During our Friday Core Course, all of the students in the Chicago Program had the opportunity to spend our morning on Valentines Day meeting with Alderman Joe Moore. We met with him at Chicago City Hall, a building with an interior as impressive as Moore's Participatory Budget (I'll explain this more). Take a look at a few of the shots I was able to snap while waiting for the elevator.
Now, getting back to our meeting with Alderman Moore...
He hails from Chicago's 49th Ward, and defies any concept of a corrupt Chicago politician. In fact, he has such a passion for taking care of his constituents that he has become somewhat of a celebrity for his efforts in promoting civic engagement throughout his ward.
The work he is most recognized for is an innovative method for budgeting, known as Participatory Budgeting, which utilizes community meetings and voting to develop a budget for the ward's annual capital project money provided by the city. His Participatory Budget has inspired other politicians and council members across the nation, and is even had recognition in Europe! Leave it to a Chicago Politician to stir things up, this time for the better.
After a very informative presentation by Alderman Moore about the way Chicago politics are carried out, specifically the unique situation of Aldermen, and a discussion of the history of Chicago's infamous politicians, our class was brought into the Chicago City Hall Council Chamber for a Q & A session. The photo below is of Alderman Moore standing behind the chair that seats Mayor Emanuel during City Council Meetings.
The experience of being able to meet with an Alderman, and to have the chance to sit in Chicago's City Council Chambers for a private Q & A session with him, is a perfect example of how unique the ACM Chicago Program is.
After class finished on Friday afternoon, our weekend officially began! My roommates and I decided to celebrate Valentines Day by having dinner together at our apartment. It was a fun way for a bunch of single people to enjoy a holiday reserved for those blissful people in relationships. Why should they have all the fun?
The next day a few of us went out for brunch in Wicker Park to a place called The Bongo Room. If you ever find yourself looking for a good place to go for brunch in Chicago, PLEAE GO HERE!!! I have never before in my life been more satisfied by a meal.... hands down.
The menu is organized into categories of sweet and savory, where you order a savory dish for yourself and split a sweet dish among the table. I decided on a Croissant Breakfast Sandwich for myself, and the table shared the Chocolate Stack: a generous serving of chocolate French Toast topped with shaved white and milk chocolate, surrounded by a warm sauce consisting of chocolate, banana, and mascarpone.
After finishing brunch, we needed to walk around to help commence the digestion of such a rich meal. Wicker Park is definitely a great place to aimlessly wander about, as there are so many unique shops to explore. When it was time to head back to Hyde Park, we were treated to a musical performance at the Blue Line stop at Jackson. These guys were fantastic!!! I hope I get to hear them again.
On this week's agenda for the Urban Studies students is a trip to Growing Power for a field visit and a meeting with an assistant states attorney for Cook County. We will be exploring the topic of Restorative Justice, something that I know very little about. So be on the lookout for posts exploring that topic in the days ahead.
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