Archive for the ‘Chicago Center in the Community’ Category
April 28th, 2009
Panelists: Denise Dixon, Action Now Executive Director; Glenn Reedus, Chicago Media Money Monetizer; Dr. Stephen Alexander, Sr. Research Fellow Depaul Univeristy; Tom Tresser, No Games Chicago
- Scott Chesebro, Chicago Center Executive Director introduces 2016 Chicago Olympic Bid Panel to Chicago Center students and community members.
As the International Olympics Committee leaves Chicago and heads to Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Madrid (Spain), Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture congregated a panel of Community leaders and activists to discuss the impact of Chicago hosting the 2016 Olympics on neighborhoods and communities.
Action Now Executive Director, Denise Dixon has fought for a community benefits agreement (CBA) to be passed by City Hall. This legally binding agreement would insure that a portion of jobs, housing, and minority contracts for neighborhood residents would be allocated. Currently, City Council has decided against approving this legal agreement.
Panelist: Dr. Stephen Alexander, Sr. Research Fellow Olympic Study Group DePaul University
Dixon is not opposed to the 2016 Olympics being held in Chicago but asks, “Is he [Mayor Daley] going to sell out the people of Chicago in the communities where the venues are to be held?”
Chicago Center Executive Director, Scott Chesebro states “these issues are exactly why there is need for a community based forum where an assortment of voices can be heard and a discussion can take place on the benefits and the drawbacks that Chicago faces if granted the 2016 Olympic bid.”
Chicago Center is an Urban Education program which provides college students from across the country with internships and seminars designed to broaden their understanding of complex issues and increase their effectiveness as citizens. For forty years Chicago Center has prided themselves on a ‘first-voice’ pedagogy that encourages their students to hear the diverse voices that are represented in Chicago.
This event was for Chicago Center students and was also open to the public and the media.
July 9th, 2008
On Monday, July 7th, Chicago Center students and staff hosted a panel discussion on youth violence featuring some of our City’s most passionate and influential voices. Panelists included Ronald Holt, father of slain student hero Blair Holt, Wilbert Taylor, Jr., a young man injured by gunfire during a house party, Diane Latiker, founder of Roseland’s Kids Off the Block Club (profiled in Chicago Tribune Magazine on June 15, 2008) and Lisa Rivera, Armenia Rodriguez and Oscar Contreras who, together, have given mothers of youth involved in gang activity a crucial vehicle for support (Rivera, Rodriguez and Contreras were profiled in a May, 
2008 Chicago Sun-Times article).
Panelists shared their life experiences with youth violence and spoke about what Chicagoans must do to make a difference. Jonathan Peck of the Southwest Youth Collaborative facilitated the panel discussion.
Leesa Albert, Instructor
Photos by Pam Adams, Instructor
February 2nd, 2008
From
The Rough Guide to the USA (page 356)
“Chicago is in many ways the nation’s last great city. Sarah Bernhart called it “the pulse of America” and, though long eclipsed by Los Angeles as teh nation’s second most populous city after New York, Chicago really does have it all, with less of the hassle and infrastructure problems of its coastal rivals.
“Founded in the early 1800s, Chicago grew up with the country, serving as the main connection between the established East Coast cities and the wide-open Wild West frontier. This position on the sharp edge between civilization and wilderness made the city into a crucible of innovation. Many aspects of modern life, from skyscrapers to suburbia, had their start, and perhaps their finest expression, here on the shores of Lake Michigan.”
January 31st, 2008
For those of you no longer living in Hyde Park, here are some pictures of your former grocery store the Hyde Park Co-op on it’s last day.
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
November 29th, 2007
Executive Director Scott Cheseboro shares an e-mail with Chicago Center during his trip to India.
I’m in Dehli and the group will have its last meeting today. I have my flight booked for Chennai and will leave tonight at 8. My contact there will pick me up. I had breakfast with the country diretor for world relief in his apartment in west Dehli. Middle clas or even upper for most of India and middle for Dehli.
I had a great conversation with them about the evangelical church in India. Birya converted to Christianity from Hindu just before marrying Rabi who grew up in a christian family. He visits US churches because they give lots of money for relief in India. His wife has very mixed feelings about the church because they want to impose their ways on Indian culture. She says they do not respect the Indian heritage and want all women to wear skirts and celebrate only christian holidays. She converted believing all are equal “in Christ” and wanted to break out of the caste system. She b elieves the protestant churches are distorting that inclusiveness, particularly towards Muslims and Hindus.
We stopped at an Indian McDonalds yesterday on the long drive from Agra (where, yees I stood in front of the majestic Taj Mahal and even went inside. It was built by King Jahan in the 1500’s for his wife who died giving birth to their 14th child. He is buried there also) and the free gift in the happy meal was a true to life blond and blue-eyed Barbie. Sounds like the chuch. They serve chicken instead of beef and no there is no McMutton.
The Taj Mahal is breath taking. Although Jahan was Muslim, all faiths come to the site and all respect it as holy space. There is a Masjid next door. India is the most diverse country I have ever encountered in so many ways even though it is not diverse in the race/color way we are used to using the term. It is impssible to describe the variety dress, transportation, housing/dwellings and landscape. Our guide made the comment that India is one of the few countries that has never had a revolution.. He stated that it is because Indians have ever ything they need. That is hard to comprehend amidst the extremes and it just becomes another of those paradoxes.
“Can you imagine giving an Indian a bell for a gift?” This was our guides question after opening the gifts brought by the delegates. Felipe Gonzales, soc prof at U New Mexico brought a small silver bell inscribed with New Mexico. Amitabh, our guide explained that bells were worn by the untouchables so that other castes would know when they were near and to get out of the way to avoid being touched. He had a lot of fun ringing the bell whenever an occassion permitted!
Email is less than sure here. I will try to send another when I have a space. One of my most enjoyable rides across the city was with my cab driver today as we returned from Rabi’s house. “Taxi University.” He told me where all the good shopping is.
I’m still waiting on a few questions. The answers to those I have are amazingly present, meaning I haven’t had to do much work yet!
Peace!
November 19th, 2007
Scott Chesebro is part of a delegation of professionals specializing in sociology who have been selected to participate in bilateral exchanges with their professional counterparts in India, under the auspices of People to People Ambassador Programs in November 2007.
Learn more about where he’ll be at http://www.ambassadorprograms.org/upcomingprograms/social_sciences/cynthia-epstein.asp
August 21st, 2007
Chicago Center Alum Anna Johnson shared this story about Chicago’s architecture. Enjoy these Ten Modern Masterpieces!
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2007/Ten-Modern-Masterpieces/The-List/
July 17th, 2007
Summer sun rises over Chicago’s skyline.
photo by Marc Monaghan
