Monday, November 21, 2011
Chicago: A College Freedom
After scrolling down through the blogs, and even commenting on a Chicago- related blog post, I noticed that people touched heavily upon the second city comedy show, Gino's, and the Navy Pier. Obviously, I enjoyed said events very much, but I would like to focus this post more on the time in which we had to ourselves, or the free time in our busy daily schedule. I found this time to be extremely valuable, as I was able to freely walk the streets of Chicago, getting a feel for the city as a whole, and exercising my independence as a college student. Previous to college, my family and I took may trips to Chicago, though I did not possess the independence of maturity level to navigate such a big city on my own. Thus, I believe that venturing through the streets of Chicago amongst our peers, and not necessarily our elders, really showed us our true independence and growth in maturity as college students. I feel that Ohio State really prepared us for the trip, and the trip helped us to better understand the city feel that Ohio State evokes, as we are able to freely explore various destinations in both locations.
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Sarah I agree with you completely. My family lives in Chicago, so growing up I visited all of the museums and have basically been to all of the things Chicago has to offer. But this was the first time I experienced the city with just my friends. It gave new light to a city I thought I knew.
ReplyDeleteChicago was a great experience for me as well. Now that we're getting into the holiday season, I find myself longing for street lamps wrapped in christmas garlands, horse-drawn sleighs jingling with the sound of silver bells, and people wrapped in scarves bustling through the streets. Although we visited Chicago in the fall, it was still a lively, culture-filled experience. It was great to gain a sense of freedom apart from college life and become immersed in a city atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed the Second City comedy show; I enjoy that type of slapstick humor and found the way they made fun of stereotypes, politicians, and every day life very funny. My group also went on an architecture tour of Chicago, which was a great way to gain a sense of familiarity of the city and deeper knowledge of its history. Thanks for a great trip!
ReplyDeleteI had a ton of fun in Chicago! I feel like that sentence should pretty much sum up everyone's experience, but let's try to add a bit more detail. I thought the whole trip was fun, from the busride up, to exploring for an hour before going to the Second City comedy show, to the free time the next day and eating at Gino's pizza. I thought the entire experience was great, and I got to know a lot of my fellow Humanities Scholars a lot better! The group I was in basically did everything together, and I got to show them my favorite parts of Chicago (like the Marylin Monroe statue and the Magnificent Mile), which was a fun use of our time on the second day. Because the trip was so much fun, I'm already looking forward to going to Toronto in the springtime! Just need my passport, because Ben won't let me just hide in one of the bags. >_<
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Chicago. It was invigorating to explore the realms of the hustling concrete jungle. This was my first adventure to the Windy City, so all the sights and sounds were new and refreshing to me after the spending months on the Columbus scene. I was impressed by the creative architecture and eccentric art pieces you can find around any given corner of the city (not to mention the never ending supply of Starbucks and McDonalds restaurants). The city's cuisine was superb as well, a nice break from the food found on campus. The cosmopolitan metropolis had so much to offer in the forms of food, entertainment, and site seeing that is was hard get a full taste of the city in the short time we were there. I definitely intend on coming back visit locations i didn't manage to get to during the trip. I'm glad I got to spend the trip developing bonds with the other humanities scholars. I feel like I know a lot more of the other students on a personal level now.
ReplyDeleteChicago was an amazing experience. Having the opportunity to travel to Chicago with some of my closest friends and explore the city is something I will never forget. I loved being able to get a feel for the city in several different ways. We were able to get a taste of the entertainment, the tourist spots, the politics, and most importantly the food. Chicago deep dish pizza was, without a doubt, the best slice of pizza I have ever had. Having the freedom to roam the city with my friends was a new taste of freedom and trust that I had not experienced before. Because of this trip I grew much closer to people in the scholars group than I would have just staying on campus.I an very grateful to OSU and the scholars group for making this trip affordable and possible for me to go on. It truly was a unique experience.
ReplyDeleteI will always remember my first time visiting The Windy City. There was so much to do that it all seemed a little overwhelming at first. But, looking back on it, I hit all the big things. I got to see a show, explore the Field Museum, take pictures in "The Bean", went shopping, ate at GIno's, got to hear a discussion on the first amendment, and just explored! I do admit, however, that I have to go back. I didn't get a chance to stand at the top of Willis Tower and I still need to ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier.
ReplyDeleteThis was my first time visiting Chicago. The trip could not have been better for me. I think there was a great balance of structured events and free time. During my free time I was able to meet up with my old basketball coach and history teacher. She had lived in Chicago her whole life but moved to Richmond the same time I did, and had just moved back this past summer. She knew tons of history so I Iearned a lot about the city's history as well as seeing all of the touristy spots. For example she took me to a restaurant called Twin Anchors, which is famous for its ribs as well as for being patronized by Al Capone. I was shown Chicago by a local, which was a great experience and I really fell in love with the city.
ReplyDeleteVisiting Chicago with the other Humanities Scholars was an awesome experience. Not only did I get to see the Field Museum, go to a show, and visit the Navy Pier, but I also got to spend an amazing weekend with my friends in Chicago! At first I thought Chicago was a little overwhelming upon my first visit, but this time I absolutely loved it and I would love to live there one day! The trip to Chicago was my favorite thing we have done as a Scholars group so far and I can't wait for more exciting activities like it!
ReplyDeleteI particularly enjoyed the Humanities Scholars' trip to Chicago. I loved that we were able to experience a broad range of events. We had fun throughout the trip and being able to attend a comedy improv show one evening then visit a museum the next morning, then have time to go shopping and counting all of the Starbucks we saw made the entire trip unique. I enjoyed getting to know more of the Humanities Scholars who I had not gotten the chance to interact with prior to the trip and it also presented me with an opportunity to grow closer to those people I already knew. As of yet, the Chicago trip has been my favorite Humanities experience.
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