Chi-Urban Excursion

Wow! What an amazing day. I woke up to a great breakfast and learned how to navigate around Chicago! I feel confident enough to go out into the city and experience the different things that Chicago has to offer without being held back from not knowing how to get there. We got on the bus to travel to the Paseo Boricua, the Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago for lunch. It was absolutely amazing! I had the beef stew with plantain. We also had a guided tour and got to learn about the history of the neighborhood. I was just in amazement when walking through the neighborhood. The colors, how the artist was able to capture the emotions, and especially the architecture was just a blessing to see. We had a small break before we headed to St. Sabinas to meet Rev. Dr. Michael Pfleger. When we got to St. Sabinas, I was taken aback at how beautiful the architecture was. The most amazing part of this experience was definitely listening to the youth conversation that they had in the basement of the church. They had a panel of students who talked to the younger community about what they could do to stand up against violence. The questions that were being asked and what was being discussed was so inspiring. Also, when talking with Rev. Dr. Michael Pfleger, he said one thing that stood out to me which was “I want to dust off their old dreams so that they can see that it is once again possible to achieve”. He was so refreshing to listen to and I was just so motivated after listening to him. I have been reaffirmed that I want to help change this world and be that agent of change that he talked about. What he has done for the community has been so admirable and courageous. Once we left St. Sabinas, we went back to hostel. We decided to split up the group for dinner. Dr. Ostendorf, Spencer and I wanted to get Vietnamese food but when we got to the address, we found that it was closed L It was really sad. Then we decided to stop by a place called Sultan’s Market, which was a Middle Eastern restaurant. I had the meat combo that consisted of Lamb Shawerma, Chicken Shawerma and Kefta Kebab. It came with Humas, pita bread, rice and a salad. It was absolutely delicious! But unfortunately I could not finish it all so I asked for a to-go box and the servers were so nice that they gave me more meat, rice and a fresh piece of pita bread! I was beyond excited about that. To end the day, we came back to the hostel and watched the championship game for the men’s basketball game against St. Mary’s. I have to say, another fantastic day in Chicago.

Francis Chau

Sophomore

Sociology & Criminal Justice Major