January 2012 Archives

By Michael Lipkowitz, Class of 2012

Twelve kids get on the wrong school bus. First the bus takes them to different places in Chicago--Lincoln Park Zoo, the Loop, the middle of Lake Michigan.  Suddenly the bus swerves westward and speeds them across the country to California. The kids get out to enjoy the sunshine, only to discover a moment later that the bus is revving up to speed them to New York City.  They hop in with glee as they speed across the wide-open deserts of Nevada.

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This is not the latest story ripped from the headlines; rather, it is a creative piece written by a group of twelve 3rd-to-6th graders in an elementary school on Chicago's South Side.  They are part of Southside Scribblers, an after-school creative writing program run by University of Chicago undergraduates. Scribblers is a Community Service Recognized Student Organization that has been around since 1994, starting out its life as Student Teachers.

Text and Photos by Sarah Miller, Class of 2015

"The history of Chicago is very interesting.  I'm well-versed in my hometown's history, but I don't know as much about Chicago.  Living here and working on the Charnley House is giving me wonderful opportunities to learn more about Chicago's past," said Emma Kinsley, a student in Dr. Rebecca Graff's Archeology Practicum.

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Bits of Glass and Porcelain from Charnley-Persky House Excavation

Connecting to the Community and Beyond MLK Day

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by Sydney Paul, AB '12

On January 12th, UChicago hosted Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, who spoke at the University's annual MLK Commemoration Celebration. Canada passionately advocated for high expectations that all children should attend college, regardless of race, financial circumstances, or place of residence. His work in Harlem, NY has inspired the creation of Promise Communities across the nation, including the Woodlawn Children's Promise Community (WCPC), which counts the University as a close partner.

Many students are answering the call, and Woodlawn has been a particularly active neighborhood when it comes to University collaboration. The success of projects like WCPC cannot be accomplished without the work of volunteers.

We sat down with just two of many student organizations creating collaborations in the Woodlawn neighborhood:


IMG_0611.JPGAs a child, Caesarei Marsh was very independent - in ways not always to his own benefit. At nine years old, he was already roaming the streets of the South Side and abusing drugs. He's been through a lifetime and a half of tragic events - being shot, time in prison, you name it.

This however is not the end of his story. Though he took a tumultuous path, his individuality also gave him the ability to become a powerful vehicle for change in his community later on in life. Caesarei now works as a case manager at Inspiration Corporation's Living Room Café at 64th and Cottage Grove - the same place that helped him get off the streets. [The Living Room Café was founded in 1995 by SSA Alum Jennifer Kihm (AM '94).]

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