How do locals feel about the Science Center name change?
By Madison Stokes | Staff Writer
I sit in Yinz Coffee at a round mahogany table next to a floor-to-ceiling window with the sun beaming brightly. While I stir a piping-hot Alpine Berry tea, my ears are eager to hear the “tea” of the town regarding the Carnegie Science Center name change.
On Jan. 24, The Carnegie Science Center announced receiving a $65 million gift from Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin. The Center will now be named the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center in their honor.
The Carnegie Science Center has been a staple on the Northside since its founding in 1991, as they are known for connecting with the community through hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs.
As customers walk past wafting the smell of espresso, I wonder if their opinion is as “hot” as the coffee in their hand. So I asked a couple of café goers for their opinions on the name change.
“I think with time people will call it by its new name, but I also think there’s a lot of people that will always call it the Carnegie Science Center,” Albert Trezza said.
“The fact that [the name change] came at the same time as the [Heinz] Stadium name change, I feel like people are going to refer to it as the Carnegie Science Center for some time.”
In seventh grade, Trezza began to volunteer at the Carnegie Science Center.
“They have an animal floor I used to volunteer at and that was my first volunteer experience I did until high school,” he said.
Trezza was previously a member of the Carnegie Science Center and the Miniature Railroad & Village exhibit is favorite for his family .
“The name change is going to be an adjustment, so mixed feelings,” said Shannon Slack.
“People get used to one thing but they’ll adjust.” Slack said she has visited the Center many times, going there on field trips as a kid.
“I am such a Pittsburgh girl and for me the Carnegie [Science Center] is the Carnegie [Science Center].” Slack now visits the Center with her 8-year-old son, who enjoys the IMAX Theatre.
Debra Mamula, a current member of the Carnegie Science Center, is unsure about the name change, but is hopeful that the generous donation from the Kamins that prompted it will bring more adult activities offered compared to what the Center currently has.
“I have gone and been disappointed that the depths of some of the shows are not as extensive as I would have hoped it to be,” Mamula says.
“I think they should have just left it as the Carnegie Science Center,” said Raychelle Heard, who worked in the Center’s office for nine years.
Heard has three older grandkids who enjoy many aspects of the Center like Highmark SportsWorks.
As I take my last sip of tea, I notice the rays of sunshine beginning to fade. The sun will set for the Carnegie Science Center, but will rise with a new beginning.
To learn about the Carnegie Science Center changes, please visit carnegiesciencecenter.org.
*Editor’s note: This article was updated on March 25 to correct the date of the Science Center’s opening.
