Life as a CSer by Chrissy

Good-Bye Chicago!

2010-01-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm saying this, but my “Chicago Semester” has finally come to a close.

A whirlwind semester that began with new faces, intimidating transportation and unfamiliar situations are now resolved and have become a part of an incredible and invaluable experience that I consider myself privileged to have had in the middle of my “college career”.

Those new faces became those of my neighbors, friends and fellow staff. The scary “CTA” bus and train system became inseparable from my daily routine, and those moments when I thought that I was in way over my head at my internship ended with a rewarding feeling upon ending my final evaluation.

The last several weeks of our time in Chicago were filled with finishing projects and responsibilities in our internships, writing our final papers and completing our projects and presentations. As I was in the Arts & The City course, I was able to create an artistic response to my experience here in the city as a CSer. I really appreciated this opportunity that required you to reflect in a creative way. It helped me to think about my collective experiences and understand what I have really taken away from my time in Chicago. I realized that my own personal experience in the city really consisted of an incredible amount of encounters with people from all over the city. This included others in the program, people on the streets, on the train, and at the Field Museum. I was even able to reconnect with my elementary teacher, who had moved to Chicago and I hadn't seen for 10 years! I decided that I had all of these encounters and conversations for a reason, and that was to better understand myself and who I am (personal realization and identification) by the way I related, shared and learned from each person.

Again, I can't believe that it's already been several weeks since our program ended. Right now I'm getting ready to start packing to leave for Grand Rapids, Michigan where I will finish off the rest of my junior year with my nose in my books back in the library and (hopefully) living it up in the house I'll be living in off campus. My semester in Chicago has helped me to gain a greater amount of insight in the area of museums and how to apply my personal skills, talents and knowledge. It has also helped me to realize what areas I need to improve and grow in. I am excited to go back to another (however smaller) city that has a number of great museums that I am hoping to take advantage of. One thing that I know for sure, that I am undoubtedly a “city slicker”!

And though I miss Chicago already and sometimes wish that this program was a year-long one, I know that I will be back to the city soon, and if it's meant to be, living and working there in the near future.

So, after months of sharing with you, I'm encouraging whoever reads this to go and make your own great experience within this program living in the city.

I promise that if you come with an open mind and heart, you will leave with a better understanding of the people who make up this unique city, of what you want to achieve, who you are, and who you wish to become.

***

You can expect Christmas decorations over everything & anything downtown this time of year. Here is just an example, on one of the lions who “guard” the Art Institute, a personal favorite spot.

Ice skating adventure that a group of us had on the very first night that the rink opened downtown!

A better view of the ice skating rink with me and a friend who came to visit me that weekend.

A gorgeous sunrise that woke me up one morning towards the end of the semester.

This is the stone “Olmec head” that I passed everyday on my way in...by the end of my time at the Field Museum, I realized that it had become a kind of “good luck” charm for me!

My roommate and I taking our one last look out our apartment window, we knew that among many things, we were really gonna miss the amazing view!

“Chicagoland” (week 7th & 8th)

2009-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Oh the wonders of Chicagoland, (one of the many nicknames of this city) they seem to be bottomless!

And that's not just my opinion. It seems that every person I speak with, be it at my internship, the others in the program, as well as those born and raised Chicagoans all agree with the fact that Chicago is truly a great city with so much to offer!

It's been awhile since I've been able to share my various experiences of life here in the city, so I will attempt to share and update you on everything that's happened these past several weeks.... and let me assure you, were they filled to the brim.

What's a city without entertainment?
From the last time that I blogged, I have been to....the Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a ballet of Othello, Jersey Boys musical, an Improv Show called “Blackout”, a play on Frankenstein at the MCA, and two plays at the Stephen Wolfe theater, “Mango Street” and “Fake”.

Am I getting a handful of entertainment or what?

As there have been so many events, I'll pick two that I've really enjoyed and I suggest that you see them if you can! The first one was at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), where we attended Brahm's German Requiem, one of the most beautiful pieces that I have ever heard. It was both a symphony and a chorus, that is vocal accompaniment to composed music. LOOK it up and hear for yourself the masterpiece of Johannes Brahm who spent over a decade creating this!

My other favorite event was the musical “Jersey Boys”, it was one of the best experiences downtown! The whole audience was singing along to all of the 4 Seasons songs that you grown up listening to and the acting was great. Speaking of musicals downtown, I just met one of our neighbors who turns out to be an actor who is going to be in the upcoming musical “The Adams Family” here in Chicago. How cool is that?

