Global Activism: Student Startups at Lincoln Hall

On September 3, I attended the Global Activism: Student Startups event at Lincoln Hall.  Immediately following my first day of school (and my first social entrepreneurship class), I was incredibly excited to meet real people doing interesting and meaningful things in the world.   

I arrived at around 6:45, and began to walk around the room looking at the various "stations" (very science-fairesqe) of young people working for change.  The one that was most interesting to me was a station run by a young man who was working to fight deforestation in areas where "uncontacted" people live.  His project is incredibly cool. He uses satellite technology to locate settlements of tribes in dense rainforest areas (mostly the Amazon) that have never been contacted by modern civilization.  He then connects with the governments of the countries in which these photos were taken and aims to convince them to disallow logging or oil drilling in these areas to protect the local people.  I really connected with this man because I too, have a history with uncontacted peoples.  The summer after 6th grade, I spent a week in the Amazon with the Huaorani people, fishing, hunting, and walking through the jungle.  This tribe was first contacted very recently. 

At around 7:10, the booths closed and the panel of young global activists took the stage.  They explained the projects they are working on and audience members got to ask them questions.  My favorite activist was a man who organized a project for travelers around the world to find home-cooked meals.  What an interesting idea!

I found it really interesting to be in an environment where the people around me are interested in socially responsible programs. I hope to attend events like this in the future. 

Adler Planetarium Partial Solar Eclipse Event

On October 23, I drove down to the Adler Planetarium to view the partial solar eclipse.  I had no idea what to expect, but I chose to attend the event because I find things related the space interesting and I've always been a fan of the planetarium.  We arrived at around 4:00 and took a little tour through the building.  In one room, we messed around with an interactive screen that allowed us to ask different questions about space.  In another room, a scientist was giving a lecture to the public on the eclipse while they watched it in real time (from a feed in California). 

At around 4:30, I walked outside to try to see the eclipse with me own eyes. The outside of the museum was packed - and I could tell I was in the company of some really interesting science-lovers.  One astrophysicist approached me to offer special glasses. I was in awe. I'm not sure if I had ever met an astrophysicist before!  

Anyways, the eclipse itself was not too easy to see because the clouds were dark and low and kept blocking the sun. The most interesting part of the day, though, was being in the company of fellow Chicagoans who are genuinely interested in space.  It reminded me of the fact that we live in a city with tons of really intellectual people who will take time out of their days to see something like this. I guess it made me feel good about being a Chicagoan and a human. 

A Lesson on Gentrification Turned Slum Tour

Uptown, Chicago

As part of our school's “Civic Engagement” program, I spent my morning in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Despite living a mere 20 minutes away, until today, the area was completely unfamiliar to me.

Our school bus pulled up to the intersection of Wilson and Sheridan and we filed out and began walking towards a coffee shop across the street. My first reaction to my observation was that the pedestrians around us seemed to be moving so slowly. It seemed they had no where to be. I didn’t feel unsafe, but rather depressed.

In a windowless room behind the coffee shop, we were introduced to Anton, a social activist and a life-long resident of Uptown. He took us through a narrative of his personal history with the neighborhood; we learned about his experience in local schools and his observations about the changing nature of the city. Our conversation moved towards a discussion regarding the “Chicago 21” plans and the city’s ploys to gentrify areas like Uptown.  With only basic knowledge of the history of Chicago – especially as it relates to segregation and socio-economic imbalance – I learned a ton. Of course, Anton had a strong bias against the “powers in city hall”, but nonetheless he had a powerful presence and a story I trusted.  

His main message was clear: gentrification ruins the rich history of Chicago neighborhoods and unjustly displaces residents from the areas they have known forever. The message was meaningful and Anton made his personal truths accessible and tangible.

But my appreciation for the day’s activities soured slightly when Anton took us on a “tour” of Uptown.  He showed us various streets in the neighborhood, recounting historical facts about the places we passed. But while we were able to get a sense of the area, the walk mostly felt like a slum tour. There we were, a group of around 25 white students wearing lulu lemon leggings and Patagonia fleeces, walking past rambling homeless men and groups of guys smoking marijuana in a park. I always understood the “slum tour” phenomenon to be totally contradictory to societal norms. Traveling to see poverty, whether it be for purposes of entertainment or education, seems distasteful.  There must be other ways to learn about a neighborhood without walking around, almost trying to look like an outsider looking inwards.

Overall, the day’s message was important and the opportunity to learn about a new neighborhood was valuable, but the way in which we went around accomplishing these goals should have been approached differently.