Audrey Sanders House

6 students in FAA 291 spent the weekend completing an ADA accessible wheelchair ramp at Audrey Sanders house in East St. Louis. Audrey Sanders fosters children with both physical and mental disabilities; giving them attention and love, and caring for them when their own families have rejected them. This ramp will allow Audrey to easily move the children in and out of the house.

Specifically our team completed the ramp by attaching the few remaining spindles to the railing. The students were given the opportunity learn how to use tools such as a circular saw, and a drill.



The team also dug holes and poured concrete, repairing a fallen chain link fence. In fixing the fence, the children will have a safer area to play in outside.

ARCH 572 Students Document Sites in East St. Louis

Professor Dearborn introduces students to the site.

Twelve students from Professor Dearborn’s ARCH 572 Studio visited E. St. Louis as part of the Sept 9^th-10^th Outreach Weekend to analyze two neighborhoods for a semester-long research project exploring development strategies in Winstanley-Industry Park and Olivette Park. After lunch on Friday the ARCH 572 Studio discussed air pollution with Amy Funk of ESLARP’s Citizens Air Quality Project before departing on our tour of the two neighborhoods led by Leverne Backstrom. Students were exposed to key locations and historical facts of both neighborhoods as a portion of our detailed analysis for development studies. On Saturday the students documented two potential development sites in Winstanley-Industry Park and one in Olivette Park. While on site, the students were able to meet with some neighborhood residents and make contacts for future neighborhood meetings where residents can provide feedback, a crucial step of the design process, for the designs that will be created by the class.

Urban Agriculture in North Champaign

Students weeding the corn field

Happily moving mulch

For the first time, Illinois Action Research brought students in FAA 291 to volunteer in our own backyard of Champaign. Twenty students worked in the Prosperity Gardens, located on North First Street, near downtown Champaign. On Friday and Saturday students weeded, mulched, regraded, and re-soiled planting beds in the gardens and the introductory corn field across the street. The vegetables grown in the garden are sold at the North First Street Farmers Market and those proceeds are invested into local food justice programing, such as agriculture and nutrition education programs with local youth.

Prepping a space for future composting

Prepping the vegetable beds for winter

On Saturday students also weeded the rain garden on the north side of the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance building. The rain garden is a great environmentally conscientious method to control runoff and prevent flooding of storm water systems, while using plants to filter pollutants from the water as it enters the ground. After lunch students examined the Bone Yard redevelopment area to better understand the plan for connecting north and downtown Champaign to campus town. The successful weekend ended in the building of four scarecrows to be used to deter groundhogs and other animals from the vegetable and rain gardens. IAR hopes to continue working with Prosperity Gardens as we continue to engage in community projects in Central Illinois!

One of many garter snakes seen on Friday

The bull frog that lives in the rain garden

41st Street

Friday morning came early and the students gathered outside of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall eager for a weekend of work. We hit the road and began our journey to East St. Louis.

Just outside of East St. Louis we stopped at Cahokia Mounds and took some time to learn about the rich history of the area. We climbed to the top of the tallest mound and were able to see a great view of the St. Louis. The view was beautiful!

After spending some time at Cahokia Mounds, we headed into East St. Louis and gathered at Eagle’s Nest for a delicious Fish Fry! After lunch my group and I headed to 41^st Street/Pullman Porter Park. On the last outreach weekend we had painted a new sign for the park, and this weekend we were going to be putting that sign on the ground and cleaning up the park to get it ready for the spring season.

The group was eager to get started, so we didn’t waste any time. We got right to it pulling weeds, raking leaves, cutting bushes, and picking up trash. By the end of the day on Friday the park was starting to look much better and more alive. After a full day, we went out, as a group, to dinner. Over dinner each group took turns talking about the work that was done that day. Friday night ended with a trip into St. Louis so that we could go to the City Museum.

Saturday morning came and we started with a tour of East St. Louis, which was lead by our community liaison, Billie Turner. We drove all over the city learning about its history and resilience over the years. It was great to get to see the city through Billie’s eyes.

After the tour, we went back to our respective work areas. We continued cleaning up the park and hung the sign. At the end of the day, we went to Pirtle’s Ice Cream shop and enjoyed a delicious treat before heading back to Champaign.

