Students share ideas about city

Lorain teenagers have their own ideas about helping their hometown.

The Lorain Historical Society in March sponsored eight charrettes at various locations around Lorain. The meetings were openended, grassroots planning sessions open to anyone who has an idea or who can take an action to improve Lorain.

On April 12, a ninth meeting was added for 14Lorain High School students to share their thoughts.

The extra session was open for Lorain High sophomores, juniors and seniors to share their ideas with facilitators Maria Hernandezand Kevin Saunders, volunteer idea-gatherers and students in the Lorain County Community College partnership with Kent State University.

The students said they like the Lorain’s ethnic diversity and that people get along with each other. They enjoy the city spirit.

“Say there’s somebody, like, doing something really good for the city; we all encourage them to do better,” said Arianna Horton. “We come together.”

Their attitudes about Lorain’s assets were different from the charrettes with older adults, who described their love of Lake Erie or the Lorain Lighthouse, Saunders said.

“You guys are literally like, it’s about each other here,” he said.

The students enjoy the support they receive at school and the opportunities to study at LCCC.

“The schools are getting better,” said student Quentin Pardon, who was among those recalling his grade school days attending one of Lorain’s “so old” elementary schools.

On the other hand, the young drivers already have discovered numerous Lorain streets need fixed, said student Jamel Lee.

The city removed the traffic lights on East Erie Avenue from the city line west to St. Anthony School.

Student Mayra Kodmannoted cars can be a hazard to her younger brother walking to school and she must wait for vehicles to disappear so she can cross the street when walking her family’s dog.

Around town, Lorain could use more murals, said student Emily Shelton.

At school, student Karla Torressuggested more help for students who do not speak English as a first language.

Hernandez, a Spanish speaker as a girl, agreed, citing her own experience trying to manage school while learning English.

The youths generally agreed more extracurricular

programs, especially in the arts, would be helpful for students not involved in sports.

In a larger sense, the students talked out their ideas about the need for more motivation, more focus, more role models, less a feeling of being a victim.

“To improve the bad reputation of Lorain,” Mayra said. “Like, people don’t stick up for us.”

In the final part of the charrette, participants listed actions they can take in the next 30 days to improve Lorain.

The moderators said the steps do not have to be difficult. A North Ridgeville resident, Hernandez told the group she never attended the Lorain International Festival but her step will be to bring her family this year.

“Take a step, just one step, into improving the city,” she said.

The steps also do not have to be original.

“You can steal someone else’s ideas, as long as you do it,” Saunders added.

The students said they want to recycle more, hang out with younger students, clean up Lorain and support small businesses.

They listed other actions such as collecting food donations, researching community outreach and simply talking to people they might not talk to.

Other participating students were Kameron Davis; Glorimar Gonzalez; Kobe Goodwin Pyers; Noelle Pabon; Sly Worthy; Tatianna Ammons; Annastasia Williams; and Vianka Vega.

Lorain Historical Society Executive Director Barb Piscopo attended with charrette committee members Donna Katrincsakand Page and Kurt Hernonof Lorain.

The session made it clear the students are a “huge untapped resource” that could help improve Lorain, Piscopo said.

Another action will be to make connections so older residents and students engage each other and work together to make the city better, she said.