Chicago Culture and Tourism

Snapping pictures by the bean in Millennium Park…

Dining on delicious Chicago-style deep dish pizza…

“Oh”ing and “ah”ing over the view from the Hancock Building observation deck…

One of my favorite aspects of the Plunge 2011 trip to Chicago was that we not only had the opportunity to participate in service activities and engage with organizations in the Chicago area, but we also had the chance to be tourists!  While several members of the Scholar Leader community are natives of Chicago or have spent substantial time in the city, others were visiting for the first time.  The Plunge planning committee did a wonderful job picking a wide variety of attractions and activities that gave all parties a better understanding of the city in addition to being lots of fun.

Our first evening was spent exploring Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.  We, of course, took a group picture by the bean in Millennium Park (what trip to Chicago would be complete without it?!)  We then had the chance to explore the Art Institute.  Our group’s favorite part of the art museum was the miniatures collection.  We fell in love with the exquisitely designed and beautifully displayed miniature rooms, portraying housing from America and Europe from the 1700s to the mid-1900s, awed by the detail and the beauty of these pieces of art.  We were also very impressed by the expansive modern art exhibit as well as collections of earlier works.  It was definitely quite an experience to see works of art that you often only see in books.  That night, we boarded our bus and headed to the Hancock Building for a glimpse of the city from above.  We were not disappointed!  After scaling 1,000 feet in a mere 40 seconds on the fastest elevator in the United States, we were presented with a spectacular view of Chicago.  An audio-tour allowed us to gain a better understanding of the layout of the city and the hot spots in Chicago, several of which we had the opportunity to experience later in the trip. 

Our cultural experience on the second day included visiting China Town.  An hour-long walking tour with our exuberant tour guide, Victoria, led to much insight into the culture, history, and lives of those who live and work in this area.  Following the tour, we were treated to a delicious meal at a local restaurant.  We were all overwhelmed by the amount of food but thoroughly enjoyed sampling the many dishes of Chinese cuisine.  Another piece of local cultural cuisine, deep-dish Chicago style pizza, was on the menu later in the afternoon during our discussion with leaders from DePaul University.  That evening, we had a little bit of free time to explore the city on our own, which was one of the best bonding experiences that I personally had on the trip.  A group of about seven or eight of us went and sat at the Panera across the street from the hostel where we were staying, and spent an hour or so enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, people watching, talking, and sharing stories.  Afterwards, I, along with two other Scholar Leaders, ended our night walking around the area near the hostel.  We ended up exploring the theatre district and eventually found ourselves in a local artsy coffee shop.

Much of our third and final day in Chicago was spent at Shedd Aquarium, where we spoke with a Miami alumnus and present conservationist at the aquarium about the conservation efforts and educational experiences that the aquarium takes part in.  We were given time to explore the incredible aquarium which seemed to be a favorite activity of many Plunge participants.  Two of our ever-cunning Elliott men, Matthias Scheele and Brian J. Hill, even convinced the conservationist with whom we had spoken with earlier to take us down into a special shark exhibit!  That evening, following the Miami Men’s Glee Club Winter Tour concert, we were treated to another delicious dinner, this time in Little Italy, to wrap up an incredible trip to Chicago.

The Scholar Leader Plunge planners did an excellent job planning tourist activities that were quite complimentary to the service and educational aspects of our trip.  By having the opportunity to explore the city, those of us who were not as familiar with Chicago were better able to understand the rich culture and diversity of the city, which we were then able to apply to discussions with organizations and in our understanding of the issues and opportunities of the city.  Scholar Leader Plunge 2011 was an excellent way to bond with fellow Scholar Leaders, engage in service and educational opportunities, and explore a really awesome city.  I would have to say that this trip was one of the most formative of my experiences in the Scholar Leader community and I cherish the memories made and the connections forged on this trip. 

Scholar Leader Love!

--Sammi Bowyer