Lake Michigan, Amongst Other Things

I like Lake Michigan. Maybe that's a trite way to start things, but it's the truth. I live so close to Montrose beach, to the dog park, actually. I love to watch the dogs jump in the water. They never really tire of it. I wish I was more like that. To be delighted with the world around me, to do the same exact things with the same exact vigor every day.

I like to draw it. I like to draw the surf. I can never quite capture the movement of the water, but I like to think I can catch the idea. It's all been particularly inspiring to me. I've been here a whole month, and everything still fills me with awe. Maybe I'm more like the dogs than I thought.

Tata for now.
Sara

I'm Vaughn. Now Lets Start This Adventure...

Until about a week and half ago I had never been to Chicago. Nope, not even once in elementary school. So on a whim of wanting to get out and explore the big world, I threw out my worries and started looking for the perfect fit for my adventure. There in my counselor's office is when I knew the Chicago Program would be my perfect fit.

Hi, my name is Vaughn and yes I have a large wonderful case of wanderlust. I hail from Hanover College where I am an Art History major and part of the Business Scholars Program.

I hope you enjoy my adventure in Chicago! 

I am Now BFFs with Chicago

So this is probably one of the best ways to be welcomed into Chicago: Riot Fest. 10/10, would recommend. It was a totally awesome, totally crazy weekend! The first night I went (Friday) my goal was primarily to see Fall Out Boy (not that I didn't appreciate all the other pop/punk bands that showed up). I'm still raving about how great it was.

I showed up three hours early just to get the lay out down and listen to some great music. I was wandering around Humboldt Park when I ran into someone I've always wanted to meet, Mark Hoppus (the bassist of Blink-182). I walked up to him and told him that I loved his band and I appreciated what he did. He then told me that he liked my hair. Rad.

So, that may seem pretty hard to top. But that night did. Twice. I got right up against the barricade for Fall Out Boy (that is, the first 2-3 rows of people, it's pretty much a big deal). I was in a group of girls who were a bit smaller than me (being around 5' and I'm easily 5'6''). I was there specifically because I could see around them. Well, the crowd started moshing, and Fall Out Boy fans are notorious for being unruly in mosh pits (knocking each other down, etc). A couple of VERY LARGE dudes were crowd surfing and came right over my group of petite friends. Two of the girls fell, so I was hold these two guys up alone. I soon crumbled along with them. So, we now have at least six people on the ground in a mosh pit freaking out, probably because they're afraid of getting trampled (totally reasonable). Now, I play rugby back at Hanover College. I'm a prop, which is a difficult position. You get tackled and tackle a lot and spend a lot of time rolling around on the ground dodging cleats. This was very useful experience to me. I protected my head and my hands and somehow found a way to push two of the girls off me and back upright. Then I got one of the dudes up. He got the other dude up. Then they picked me up, and up, and over. I was crowd surfing. ME! CROWD SURFING! It was awesome. I surfed my way across and PETE WENTZ GAVE ME A HIGH FIVE as I went over the barricade into the staff member's arms. Seriously. Like whaaaaat.

Then, on the way home, I found some street art that I think is probably by the street artist Swoon. I'm not entirely sure, but my research points to a yes. If not, it's still some pretty fly street art and I'm definitely going back to document it. I absolutely love Swoon and I would definitely like to prove that these works are hers. But that's a project for another day.

And I went back to Riot Fest on Sunday. It rained literally all day long. I even took a nap in the rain at one point (I had only had four hours of sleep, give me a break) on top of a pile of posters and woke up because my feet were wet. My island had flooded. But, it got me warm and moving. I went to see Brand New (they never tour, it's a big deal) and the Wonder Years primarily and got to see All Time Low as an added bonus. At the Brand New show I moshed really hardcore in shin-deep mud.

This mud pit, actually.

Brand New, Riot Fest, Sunday

*credit to chemicalkidsunderthesea on tumblr

 Here's some photos from Riot Fest, none of which were mine, because I lost my phone on Thursday and just recently got a new one (and by recently I mean today. So, I'm also really proud of myself for making it around the city without Google Maps to help me out).

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, still great after all these years, Friday Night

*credit to rottenrapture on tumblr

Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Riot Fest, Friday Night (I am the ginger head in front of this person)

*credit to deremeto-jump at tumblr

The Wonder Years, Riot Fest, Sunday (I'm directly in front of the guy with the cup. He spilled it on me. It was just lemonade. It's fine.)

*credit to secondcitybom519 on tumblr

Also, here is a bonus pick of the pants I wore on Sunday to Brand New:

and my shoes too, I guess

shoes and pants from Riot Fest, Sunday 9-15-13

obviously, they both need some TLC. However, I have more important things to do, like homework and blogging and eating potato chips and watching Netflix.

Anyway, until next time.

Yours,

Sara Wines

Welcome Home! Or at Least, Welcome Here

Well, the first week in Chicago went off without a hitch. But, hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with some introductions.