We ended Saturday night back where we had start at Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. We all worked very hard all weekend and accomplished so much. The park looked great and ready for visitors!

Preparing for Computers at Jones Park Community Center

We're picking up steam getting the Jones Park Community Center ready for a new computer lab. On April 1st and 2nd UP291 students joined forces with LIS451 students to assemble, prime, and paint 12 computer desks.

Saturday afternoon a group began replacing baseboard trim around the building, starting in the main entryway. Getting some of the old trim off turned out to be quite a challenge, but we were pleased with the results as the aging green trim was replaced with the new black trim. We look forward to future outreach weekends when we can get the rest of the trim replaced.


LIS451 students returned to East St. Louis on April 8 & 9 to continue preparations and to do a wireless survey in advance of a wireless network design proposal for the park. At a minimum, we need to find a way to get the broadband available at the Administrative building over to the Community Center. But we're also looking into whether one or more wireless hotspots might be created within the park for resident use. The final plan will be presented to the park district on our last visit April 29th and 30th.

No trip is complete without a stop at Pirtle's. On the 9th that stop not only included our getting some ice cream, but also in our adding two computers to the public access lab at the shop.

Keeping it F.R.E.S.H.

Students volunteering with the East Side Health District did some outstanding work to help get the F.R.E.S.H. (Foods Raised at East Side Health) Community Teaching Garden prepared for the inaugural season's vegetables and flowers over the weekend.

One student group built twelve raised beds in which community members will be able to plant vegetables for a source of fresh produce. A few students and two community members worked diligently to go from this...













To twelve completed beds!













Another group worked hard at preparing the soil for flower beds to mark the entry to the community garden and welcome community members inside.














This involved unearthing many interesting artifacts, including a Pepsi can from 1973, giant roots, and unwieldy chunks of concrete.




















Thanks to the students for making this work weekend a success!

April 1st-2nd at Jones Park Greenhouse

We’ve learned a lot and accomplished a lot in this outreach weekend. On Friday afternoon of April 1, we worked in the greenhouse. Three of us helped to paint the table legs, while two of us used boxes to cover the ground to stop weeds from growing in a more sustainable way. See how hard our students were working:

Figure 1 Students painting table legs

Figure 2 Student working underneath a table to over the ground with boxes

On Saturday morning, we had a tour around East St. Louis, which was a routine but excellent experience for students who first came to ESL. Even those who have been to ESL could always learn something new from the tour. Students raised a lot of interesting questions during the tour.

In the afternoon, we went back to the greenhouse and two more students joined us. We did something outside, which is to paint speed bumps! We split into two groups to work more efficiently. At the end of the day, we painted 10 speed bumps or even more we could found in that area. See how these speed bumps were painted:

Figure 3 We first cleaned up dirt and trashes around speed bumps

Figure 4 Then we painted the first half of the speed bump to let vehicles go over

Figure 5 Then we go to a second speed bump, painting half of it

Figure 6 When the first half of the first bump is dry, we come back to the first speed bump to paint the second half.

Pirtle’s is our last stop for this outreach weekend. The ice cream is great reward for our students’ hard work.

On Friday April 1^st students left UIUC campus bright and early to make their way down to East St Louis. We stopped at Cahokia to stretch our legs on a quick hike up Monks Mound and learn about the civilizations that occupied the area hundreds of years ago. After lunch and a tour at the Joseph Center a group of students were led around the Metro East area on a “Toxic Tour” led by Kathy Andria of the American Bottoms Conservancy. Students got an up-close glimpse at the environmental problems that are facing communities in industrial areas in the region, including Sauget, Granite City, and Pontoon Beach. Kathy’s comprehensive knowledge of the issues and passion for her work engaged the students, who had a lot of good questions and ideas for work projects and educational endeavors that could help the area. Central to the environmental concern in the area is the fact that the industrial area is in the Mississippi River floodplain, much of it is directly adjacent to weakened levies. Students also learned that residents of Granite City contend with air quality that ranks among the worst in the whole country.

On Saturday we spent the day high up on ladders, painting the new siding at Opal’s House, a home for victims of domestic abuse. The fresh coat of paint was the finishing touch on a weekend of landscaping, planting, and general maintenance to make the house as comfortable and welcoming as possible for its residents.