I also have to admit to ...being a museum junky. Not that that's not obvious by having an internship at the Field Museum! There are SO many museums to see here in Chicago, so I've got a running list and slowly but surely knocking them off each weekend. So far I've been able to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, a nearby neighborhood. Up next is the the History Museum and the Smart Museum of Art...

Chicago Semester classes have had much more to offer than I bargained for.

Chicago hasn't been all about the fun and entertaining for me. Chicago Semester has been able to offer a valuable assortment of experiences and learning opportunities through the classes that we have each and every Wednesday. There have been two experiences in particular that I have learned a great deal from these past several weeks...

The first has been our group study on the Chicago neighborhood Logan Square. With this project we have been able to visit the neighborhood several times as a group and individually to meet with community developers. By doing this we have been able to gain some insight on the local challenges residents face, as well as the programs created in an effort to resolve these issues.

There's a world beyond Chicago out there...
Last week, we were able to listen to an INCREDIBLE testimony in one of my classes (Metropolitan). Two natives of Guatemala came to speak about the challenges and harsh realities of Latin Americans attempting to immigrate to the United States. The first one to speak was a young man named Jose Luis who told us that the reason he was missing an arm, leg and part of his hand was due to the fact that he had been holding onto the outside of a freight train in Mexico en route to the U.S. And on the 19th day of doing this he had fainted and fell off; subsequently the train went over his limbs. It was horrifying and eye opening to learn that this experience of his is actually happens often to those who attempt to immigrate to the U.S., simply for the chance to work hard and make money to improve their poor standard of life in Central America. In fact, we learned that the job market is so bad that the government all but forces men and women to leave the country in search of employment. The other Guatemalan was an older woman, Rosita, who spoke about the common occurrence of young men and women disappearing on their way to the United States and who are never heard of again. She shared that some of these people may have been victims of what Jose Luis experienced but might not have been so lucky as to have been found and taken to a hospital. She began an organization that is dedicated to locating lost loved ones and for victims who are recouping from what Jose Luis experienced.

Even though they both only spoke Spanish, some of us were able to speak with them through someone who was bilingual in our group. Jose Luis told us that it's his dream to complete his journey and officially immigrate to the United States to study and work. I was very inspired by both of these people, their stories helped me to widen my world perspective, and to learn of different and hard realities in the world. It left me wanting to help, even if it's just by being a friend and emailing him (I can practice my Spanish!) which I plan on doing.

Lastly, I had the opportunity to go to a networking event, Athena International Award Luncheon, last Wednesday. Several of us in the Chicago Semester Program were able to go to this event because one of the students in the program interns there. Though I wasn't able to speak with as many people as I would have liked it proved to be a very worthwhile event (and I'm not just talking about the free fancy food!). There were about five women from Chicago who were awarded for their leadership and contribution to the community. Each woman did this at different levels, in high positions in the corporate world, from service and non-profit positions and as well from a mass communications standpoint. After being awarded these women shared with us what they did and it was empowering to listen to what they had accomplished in the fields they were passionate in.

Internship update: what's been going on at the Field?

An exhibit called Gems & Diamonds just opened at the end of October at the Field Museum as well as the re-opening of the “Grainger Hall of Gems”, a permanent exhibit showcasing the Field Museum's finest assortment of gold and gems. Though I didn't have any projects associated with Gems and Diamonds, I was still able to see and hear about the finishing processes by being in the Exhibit department, behind the scenes of what the public will eventually enjoy.

I have a new assignment to be completed before I leave...piloting surveys, 200 to be exact! The surveys are for an upcoming exhibit on Conservation so I get to ask people who are visiting questions to see what people know about the topic, which helps in deciding what kind of content to include in the final plan.

At first I was thinking, “oh man is this an intern's assignment or what” BUT though at first it's a little daunting to approach people you don't know, it's really neat to meet people of all ages, from all over the state, country and the world who have come to visit the Field Museum, a place I get to spend my whole semester at! In addition to that, each person has something interesting to contribute, either to the survey or just by the fact that I am able learn something new about a person, situation or place but interacting with these people.

Another project that I've been apart of at the Field has been meeting and interviewing Bill Goldman, a collector who has donated several pieces of his collection of Mexican folk art to the small and temporary exhibit that I'm helping with titled “Nacimientos”, or (Christmas) Nativity scenes.

Along with this I'm also helping with the video that will be made of Bill Goldman come spring by interviewing him and coming up with the layout of the video's content, be it the script, pictures, and images. This so far has been a great way to utilize an opportunity towards one of my majors; Communications. In fact, little did I know that this smaller (but I assure you, time consuming) exhibit would fit both of my majors, Art History and Communications.