My name is Sara. I'm a Junior Studio Art Major at Hanover College. I'm in Chicago to learn more about the world in the context of a real metropolis, seeing as I've never lived in a town with a population of more than 3,000 people. Now, that may worry you, dear reader. Sure, these near two weeks have been somewhat of a culture shock for me. However, for lack of better terms, I was spoiling for a fight with something new. With something different. I was willing to place my bets on good luck in Chicago. And I got it in spades. I mean, just look at my apartment building:

 Pensacola Place

That's a big difference from a 3-bedroom farmhouse on a dirt road. But, it's exciting to me. I love the raw newness. I love just being here. Just seeing something new, getting a new context for analysis of the world around me. I mean, the city is just so alive. The breeze sizzles with conversation, the smell of food, a whiff of Lake Michigan (and sometimes some nastier scents, but we'll not dwell on that).

And man, have things ever been packed in the way of scheduling. Orientation was so fast-paced and exciting. If I hadn't already been running on the compounded energies of that excitement, nervousness, and caffeine, I would have crashed and burned like a paper airplane in a volcano (or something more poetic, fill in the blanks). But, I think my favorite event was the city scavenger hunt. Basically, we had to run around in groups of 3 or 4 and take different modes of transportation (buses, the L, the good ole bipeds) to explore Chicago. So, you learn some practical knowledge (ie: buses aren't scary, bus drivers know everything, postal workers can direct you anywhere, etc) and some personal knowledge (you get to know how your teammates handle stress really really well after about the 4th time you get lost). Here's some of my favorite places:

The Center on Halstead (That's Sam, he's cool)

Cubs Stadium (I'm the ginger on the left)

This is just a fun picture of Sus on a Divvy Bike, enjoy

and the Art Institute

There's some really cool stuff hanging out in Chicago, if you're unaware. Come visit. Or, you know, come stay for a term or something. I recommend it and I've been here less than a month. 

Speaking of cool things in Chicago, I'd just like to bring up my internship (my interview went swimmingly, thanks to the workshops we did in orientation *thanks*). I work at the Chicago Urban Arts Retreat Center. It's a really fun place that works to promote peace and equality on a local and global scale. Right now I'm working on connecting with local youth groups to participate in the (free) Peace by Piece Youth Fashion Show. Kids get the chance to create fashions that promote peace while connecting with their community in a positive way. The event is on September 28th at the Gorilla Tango Theater. (By the way, if you know any youth groups that might like to participate or would like to sponsor a group, you can email me at winess15@hanover.edu.)

Another fun place to visit is the Museum of Contemporary Art. My ISP class took a visit there this week. That was really fun and amazing (also, it's free on Tuesdays, crazy right? Bet you can't guess what day we went). Some of the art we saw really made an impression on me, so I highly recommend making the trip (especially on a Tuesday, if you catch my drift).

I'll update you guys again ASAP with more of my adventures in the Second City. Now, it's bedtime for this student.

Yours,

Sara Wines

I don't want to leave Chicago!

This was wrote on Friday, May 17th.

Well, the program is officially over! We had our last activities yesterday, ending with an internship workshop and a boat ride in the afternoon. There are no words for how great of an opportunity and experience this semester was. I developed close relationships with many of the students, and it was very tough saying goodbye. We really helped each other grow as individuals throughout the program, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people.

I am currently writing this from my apartment, which I am not quite ready to leave yet. I am leaving later this evening. My apartment and the apartment below us had such a great time living together. There was always something going on, so there was never a dull moment! It’s going to be weird not staying up to the middle of the night procrastinating on homework with some of them or not having our weekly apartment meetings on Monday night. I have definitely valued my experience here and will miss 1447 E 52^nd St. L  Some of the girls are staying through the summer, so I will be able to come back and visit, which makes saying goodbye a little easier!

I am so glad I chose to do the Chicago semester. I was a little apprehensive at first and really missed my home school, Valparaiso University. While I do still miss Valpo, I am so thankful I did decide to have an experience off campus. These experiences are ones I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. If you are debating on whether or not you should study off campus, DO IT!!!! You will learn so much about yourself and have a great time in the process.

Here is a picture of all of us!

 

Thank you so much for letting me share my experiences with all of you! I hope you enjoyed reading about everything we did this semester :) The ACM Chicago Program is AWESOME. :)

 

 

 

Author: Maria W.

This is it!!

Boat tour to top it all off!!

Hello everyone,

This is it!!!

Yesterday was

the last of the program and I feel like time just flew by. I am sad to leave Chicago and the friends that I have made here. But I want to reflect back on this semester and share some of the highlights that I had in each class that I took.

Core Course – through this class I was able to really become a Chicagoan, the various topics (education, transportation, small businesses etc…) that we covered in this class are things that I wouldn’t have even pay attention to if not because of this class.

Seminar, Entrepreneurship – this class was interesting for me personally because the students in this class became really good friends and so united. I really enjoyed visiting companies like Groupon, Red Frog, and Threadless. And although it wasn’t an easy process, I also enjoyed writing a business plan for my final project.

