Mr. Youngs’s Honors English 12 class toured the very distinct Nationality Rooms, part of the historic Cathedral of Learning in Oakland, on December 16.

The tour provided insight into the extravagant décor and the cultural meaning behind the nationality rooms. Some of the rooms included in the tour were the Armenian, Indian, African, Japanese and Austrian rooms. The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh itself is a magnificent building and the unique rooms within add charm to it.

Each room was donated by the corresponding cultural committee. The committees hired international architects to create an authentic room. All of the rooms also have some culturally significant pieces in them such as the Grimm brothers’ Fairy Tales on the stained glass windows in the German room. Another example is the replica scroll of Genji in the Japanese room. Many rooms use exotic stones or woods not native to the United States, giving the sensation of stepping into a new land.

The Cathedral of Learning has a Holiday Open House every year on the first Sunday in December. During the day, cultural committees come by and share food, art, decorations, dance, music, and more. The Holiday Open House is free, and the food and crafts are reasonably priced. The rooms are still open to be explored by the public until early January. Tours are provided on other days than the Holiday Open House but do cost a small fee. Find out more by visiting: http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/ or http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/guide/pittsburghs-nationality-rooms-holiday-display/