A stop at Pirtle’s Ice Cream Shop was just the thing after a day of hard work outside.

FAA 391 students learn about housing with EPDC and beautify landscapes with Eagle's Nest

FAA 391 students started their outreach weekend activities with a Friday tour and discussion of housing development in East St. Louis with Jason Carbone of Emerson Park Development Corporation. The housing tour educated students on importance of creating quality housing, and the challenges of housing development in East St. Louis.

On Saturday, students worked with Eagle's Nest residents to plan, design, and plant landscaping around the parking lot entrance of Joseph Center. This was a continuation of the work FAA 391 students did in the Fall 2010 semester by digging a small koi fish pond at Joseph Center. The fish pond created a relaxing space for the men to enjoy, but residents felt that additions of color and more plants would improve the environment even more. Students worked side by side with residents of the shelter to plant flowering shrubs, evergreens, and seasonal flowers around the pond and the building. The plants should offer color and texture year round.

February 25-26 Outreach Weekend

Friday morning came and the students filed into Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. While cold out, people’s excitement was warming. Everyone was divided into their groups and loaded onto their buses. The journey to East St. Louis had begun.

When we arrived in East St. Louis we were greeted by our community liaison Billie Turner. Billie showed us all around the city and told us all about it’s history. It was amazing to learn about a community that had been through so much, and be so resilient. After the tour, we went to Eagle’s Nest for a fish fry. The food was delicious and everyone was given time to get to know one another.

After lunch we went to our respective work sites. I was working on the 41^st/Pullman Porter Park project, painting a new sign for the park. The first day we arrived at Willie’s and learned all about her, the park’s history and how our work here would affect her community. After that, we got right to work. We sawed the piece of plywood down to size and then began tracing the poster onto it. The rest of our time was spent painting the park sign. We got the base coat done by dinnertime on Friday.

After a full day, we went out, as a group, to dinner. Over dinner each group took turns talking about the work that was done that day. Friday night ended with a fabulous variety show at the Village Theatre.

Saturday morning came, and everyone seemed just as excited as they had been the day before. Our group spent all of Saturday finishing the details and making final touches. We finished mid-afternoon on the sign, and it was beautiful. We ended our day at Pirtle’s Ice Cream Shop before heading home. It was delicious!

I had a wonderful group of students who were passionate and inspired by Willie, her story, and East St. Louis. They worked hard to paint a beautiful sign and I could not be more proud of them. We all came to East St. Louis eager to make it a better place – and in return, East St. Louis made us better people.

Feb 2011 Outreach Weekend at Jones Park Community Center

Our group— five FAA 291 students and I worked at Jones Park Community Center. On Friday, we helped our community partner paint the floor of the center. It took us about two hours to tape the trim and finish painting the floor.

On Saturday, we set up the dinning room for the ESLARP team lunch. Our students moved about 14 tables and 90 chairs from the storage room to the dinning, cleaned those tables and chairs and set up the kitchen for pizza and fruits to serve. We also decorated the community center with lights, trees, flags and welcome signs, etc., making it as welcoming as possible. After lunch, we helped to clear lunch trash and clean the dining room and the kitchen.

Finally we mopped the floor, including the rest rooms. Our group had worked hard and did a nice job eventually.

----By Yushu Zhu

October 15-16th Outreach Weekend Summary

Friday October 15th yielded a beautiful day to start the final Fall Outreach Weekend of 2010! Faculty, staff and students gathered outside of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall as the sun peaked her head over the eastern horizon. Students discovered their weekend schedules, were introduced to their ESLARP Supervisor and gathered in their respective vehicles. 78 UIUC students/faculty/staff departed for a weekend in East St. Louis participating in community outreach and service learning. This weekend’s participating courses were: FAA 291, RST 393, LIS 451 and UIUC’s Minority Leadership Group. With the weather on our side, the Outreach Weekend started with nothing but enthusiasm and energy!