It's scheduled to open towards the end of summer, probably August of 2010 so don't overlook this small but definitely worth seeing exhibit!

Joffrey Ballet Performance of Othello at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance of Johannes Brahm's “German Requiem” (covet this picture, it wasn't supposed to be taken!)
A bit of Andy Warhol at the Museum of Contemporary Art
Logan Square, the Chicago neighborhood that we're studying in one of our classes
A well-worth-standing-on-a-cold-beach-at-6:30-in-the-morning sunrise!
The view I have each morning on my way to my internship....and the Field!

Some of Chicago Semester people as The Scooby Doo Gang for Halloween! Isn't this the best idea ever?
Throwing leaves...while enjoying a walk at Wicker park with my roomie Katie!

Chicago: “The City that Works” (5th and 6th week)

2009-10-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Life in the big city
The weeks are going by faster than ever here! The leaves are changing colors, the sun is setting sooner and it's getting colder as we're all busting out the winter coats, ready to dive head first into autumn, my favorite season.

It's crazy, because as I go through my daily routine of taking the CTA (public transit), getting to the Field Museum for the day and then back “home” to the apartments--it feels normal! I've grown accustomed to what first spooked me out (i.e. The subway and bus system and the newness of my internship) now doesn't faze me and as I take my brisk walk through Grant Park in the morning headed for the Field museum, I'm in the middle of the city and I feel right at home. I guess my dad must have always known that I was the “city slicker” he used to teasingly call me growing up.

At first I used to protest and tell my dad that I was NOT a “city slicker”, it was just that I simply didn't enjoy every rustic aspect of living outside of one in the “country” or suburbia. A picture of well dressed people hurrying through busy streets, skyscrapers, and noise alongside dirty corners, the homeless and a “nature-less” atmosphere would pop into my head as my dad chuckled as I insisted I wasn't apart of “that”.

But I am happy to say that I've come to discover that it's not just the rich who live and work in the city, and that there are many beautiful parks and the waterfront in Chicago. I've learned that the homeless on the streets aren't decoration or to be ignored; that you can and should look at them in the eye, say hello and give to them when you can.

I'm learning a lot about city life and Chicago just by walking on the streets, in the Field Museum and in the class room at Chicago Semester, and I'm excited to see how far I'll come in the next two months I'm here.

Taking advantage of the opportunities
I feel like a big part of this experience here in Chicago is all about recognizing and taking advantage of the opportunities that come my way that are unique to the city and the Chicago Semester Program. It can be as simple as knowing that I can come into the Chicago Semester suite after my day at the Field Museum to spend time on homework, to scheduling an informational interview at the Museum of Contemporary Art. These past two weeks have been filled with little opportunities and perks.

Saturday Service Day
Last Saturday the program organized a service project day in one of the neighborhoods of Chicago, Rogers Park. Some of us decided to take several hours out of our day to paint, clean up and learn something new and different from a certain Pastor John who we were assisting.

Over (a free!) lunch he shared with us his background and how he came to Michigan to intern in pastoral services, to Jamaica working with Habitat for Humanity and then Chicago to dedicate time in becoming involved in community development through a opening a coffee store and creating community gardens. We were painting the room that he organized and ran services in as a Reformed Christian pastor. Amazing story, right? And I was able to listen, learn and help him with his work just by rolling out of bed a hour or so earlier than I usually would on a Saturday.

What's going on at the Field
At my Internship at the Field Museum, in addition to my assignments, I've taken the time to go to and schedule informational interviews with staff working in the Exhibitions department. It's been a really great way to meet more people involved in the exhibit process AND to learn more about each specific career in the department. By the end of one I've picked up a little on their background, how their career developed and how it is today, projects and any advice they have to offer. I've been able to speak with project managers, exhibit developers, designers, and curators. It's given me the chance to get a realistic picture of who it is that have these jobs, and what they've studied and experienced to get to the position that they are in now. For myself this is a very valuable tool that I highly recommend to anyone, especially if you don't have the time or focus to shadow a variety of professionals.

Chicago Semester
The program itself is always a source of opportunities and fun. Last Wednesday after our classes the staff put on a free dinner for all of us, which was thoroughly appreciated after a long day of discussion and activities in the classroom.
Our Arts and the City events continue to open my eyes and give me the chance to go out on Thursday nights to have a cultured experience; some that I enjoy more than others but appreciate just the same. We were able to go to a performance by the Merce Cunningham Company (contemporary dance) and then to the newly opened Contemporary wing at the Art Institute for a self-guided tour.

