the city is moving and the available opportunities, he continued.
In addition, the students met with Sharon Letson, Youngstown CityScape’s director, to learn about efforts aimed at beautifying the city. Also, their sense of downtown history deepened, thanks to Phil Kidd, a longtime activist, noted JoAnna Stillwagon, a Canfield High English teacher.
“Youngstown was founded on steel, and it’s interesting to see how Youngstown came to be,” she said. “We still need minds to make Youngstown an innovative city.”
The walking tour also gave the group a chance to better appreciate the city’s architecture and get an up-close look at efforts to make greater use of downtown commercial and retail spaces, explained Chris Jennings, who teaches English and journalism.
The students will be asked to come up with solutions and proposals for how such spots can be used and become more valuable to the community, Jennings added.
Giffels is to give a presentation and conduct a book-signing session from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Canfield High School, 100 Cardinal Drive. The event is free and open to the public.