First in the lineup of events for the weekend was an ESL city tour led by ESLARP’s Community Liaison and lifelong ESL resident, Billie Gloria Turner. The students were taken all around the city to sites including: downtown, the Emerson Park Metrolink/Parson’s Place, Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park’s River Overlook. The group returned to The Joseph Center/Eagle’s Nest of St. Clair County for the famous Friday Fish Fry, organized and executed by Martha Watts, Director, and Chef JR.
Post-lunch, the ESLARPers headed to their afternoon worksites! There was a team continuing the Opal’s House privacy fence build, Fall cleaning at the Village Theater, Koi Pond construction at the Eagle’s Nest, Curb/Parking painting at the ESL City Hall, Neighborhood cleanups with Concerned Citizens of Precinct 12 (CCP12), data collection for The Shoulder’s Project and a continuance of the creation of Community Technology Centers by Library and Information Science graduate students. As the sun began to set, we headed to the hotel to check-in, cleanup and gather for dinner.

ESLARPers invaded the local HomeTown Buffet for a dinner and reflection session on Friday evening. We were honored to host one of our ESLARP Community Partners: Christina Fisher, who is the Director of the Village Theater in Centreville, IL. After a filling dinner, the students reflected upon their day’s work and shared their experiences with the entire team. We discussed Saturday’s projects and events prior to going our separate ways for the remainder of the evening. A large group of students went to the City Museum in St. Louis, while others went shopping and socialized at the hotel.

7:30am came fast on Saturday morning, and with that were the wakeup calls to the entire team! The students were treated to a delicious breakfast to fuel the start of their day! All ESLARPers departed the Sheraton at 8:45am sharp! We spread out over East St. Louis at nine different sites. Work continued for FAA 291 students at Opal’s House, Eagle’s Nest and the Village Theater. FAA 291 and Minority Leadership Group students spread out in the Lansdowne Neighborhood, working to clean it up alongside the Concerned Citizens of Precinct 12. Others painted picnic tables, benches and playground equipment at Jones Park. Recreation, Sport and Tourism students hosted a career training session, as part of their Shoulder’s Project, with young women in the community. LIS students headed back to continue work at Pirtle’s, Opal’s House and the ESL Administrative Office, implementing technology centers.

As the sun began to set on the western horizon, the teams finished their work, returned their tools and headed to Pirtle’s Variety for a yummy ice cream. With bellies full of their favorite ice cream, the teams headed back to campus. Another productive and collaborative weekend in East St. Louis came to a close. Students left with open hearts and minds, ready to reflect upon their experience with their classmates. Until February. -JG

October 17-18 Outreach Weekend

On Friday of the outreach weekend, we went on a tour of the city and then got to work refreshing the yellow paint on a parking lot and curbs. Our two teams completed the lines and curbs on two parking lots with the help of our community partner.

On Saturday, we joined the Concerned Citizens of Precinct 12 in a cleanup effort. We cleaned a vacant lot and several blocks of sidewalks of garbage, weeds, and other materials. Our efforts helped make the neighborhood more walkable. Another of our groups prepared ground for the construction of a community center near a local church.

September 10-11th, 2010 Outreach Weekend

ESLARPers gathered outside of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall at 7am on the crisp Friday September 10th, 2010.Drivers arrived in their respective vehicles and met with their students. Students received their information and driver/project assignment packets. We would not let the pending rain stop us from kicking off the Fall 2010 ESLARP Outreach Weekend effort! 68 UIUC students/faculty/staff departed for a weekend of participatory action research and service learning in ESL. The participating UIUC Courses were: FAA 291, FAA 391, LIS 451 & RST 393.

Upon arrival to East St. Louis, the group split up and headed toward their project sites. However, a small group of FAA 291 and RST 393 students, new to East St. Louis, were taken on a tour of the city, led by ESLARP Community Liason, Billie Turner. She stopped downtown, at the Emerson Park Metrolink/Parson’s Place and
Pullman Porter Park, amongst passing by many other important sites, before arriving for a tour of The Joseph Center/Eagle’s Nest of St. Claire County.



Returning FAA 291 students promptly began work at Opal’s House, where the end goal of the weekend was to have constructed the remainder of the privacy fence. 30” holes needed digging, 4x4” posts needed leveling and setting, quikcrete needed pouring. Under the guidance of Mike Andrejasich, Chip Dana and myself, Jenna Goebig,
the students braved the mud and poison ivy and pushed toward setting the stage for panel installation on Saturday. Roadblocks in the form of meeting an all‐too‐shallow gas‐line and thick tree roots were encountered, but
we pressed forward. On the other side of town, FAA 391 and 291 students began to dig the hole that will become a Koi Pond outside the entrance of the Joseph Center/Eagle’s Nest of St. Claire County. Residents and “Put Illinois to Work” employees helped in the morning hours with the digging efforts!