On Our Own
On our own, several of us took advantage of a discount at Timeline theater showing a production of “Treasure Island” this past weekend. Not only was it cheap (only $5 !) but it was in a neighborhood, so we were able to get out of the downtown area and headed for a little authentic piece of Mexico for dinner before the show. The performance was held in a small close-knit atmosphere but was filled with convincing “gun shots”, pirate rivalry and of course, several robust rounds of “yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!”. In short, it was entertaining, affordable and I look forward to getting more great deals for similar weekend entertainment.

This weekend I was also FINALLY able to take advantage of the farmer's market that is open every Saturday morning to early afternoon right on the street we live off of. It was awesome to get to pick and chose from an assortment of fresh vegetables and flowers at really good prices from local farmers in the area. And the goods news was that though the weather will soon end the open street market, they'll move inside only a bus ride away.

Last but not least: what ended off the weekend for me was some personal initiative to get to know our neighbors (who are in the Chicago Semester Program as well) better. It was by...making them make us dinner! It was a great way to save some money but to still enjoy some company and test some cooking skills. We were impressed to learn that our neighbors could indeed cook and had some great stories to tell. My roommate and I will soon be reciprocating and showing off our own skills in the kitchen soon enough in what will become a Sunday tradition here in the “city that works” just fine for me!

Service Day on Saturday...exhibit A of my taping abilities before painting.

A mean, green fighting machine—Sami Mead (one of the volunteers) taking down some old fencing from the community gardens.

Several of us doing an awesome job of getting those walls painted for Pastor John!

But of course, the unifying group picture at the end of the day volunteering at Rogers Park and ready to do it again.

Chicago: After the Honeymoon (3rd and 4th Week)

2009-10-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Rolling up those sleeves and getting the routine down.
So even though “after the honeymoon” seems to have a rather negative connotation, in this case it really doesn't. (I just wrote that to just to get your attention!)
What I mean by it is an attempt to describe the experience of being here after the first weeks spent being completely dazzled by the city. Not that Chicago doesn't continue to impress and entertain but now that we've been here for almost a month, like anywhere else, you need to practically adjust to your situation.

That includes finding that weekly routine and getting used to it, discovering the little free times and how to utilize them, when to plan on getting the laundry done and learning how your schedule works with your roommate's. I personally appreciate and love the feeling of having a schedule to depend on getting things done and knowing when and how I can have fun.

It's different to have an 8:30am to 4:30pm work schedule every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at the Field Museum, compared to the much more open-ended college class schedule. It's like actually sampling what it's going to be like after college—so grown up!

Wonderful Wednesdays
I REALLY love how in the program we have Wednesdays to “take a break” from our full days interning by going to our classes on Adams street. I get to reconnect with people in the program I don't get to see all week, eat free pb and jelly sandwiches (that's always in full-supply) and of course, spend the day in my Arts and the City and Metropolitan classes.

Wednesdays are also fun because a group of us food lovers who like to experiment decided to title the day “ethnic food day” (creative, right?) & we head out to a restaurant after classes to sample one of the MANY amazing ethnic options we have here in the city. Last time, we went to a Thai restaurant just to get our feet wet but we'll be out exploring uncharted waters soon enough!

Internship Update
My internship at the Field Museum in the exhibit development department has been going well, though it's been off to a slow start with my site supervisor leaving for (I'm sure a well-deserved) vacation. However having him gone has given me the opportunity to really take my own initiative and to introduce myself to everyone in the department and to have the time to get used to the work environment.

The museum itself is so cool, and the perks abound here! Who would have thought that the intern swipe card (with that typical atrocious picture) not only gets you into the “staff only” locations in the museum BUT free access to any of the exhibits AND free access to many of the city's museums. For a museum lover like me, this was exciting news!

The Fun & Free Continues!
There is SO much to catch you all up to on the awesome free weekend activities and events that I've been able to join in on these past 2 weeks! For the past two Thursday now we have been going to our “Arts & the City” events which have been 2 theater productions, “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” and “History Boys”, both that have lent to some interesting discussions.

Another great theater opportunity popped up in the middle of the week and a group of us got to go to a free preview of the “Marvelous Wonderettes”, a fun musical that featured 50s and 60s popular music.

And then there was the “World Music Fest” that provided us with a weekend of entertainment and gave us a chance to explore different types of music from all over the world. We listened to a funky chill group called “Fool's Gold” from L.A., a performance in Millennium Park by “The Gypsy Rhythm Project” and then a really random but great band of guys from Hungary by the name of “Little Cow”.

