Week 8 focused on power structures in a city, characteristics of each structure and when they are most effective. Janet Bednarek used the first half of the class to review the reading Power in the City and break down the different structures. Dick Ferguson then spent the remainder of the time applying the structures and roles to a current issue in Dayton: low-dam removal. This time was also used to discuss the Fitz Center’s model for community building and leadership.
Last Friday, the sophomore Stewards went on UD's tree tour. The tour was created by senior Steward Nolan Nicaise. http://see.udayton.edu/digitalAssets/1885_UD_Tree-Trail.pdf
The tour guides you to 20 trees around campus providing interesting information about each tree species.
The Stewards spent some quality time together learning about each tree and enjoying the fall colors.
The article California Scheming and video clips from the documentary “Cadillac Desert” provided an in depth look at the development of Los Angeles and how the city secured its future by draining the Owens Valley. Unfortunately, more and more cities around the world are facing water shortages and must find new ways of securing water. The class will build upon this topic later in the semester as we examine global water issues.
Dr. Janet Bednarek began the class with a discussion of the reading and presentation on the evolution of Pittsburgh as a river city. Greg Brumitt, Director of Recreation at Five Rivers, led the second part of the class examining Dayton as a river city and recent efforts to revitalize the region through our water resources. More specifically, the Greg chronicled the evolution of the low dam removal discussion in recent years.
The session ended with a walk along the levy walls at RiverScape and a discussion of options for making our rivers safer and more accessible in the future.
After learning about and experiencing the river, it was time to take a step back and learn about the flood plains. For this class, the students ventured to a goat prairie overlooking the Great Miami and Hills and Dales MetroPark. The session began in the classroom reviewing aerial maps of the sites we were about to visit in relation to the river and aquifer.
At Calvary cemetery, a short hike through a wooded area brought the class to a relict goat prairie with a great view of the activity on the flood plain. Bro. Don Geiger led the class in imagining the changes that have taken place since Dayton was founded and understanding the impact of developing on the flood plains.
At Hills and Dales, Susan Byrnes led the group in an observation activity. Looking through a square cutout, each student focus on a single area in front of them noting first the physical attributes, then looking a little deeper using knowledge to make assumptions about those attributes. The final task was to look at the same area with a third eye; a greater appreciation of what they saw without looking to explain or classify it. The first two tasks proved to be much easier. 
Through the fieldtrip, the class saw a great comparison between the developed flood plains of the Great Miami and the natural headwater area in Hills and Dales. They learned a valuable technique for making observations and an appreciation for reflection. Finally as the class traveled back to campus, the students were shocked to learn just how close Hills and Dales is to UD and what a great place it is to reconnect with nature.