Everyone convened for the Eagle’s Nest’s traditional Friday Fish Fry for lunch. The East St. Louis Job Corp Culinary Team assisted Chef JR to provide our team with the most delectable lunch! After lunch, the work resumed. Friday projects included a privacy fence build at Opal’s House, Koi Pond construction at the Eagle’s Nest,
landscaping at Pullman Porter/41st Street Park, painting at the Mary Brown Center and CTC work at the ESL Park District Office, the Word Café and the Soul Food Café.

Friday night, the 68 attendees gathered at the HomeTown Buffet in Fairview Heights. We were graced with the presence of three of our ESLARP Community Partners: Martha Watts (The Joseph Center/Eagle’s Nest), Willie Beard (41st St/Pullman Porter Park) and Leverne Backstrom (Olivette Park Neighborhood Association). Per usual, I initiated a dinner reflection session whereby a student from each project was asked to brief everyone on their Friday accomplishments. Everyone was revitalized after a hearty dinner. The students had free time after dinner. Some went shopping, others went to a movie.



8am wake‐up calls came early Saturday morning! The students were treated to a delicious breakfast at the Sheraton in preparation for an intense WORK DAY! Everyone departed the Sheraton in Fairview Heights at 9am sharp! We had a total of seven sites: 41st Street Park, Eagle’s Nest, Opal’s House, Jones Park Community Center,
ESL Park District, the Mary Brown Center & Pirtle’s Variety. Check out the photos to see what the teams were up to all day! The ESLARPers and students worked so hard! We were lucky that the rain avoided us for the better half of the day. After the teams finished up their project tasks, ESLARP treated everyone to Pirtle’s Ice Cream!!



At around 5pm, we all loaded up and headed back to Champaign. I imagine some listened to the Illinois—SIU‐Carbondale football game, and some may have made it in time to see the last half of the game! A sincere thank you to the ESL community for your continued support and partnership! We look forward to our upcoming Outreach Weekend in October ‐JG

Eagle's Nest in April

Over the April 9-10 outreach weekend, FAA 391 students took on a number of landscaping projects at The Joseph Center to get it in shape for spring! Students did maintenance on a number of beds that students planted during the spring 2009 semester. They also did a lot of brush clearing on a right-of-way at the back of the property, and massive soil transplanting. The Joseph Center maintains this public right-of-way to keep the block looking tidy. Students learned new skills such as splitting and transplanting irises, hostas, and daylilies, as well as general plant and weed identification. They also had the opportunity to interact with residents of The Joseph Center, who helped the students with some of the projects. The Joseph Center was looking sharp when we left on Saturday!

April 9-10th Outreach Weekend kicks off Spring 2010!!!

The Outreach Weekend Team gathered in the atrium of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall at 7am on Friday April 9th, 2010. Drivers picked up their vehicle and received their clipboards. Students received t-shirts, information and driver/project assignment packets. The stage was set. The sun was shining. East St. Louis called. 73 UIUC students/faculty/staff departed for a weekend away in ESL. The participating UIUC Courses were: ARCH 472/473, FAA 291, FAA 391, LA 336/338 & RST 218/393.

This time we took a slight detour to ESL. We stopped in Collinsville, IL to learn about and climb Monks Mound, the tallest of the 120 surrounding mounds that create Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (a UNESCO Heritage Site). Inhabited by the Cahokia sub-tribe of the Illiniwek from A.D. 700 to 1400, Cahokia Mounds was once a thriving civilization, whose disappearance remains a mystery. The students enjoyed the breeze and the view of East St. Louis and St. Louis!!

