Spring 2008 Davies Leader
“Meadville, PA: Not Your Run of the Mill Community”
Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED)
The Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED) is a non-profit effort sponsored by Allegheny College that engages faculty and students with the community to create innovative approaches to environmental stewardship, environmental education, and regional revitalization. As one project of CEED, Meadville, PA: Not Your Run of the Mill Community strives to make the Meadville community more sustainable by placing a greater focus on Mill Run, a stream that has been important in the development of the City. Sarah’s role in the project has been to research the cultural importance of Mill Run throughout the history of Meadville.
For Sarah, the most beneficial aspect of working with the Davies program has been the connections she has made with community members and the Meadville area. Until she began to participate in the program, Sarah had a limited view of Meadville; it existed only in the small area around campus and downtown. In researching the cultural history of Meadville, Sarah has come to the realization that the city is larger. She has a better understanding of why Meadville is the way it is and how the community has evolved. Sarah thinks it is important to be knowledgeable about the area you work in and the people involved so that when you have to make a group decision it satisfies the community’s needs, not just your personal vision.
Sarah will be graduating with the AC Class of ’10 with a major in Communication Arts and a minor in Art and the Environment. She is from Chatham, New Jersey and passionate about art: it’s always been the easiest way for her to express herself.