The most recent event that we've had here was just this past Saturday, the Progressive Dinner, sponsored by the Chicago Semester Program and cooked by us students. Man. Katie (my roommate) and I spent at LEAST 10 hours in preparing and making these amazing (if I do say so myself) pierogi for one of the dishes!
However long it took, it was well worth the effort and time. It was fun to play hostess and then to travel around to all the other apartments to sample some really great (and creative) food and to just be able to hang out with people in the program.

Well time is short and another day at the Field Museum awaits me in just some hours--so until then!

Our VIEW living on the 17th floor! Don't be too jealous now.

Posing with the funny guys in the “Little Cow” band from Hungary!

At Navy Pier to meet up with my big brother John who came to visit me

Going out to check out more free and cool bands!

Millennium Park's Concert Hall at World Fest Week

“Gypsy Rhythm Project” at Millennium Park for the World Music Fest

Pretty much an accurate picture of our amazing pierogi that we cooked up for the Progressive dinner!

Chicago: My Kind of Town! (First 2 weeks of Chicago Semester)

2009-09-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Getting situated in the big city was quite the experience.
The packing, the nerves—wondering what orientation was going to be like and if Chicago Semester would turn out to be all I hoped it would.

“Um, I can't go. Do you think I could get a refund?”

THIS was the facebook message that I checked the night right before our first day in Chicago from my friend who was coming to the program too. I laughed at that message and I'm glad Katie swallowed her nerves with me on our 5 hour drive from Michigan to have one great orientation week and become roommates once again.

Orientation week was so much rolled into one—the anticipation of deciding who's going to be your roommate, where you'll end up living, along with getting to your interview locations and actually getting there via public transportation!

It was all worth it though, because believe it or not, we all ended up with internships, roommates and place to stay. Not to mention how awesome our first impression was living in the city for the first week—staying at a swanky hotel with a happy hour, being able to go out and get familiar with the city via a boat tour, delicious food and a comedy club night.

But what I appreciated most of all was an incredibly supportive and fun staff who helped us every step of the way to get us set up and ready for the semester. The Chicago Semester staff made themselves available for most of the day that whole week (from early morning to late at night), just to be there to talk to and to get asked for directions for the millionth time.

There is SO much to do in the city.

I've only been here for 2 weeks now and it seems like there can't ever possibly be a dull moment here! Every weekend is packed with free events, concerts and festivals. The first weekend here was a great opportunity to get to know and hang out with more people in our program. A big group of us hung out at Navy Pier for the fireworks on Saturday night (which were phenomenal) and the next day headed off to the Polish Festival right outside the city in one of the neighborhoods for a taste (literally) of culture! I'm a bit biased, having parents from Poland, so it's really cool to be in a city that has the second largest population of Polish people, after Warsaw, Poland's capital. Speaking of culture, there is SO much diversity here—it's truly refreshing, and sometimes just plain different to hear, see and experience things that I'm not in constant contact with at home, with a reality closer to suburbia.
Like I said, finding the fun and free is easy in the city.

The fun and variety didn't stop with the weekend—my roommate and I ended up getting really close to the front area of Oprah's Kickoff Party, which closed off several blocks of Michigan Avenue! We had a great time listening to Jennifer Hudson, James Taylor, Rascal Flats, and of COURSE, Oprah. I felt so “sneaky” for getting to be there without paying a cent and being apart of something that well, only Oprah could do.

One the quieter side, I already love being so close to Lake Michigan (we're only a 15 minute walk from Michigan Ave) and a long stretch of shoreline and water promise a great chance to get some exercise and to reconnect with nature while still being so close to the city.

Last, but certainly not least...today was my 3rd official day as an intern at the Field Museum! I'm loving it already and I'm excited to be working in the Exhibitions Development department where I hope to learn as much as I can and to take advantage of all the great and talented people that work there!

I could go on and on but I think I should end it off here—I've got to make good the pass we have to work out at the Solhiem Center and then it's off to bed to get ready for another great day here in Chicago, my kind of town.

Kid at Heart: Browsing through the Lego Store!

Bonding Time on an amazing Boat Tour of Chicago during Orientation Week

The Wonders of Oprah at her Kickoff Party on Michigan Ave (Oprah's in yellow)

“Sam the Amazing Juggler” He was super talented high schooler who taught us to juggle! (Well, I attempted)

A Taste of Culture: Polish Fest Fun