Internship, Teen Living Programs – Mary, my supervisor and the rest of the administrative staff at TLP were the best people I could have worked with. This organization is doing great work with youth and homelessness in Chicago and I am glad I was a part of it even if it was just for a couple of months.

ISP, Entrepreneurship – Robyne is the best professor, friend, counselor anybody can have!! This woman has a way of helping you think through your ideas and provide great advice. I am very thankful to have had this Independent Study experience with her. I ended up interviewing a lot of people who were involved with social enterprises in Chicago and I have gained so many connections. I have also gained skills that I can apply as I move to Minneapolis and entre the social enterprise scene over there. I am so thankful for this experience.

I really, really, really enjoyed my time here in Chicago and I am sad that it is over already but I know that someday I will be back so this is not goodbye for me, it is see you later Chicago!!

Author: Tsiry R.

Cease Fire Charity Team!

Well, we have officially completed all the work for our Seminar classes! For my Seminar class, we had to create a human rights campaign. My group decided to do something with the violence in Chicago, after watching the film, The Interrupters. The film is about the organization Cease Fire, who go out to some of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods to fight the violence going on there. My group contacted Cease Fire and asked about how we could get involved. They said that they would need the most help in the fundraising aspect of their organization. So my group put our heads together to try and come up with ideas that could fit Cease Fire’s needs and what we needed to do for our project. We ended up coming up with the idea of creating a charity team in Cease Fire’s name for the marathon this coming October. We were able to get in touch with the marathon and create a page online where people can go to donate to a specific runner in Cease Fire’s behalf. Currently, I am the only runner for the team because I am the only one in the group that is registered for the marathon. We are searching for more team members through the connections I have made by running with different running clubs. We have also sent out emails to the individual donor list at Cease Fire to inform them of our project and show them how they can help out. We have also put the information on a flyer to send out. So far we have raised $75! And the page had only been up for about 48 hours! So coooooool. Here is a link to the site if you wanted to take a look at it and maybe donate…. J

www.crowdrise.com/ceasefirechicago

Cubs Game!

Hello! This week we went to the Cubs game as a group! It was a lot of fun, and the Cubs won! What are the chances we caught a winning game?! Small joke! I’m so glad we got a chance to go to Wrigley and see them play! Here is a picture of Becca and me reacting to a call. (Okay…maybe we weren’t actually upset)

                                                               View from out seats!

Author: Maria W.

Busking Out!

Chicago is very well known for it's very vibrant street musicians, some who have even gone on to become nationally and internationally known. Some famous Chicago buskers include Crystal Bowersox (Winner of American Idol) and R. Kelly (RnB legend, if i say so myself). But first of all, what exactly is busking? Busking means to play or perform entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money.

Last week Saturday, my team and I set out to find and meet street performers and listeners for a project we are doing for our business and entrepreneurship class. We started off on south Michigan street, hopped on the red line where we met Mrs Kanye Resa West, a singer who has been doing it for a couple years now. She had a lovely voice and she did a couple song covers that kept her audience (people riding the red line train) entertained and willing to stick around for more.

On our way to Logan Square while riding the red line again train, we found Martial, who was currently being filmed for a TV show. The show was documenting his life as a busker, and we even got to make an appearance. He was very friendly and willing to talk, he played the guitar like he knew it at the back of his head, very talented man he was.

Our last encounter was totally unexpected. We were on State and Lake ready to head back home to Hyde Park when we heard loud pounding noise coming from down the street. We quickly rushed down to see where the noise was coming from and surprisingly found two young men hitting buckets and pans like drum sets. I'm sure you're thinking, "What a racket" but this was the opposite. The two guys in unison entertained the growing crowd with so much energy, I couldn't believe they were just using plastic buckets and old pans to create good music. They were called the Chicago Bucket Brigade and they really were the life of the party.

So as you walk on the streets of Chicago and ride the trains, take a minute or two to appreciate the talented street performers that this great city has to offer, you never know, they just might make it big. 

By Ema Bassey

Core Course - ACM Pipeline 3.0

Another unique and exciting experience with core course today. We went to this event where we helped high school juniors with the brain storming process of a college essay as well as sharing experiences that we have had in college.

I was assigned four high schools students, 3 of which were juniors and 1 was a sophomore, I think this experience was very empowering for me. I felt that being able to help these students have a glimpse of what a liberal arts education is and telling them not just about the pros but also about the cons was very enriching for me. The purpose of the event was to help the student go through the brainstorming process of writing a college application essay and how to go about the writing process eventually.

Many of the students I worked with were very open and willing to share their experiences. I was able to here so many fascinating stories and able to share my own story as well. I really like the small group opportunity that we all had, this made it possible to connect with the students on a more personal level and it was easier for them to share and vice versa.

I really enjoyed today!!!

Author: Tsiry. R