A Plunge reflection

Chicago was a great trip. I feel as though, at least for me, it was an opportunity to grow closer to the people of Scholar Leader, both students and administration affiliated with the program.

First, I would like to speak to the organization and planning that went into the trip itself. The students who planned this Plunge Experience were phenomenal in the attention to detail they took in laying out the itinerary, booking tickets/tours, and the organizing meals. There was a great variety in the activities that we did, from touring famous attractions such as Millennium Park to meeting with activist groups in Chicago advocating for the poor and disabled people of the city. It was a great variety which offered multiple perspectives and experiences of one city in America.

Speaking to the bonding experience, I think the way in which the trip was organized (with a focus on staying together) was hugely beneficial to those who went. Starting with the tour bus that was rented, everyone was able to be with everyone else at all times, which allowed for more interaction amongst social groups that have inevitable formed within Scholar Leader. The tourist attractions that we experienced, we experienced as group. The social issues of which we heard about and contributed to the solutions of, we did as a group. This is what I think pulled the trip from a vacation to a communal experience of social justice, learning, and fun.

I will close with this. For all those who attended plunge and made it priority during your break, thank you. For all those who planned this amazing communal experience, thank you. And for all those who didn’t attend, I encourage you talk to others who attended plunge, get inspired, and get active.