Chicago Center for Urban Life & Culture

Hyde Park Co-op Closing

Chicago Center students will still have their charge account at Village Foods.
Treasure Island will be the new tenent in the former Co-op space (owned by the University of Chicago) and Hyde Park Produce has expanded into the old Co-op’s space on 53rd Street (the former Mr G’s).

The Co-op’s bankruptcy and closing made headline news across the city. Here you can see the New Orleans style funeral band marching through the aisles.
photos by Marc Monaghan

Kanye West & Staff Welcome Spring Semester ‘08 Students

Students arrived yesterday and this morning met with all the staff for Introductions to each other and the City. Program Director Emily Nelson started the discussion with Kanye West’s Homecoming (from the album Graduation 2007).

Here’s a quote from ED Scott Chesebro that I liked – “Everything here is integrated into a form of learning.”

J-Term Wrap Up Comments

Administrative Facilitator Becky Stueve collected a few quotes from our wrap-up session for J-Term I thought were worth sharing!

Heather
“The program changed what I want to do with my life. Being here has opened my eyes to so many social issues. I’m leaving with more questions than I came with. I can’t leave and not do anything.”

Stephanie
“Coming here has shown me how important it is to be involved and to be active.”

Breanna
“When all these things are in your face, you’ve got to choose. Are you going to be active? I think it’s important to be active.”

J-Term Alumni Update

At Chicago Center, we love hearing from our alumni! Here is a letter we recently received from an alum of our January Term:

“Hey, this is Andrew Goodwin a past student at the Chicago Center, and a intern in the press department at the RainbowPUSH Coalition. I am so happy and blessed I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know each and single one of you! You all have made my time and experience in Chicago a fulfilled experience greater than my expectations. I can recall all the jokes, laughs, and serious times during the time I spent there in Chicago, and you all made it feel like home, even though I was not able to stay much longer. The personalities I met has made an impact on me, and I wanted to let you all know you guys meant a lot in my personal growth as I go through my undergrad studies. I would hope and pray that I may be able to reside in Chicago after graduation, and if not by the lord’s will I will keep in contact with you all! I will keep you all in my prayers, and send you some important information I ever come across, or just give you a heads up on how I am doing.

With the experience of being in the press department has gave me a range of what I want to do in life and what I do not want to do. I would not trade the experience for anything in the world, and I am happy to know what I got from the experience wasn’t just how PR works, but everlasting relationships I never expected. As I am growing, and trying to figure out what I want to do in my life, I realize that my undergrad studies and life will be a great time to exercise the desires of what I want to do for a career. Again I will keep you posted on what goes down in NEBRASKA! Its a totally different world than Chicago, and I am sure the stories will amuse you all. Call me anytime, and email me back. Thanks!”

Alumni Updates

At the Chicago Center, we love hearing from alumni of our programs. We enjoy hearing what our students are up to, and the impact that Chicago Center has made in their lives. Below, several students share their experiences with us.

Sara (Summer Session 02) writes:

“I am in my 3rd and final year at Wayne State Law School in Detroit. I credit my experience at the Urban Life Center for inspiring me to go to law school. My eyes were opened that summer to a life that existed beyond my comfortable surroundings in a little Detroit suburb. That summer I interned with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and I found my passion!

Ever since my Chicago experience, I have been committed to preparing myself to be an advocate in the legal system for those who might have trouble navigating the legal system on their own. Currently, I serve on the Board of Directors of the Free Legal Aid Clinic, Inc. — the oldest student-run free legal aid organization in the country.

I have my eye on Chicago as I conduct my public interest job search. In fact, I’m attending a public interest career fair at Northwestern the first weekend in February.

Anyways…thanks so much for your help. Best wishes to everyone at the Chicago Center (especially Scott, Mitch and Arvis – they may not remember me but I remember them!:)”

Cameron (Summer Session 07) writes:

“Hello Valerie, its good to hear from you.
Because of my performance at Lawrence Hall (where I interned) a residential counselor at one of Lawrence’s foster units informed me of a opening as a residential counselor. If all goes as planned I will be employed come March but if not you can count on me to send in my resume and contacts to Scott. Again thank you for letting me know about the available work at Chicago center and I hope your holidays went well. I will keep in touch.”

update: He got the job!

Leila writes:

“Greetings to all. Like others I am deeply thankful that my path in life has crossed Lucille’s and wanted to take a moment to reconnect with all who were present at the ULC when we met.

Christian and I are well and our lives have completed one full circle as we find ourselves back in the country that we fell in love with shortly after leaving the ULC!

I am still working for Ipas, a reproductive rights organization and Christian is director of a local governance project. It is wonderful to be back in a country that has so much history, cultural, diversity, interesting political debates and great food to offer. Our two daughters are in the same French-Moroccan school this year and have 5 hrs of Arabic per week in addition to the main language of instruction which is French.

The school is 10 minute walk from our home (where I work) and I am fortunate to be able to walk/sing/skip them to school everyday. This is our last year in Morocco and we will be returning to Chapel Hill, North Carolina next summer and our home is open to all of you.

With warm wishes, Leila and Christian”

Nicole (Jan 07) writes:

“I just got back from DC, I was an intern for a member of Congress. I am now applying to law schools and waiting to hear back.”

Loop and Architecture Tour with Executive Director Scott Chesebro

“I want students to understand public art and how architecture and the urban streetscape affect the way people use the city. I like to talk about the relationship public sculpture has to Chicago and its history. For example, I ask students to think about the way Chagall imagined the populations of Chicago in his Four Seasons sculpture. I want them to see the way contemporary architects integrate their work into older buildings and the respect they have for other architect’s work.

“The Loop is the nerve center of the city and I believe its art and architecture symbolize both the limits and the possibilities of the city.”

The Winter Garden in Harold Washington Library 

Chicago Board of Trade – students witnessed the daily closing of the largest and oldest futures market in the country. 

190 South LaSalle Building  

Chicago Cultural Center   

January Term 2008 First Night

Students moved in to their Chicago Center digs, checked in at the office, and then met over Chicago-style (“deep dish”) pizza for their first housing meeting with Shane and the other apprentice staff. Afterwards, students enjoyed ice skating in Millenium Park.