When Did it Become So Cold?
Wow! The temperature and energy from this week’s walk compared to my previous walks was completely different. Despite being from Illinois and having experienced Chicago’s cold weather every year of my life, I still find myself struggling to adjust.
During my walk I brainstormed ideas mainly for my field guide. I decided that I want to recount my favorite walk I’ve done since being here, which was the walk from DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus to the Loop Campus.
Two weeks ago, my roommate and I were feeling tired and lazy so we decided that we should take a walk downtown. We had both been downtown by train many times and thought it was time to get to Michigan Ave by foot. In addition, I wanted to add another level of challenge of not using a map to get there. To my surprise, we were able to reach the John Hancock Center from Lincoln Park, without using a map. Once we reached the Mag Mile, we were planning on walking to the Merchandise Mart to take the Brown Line back to Campus, but once my out of state roommate wanted to visit the bean, I suggested that we stop at the Loop Campus since we had both never been there.
We both had a great time on this walk by exploring and seeing how places we had been before using different modes of transportation were connected by walking. As the weather gets colder, I hope to keep walking and finding enjoyment through walking, despite the nasty windchill.
Reading Journal Question:
Why is it important for us, as DePaul Students, to understand the segregation or divide between various parts of the city? How does the article, “When West Sider Told College Classmates Where She Was From, Everything Changed” prove the presence and issues surrounding the divide of Chicago?
Response:
As a result of being from a northern suburb of Chicago, I constantly hear rumors and stories told about the ‘dangerous areas of Chicago’ and am shamed for even wanting to live in Chicago. As a teen, I was in constant fear every time I went to places like the United Center, or used Chicago public transportation. However, going to DePaul, experiencing Immersion Week, and reading Chicagoan’s stories have taught me that people from more northern areas severely misjudge these communities that they were taught to fear. As the article “When West Sider Told College Classmates Where She Was From, Everything Changed” points out, most of the stereotypes and assumptions made about Chicago communities are made by people who have never been to these places. As a result, these “perceptions impact decisions that perpetuate segregation” (Johnson). This article follows a Concordia Chicago Student from Humboldt Park experiences prejudice from her ‘northside’ classmates and feels like an outcast. I believe as DePaul students, we have a responsibility to prevent this from happening here, by never making another student feel ashamed of where they are from. In addition, to never judge a neighborhood that we never visited or that we have not taken the time to understand. As I write my final paper for this class, I hope to expand on this idea more, as I feel it is an important issue in my life.