Everyone arrived at the Mary Brown Center in the heart of East St Louis to join a Community Partner Forum hosted by Billie Turner (ESLARP Community Liaison), Christina Fisher (Village Theatre) and Martha Watts (Eagle’s Nest). The students had the opportunity to learn a little bit about some of the projects that ESLARP has dedicated its efforts toward in the past years. After lunch with our partners, the first-time students embarked on an Interactive Tour of East St. Louis, led by our own staff expert: Billie Turner. The tour stopped at four establishments in East Metro SL: Village Theatre, where Christina gave the students a comprehensive tour of the facility; Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, where the students experienced the riverfront from ESL using the brand new river overlook structure. They also witnessed the power of the Gateway Geyser shooting as tall as the arch itself! The third stop was Emerson Park/EP Metrolink. Billie gave the students a walking tour of the neighborhood. The final stop along the tour of the city was at the Eagle’s Nest to visit Martha Watts and her Veteran residents. All and all, the students got to see every facet of East St. Louis in an effort to paint, for them, the city’s picture.

Those returning students worked on projects with our community partners during the afternoon hours on Friday. Trees were cut and stacked at the Village Theatre. Leaves and brush were raked at Lincoln Park.

Later that evening, everyone reconvened for our dinner/reflection conversation. Our dinner guests included: Reverend and Mrs. Freeman, Laverne Backstrom, Christina Fisher, Barbara Levin and some students from Washington University in St. Louis. We enjoyed an Italian dinner and the students were prompted to converse and share their experiences of the tour.

Saturday was WORK DAY! Our students headed to their sites at 9am. We had a total of five sites: 41st Street Park, Eagle’s Nest, Illinois Ave Playground, Jones Park/Lincoln Park Horseshoe Pits, Jones Park Greenhouses, Opal’s House, Pilgrim Temple Church and a South End Alley Clean-up. Check out the pictures to see what everyone was up to!!! The teams worked so hard, enjoyed a delicious lunch courtesy of Charlie Poweel and SENDO, ESLARP and the East St. Louis Park District. After the teams finished up their project tasks, ESLARP treated everyone to Pirtle’s!! As the sun began to set, we all loaded up and headed back to Champaign. A sincere thank you to the ESL community for your continued support and partnership!

Check out the weekend's photos!!

-JG 

Outreach at Pullman Porter Park

A group of eleven students, Sang, and I spent one of the last warm and sunny days of the year helping out at Pullman Porter Park in East St. Louis. First, we heard the history of the park from Willie and Jean, two of our community partners. The two women have been working for many years to convert a strip of land running along the railroad from a dangerous dumping ground to a beautiful park with many trees, flower beds, and a gravel exercise trail. Students helped out by clearing brush along the edge of the park, transplanting ornamental grasses, and weeding the flower beds.

Outreach Weekend, Opal's House

We left Champaign early on a chilly, rainy Friday morning and were greeted in East St. Louis by a break in the weather and a sunny afternoon. Arriving at the Mary Browne Center the students met with leaders working with Eagle’s Nest, Fisher Theater, the East St. Louis Parks District, and Opal’s House. Billie Turner provided a tour of East St. Louis and then groups split up to work for the afternoon. My group of students from FAA 291 worked with Essie Calhoun at Opal’s House. Opal’s House is a nonprofit organization that is preparing to open a domestic violence shelter in East St. Louis. The students took a tour of house and talked with Essie. Then we headed outside and worked in the yard to trim hedges, remove weeds from the fence, and landscape around the driveway. The students were able to use power tools and work as a group on the yard work. On Saturday morning half the group returned to Opal’s House to finish up and the other half headed to Virginia Park to lacquer park benches and prepare for lunch. Heavy rains forced us stop early and head back to Champaign.

Bringing visibility through a logo

The East Side Health District provides preventive health care services to residents of East St. Louis, Stite Township. After Elizabeth shared the core principles of the East Side Health District, we projected the logo onto the blank wall and began tracing it. Throughout the process we consulted with each other about our progress, from asking for feedback on how we painted a letter or figure, to offering suggestions on how to efficiently complete a task. It was an interesting path of collaboration on so many levels. First, we materialized Elizabeth’s vision by partnering with her to create the logo. Secondly, as volunteers, we worked together to complete the project. Through cooperation, focus, and a bit of patience, everyone involved in the ESHD logo project worked together to materialize a vision four-years in the making.

ESLARP students help install smoke detectors

About 18 University of Illinois students worked with the Lessie Bates Davis House of East St. Louis to install smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and change air filters in over 60 homes at the last Outreach Weekend. The Belleville News Democrat newspaper published an article about Lessie Bates Davis House's efforts.