The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News
A member of Quo Vadis provides historical details during a guided tour in the German Nationality Room on Oct. 23.

Quo Vadis spooks Nationality Room visitors with historical Halloween tales

By Nada Abdulaziz, Senior Staff Writer • October 25, 2023

For two chilly October evenings last weekend, the Cathedral of Learning stood as a towering beacon of mystery. Within its hallowed halls, brave visitors to the Quo Vadis Halloween tours embarked on a journey...

Ambassador Radovan Javorcik (left) and Michal Fedák (right) the Slovak Republic’s state secretary in the ministry of education, science, research and sport, talk about a small box of rocks and minerals in the Czechoslovakian nationality room in the Cathedral of Learning on Thursday.

‘Truly magnificent’: Slovakian Ambassador to the United States tours Czechoslovak Nationality Room

By Adrienne Cahillane, Staff Writer • June 6, 2023
The Slovakian Ambassador to the United States toured Pitt’s Nationality Rooms the day after the 105th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Agreement.
The first floor of the Cathedral of Learning.

Students utilize Nationality Room Scholarships for summer study abroad programs

By Bella Markovitz, Staff Writer • May 30, 2023
After a long semester of applications and interviews, students are beginning to reap the benefits of the Nationality Room Scholarships they’ve received for summer study abroad programs.
Two children dance during Sunday’s Polish Festival in the Cathedral of Learning.

PolishFest 2022 spreads cultural knowledge and awareness on campus

By Gabriella Garvin, Staff Writer • November 14, 2022
Upon entering the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room on Sunday, a rich aroma of fried dough and pierogies, as well as the sounds of Lithuanian and Polish folk music, greeted around 150 visitors.
Abagail Kraus leads a tour of the Early American nationality room in the Cathedral of Learning on Saturday.

Witches, human bones, zombies and more: Student-run program hosts annual Halloween Nationality Room tour

By Madilyn Cianci, Staff Writer • October 23, 2022
Student-run program Quo Vadis hosted its annual Halloween tour of 10 Nationality Rooms on Friday and Saturday. Open to the public, these tours allowed the community to get a deeper understanding of Pitt’s historic Nationality Rooms.
Zach Hartman, a computer engineering and classics major, nationality room tour guide and the Quo Vadis president in the Cathedral of Learning’s Polish nationality room on Monday.

Nationality Room tour guides gain cultural, educational experience

By Jessica McKenzie, Senior Staff Writer • March 1, 2022
Zach Hartman, a senior computer engineering and classics major, said he attended nationality room tour guide training sessions during his first year at Pitt, where he discovered his love for learning about the cultures the rooms represent.
A video titled “Victorian English Christmas Village” posted on Nationality Rooms Programs’ Youtube channel and the Nationality Rooms website for the Virtual Holiday Open House.

Nationality Rooms Open House presents holiday traditions and culture

By Betul Tuncer, Senior Staff Writer • December 6, 2021
The Nationality Rooms Holiday Open House is an opportunity to share people’s culture and traditions with the Pitt community, and the themes for this year’s event are winter holiday traditions, cultural performances, traditional holiday crafts, and winter and holiday recipes.
The Polish Nationality Room in the Cathedral of Learning.

Polishfest 2021 keeps tradition alive with informational videos

By Katelyn Kruszewski, Staff Writer • November 17, 2021
Pierogies, paper cuttings and polkas are only a small portion of Polish culture. To learn more about Polish heritage, students are invited to virtually attend Polishfest this week.
E. Maxine Bruhns served as the Nationality Rooms director for 54 years before retiring in January.

Between the world and E. Maxine Bruhns: Lessons from a life of advocacy

By Benjamin Nigrosh, News Editor • August 4, 2020
Despite Bruhns’ passing earlier this month at the age of 96, she continues to enrich the Pittsburgh community with the work she completed during her 54-year tenure as the director of Pitt’s Nationality Rooms.
E. Maxine Bruhns, the former director of Pitt's Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, passed away Friday at 96.

E. Maxine Bruhns, former Nationality Rooms director, dies at 96

By Mary Rose O'Donnell, Acting Editor-in-Chief • July 18, 2020
E. Maxine Bruhns, the former director of Pitt's Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, passed away Friday at 96. Bruhns served as director for over 50 years and retired in January.
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