Post Chi-Urban Excursion
Let me just say this, I did not enjoy waking up at 4 in the morning today.
Was I glad to go home? Yes, definitely. I was tired of being suffocated in a room that you had no idea how to turn down the heat.
Would I come back to Chicago? Yes. As a young adult, the city has so much to offer. The culture is rich and vibrant and the people are relatively friendly.
To be perfectly honest, I thought I made a mistake coming on this trip. For a split second, I wished I had gone to Vegas like every other Gonzaga senior, but after this week I don’t regret my decision at all. I got the opportunity to Chicago, definitely not your stereotypical tourist side (which I am very grateful for), but I got to see the many different elements of the city — socio-economical, racial, environmental, and a little taste of the political side. Through the Gonzaga education, I’ve been aware of the socio-economic and racial problems our society has through academia and community service perspective, but this trip has allowed me to observe events as they happen. It gave me a different perspective that ties in all the theories I’ve read in books and brought them to life.
Overall this trip has made me realize a lot of things. It has helped me clarify what kind of person I want to be as I graduate and enter the real world; deepened my understanding of culture and the importance of diversity in our society; most of all, taught me that opportunities are limitless. I realize that I want to be a lifelong learner so I can make conscious decisions that won’t attribute to the already existing problems. I understand that by learning people’s history and culture, you are able to develop respect for them. You are able to break through or understand stereotypes, but those stereotypes will not limit you and your treatment upon that person. Lastly, I didn’t even know that a program such as the Chicago Center existed. If I knew about it during my undergrad, I would’ve definitely tried to get an internship so I could learn about the many different ways I can be involved in a nonprofit.
Catch phrase of the entire trip: “If you ain’t clappin’ then you hatin’! & It’s a hater freezone!”
– SG