Author: mbrophy

Student worker

Chicago Fall Travel Guide

Although it is just starting to feel like fall, our semester is coming to an end and Thanksgiving break is almost here!  It is the perfect time to be a Chicagoan, with holiday events happening all around the city! Our Program Assistants have created a small guide for events happening in and around the loop. Have some fun with friends and family and celebrate your hard work this semester!  

 Just a short walk from campus, this Chicago holiday staple will be held in the Daley Plaza. Christkindlmarket  brings a wide variety of vendors together so we can enjoy the best. It is a perfect event to go with friends and family, or solo.  Enjoy arts, music, culture, and more! For more details, visit the Christkindlmarket website.   

There is no better way to see Chicago during the holiday season than taking a CTA holiday train! This unique Chicago tradition will be operating for the 33rd year this season. CTA trains sparkle with holiday designs and lights, and Santa can even be spotted sitting on an open-air flatcar with reindeer. Click this link to view the full in-depth schedule!! 

Navy Pier hosts a holiday event every year and this year it is called Light Up the Lake! From November 29th to January 5th, the pier decorates the entire outside (and most of the inside!) with lights and inflatables. They have interactive events such as the ice slide, axe throwing, crafting, and drone related firework shows! While all this takes place, the indoor vendors and food stands are open to the public as well.  

Pilsen’s Autumn Vintage & Artisan Market takes place on November 23rd/24th. Its setup involves food, shopping, art, and music galore! It’s only a train ride away and there’s enough to explore, you could be there for the entire day. 

Millennium Park Ice Skating is the perfect winter activity. With the city skyline on one side, and a view of the bean on the other, Millennium Park is a great place to get into the winter spirit! Millennium Park offers skate rentals and lessons.  Food and drinks can be found right next to the rink at Millennium Coffee and Millennium Hall. Reservations are required and prices vary. Check out more here! 

Another skating rink only a bit North is the Maggie Daley skating ribbon. The large skating rink is twice the size of a traditional rink and features Chicago’s gorgeous skyline. Reservations are also required for this skating rink and skates are available for rental. For more information, click here. 

Catch Chicago’s annual Thanksgiving parade in person! The Thanksgiving parade takes place from 8am-11am, Thursday, November 28th. The parade runs down State Street from Ida B. Wells to Randolph. Featured in the parade are beautiful floats, gigantic helium balloons, and incredible performances from Chicago’s own.  If you can’t watch the parade in person, catch the live broadcast on Pluto TV. 

From light shows to parades to markets, Chicago has a lot to offer this time of year.  With many of these events near Roosevelt, it’s the perfect excuse to get out and explore the city. We hope you enjoyed this list of events and get a chance to check them out! 

The Importance of Honors Advising

Around halfway through the semester, Honors students attend an Honors Advising session. Honors advising is a requirement to maintain Honors membership and to make adequate progress in the program. This is perfectly timed to coordinate your sessions with academic advisors who you will meet with to set up your schedule for next semester. The purpose of this meeting is to set you up for success the following semester. Every student’s Honors advising process is unique depending on specific needs, excitements, and schedule limitations. Hear from our Program Assistants about their Honors Advising session and how they resonate with this experience! 

Mary: 

My favorite part about Honors Advising is getting to share my personal updates with Kenley or Sarah Maria! Not only do they react positively to my news, but they ask me first to make sure I know that they genuinely want to know how I am doing and are happy to see their students thriving. When I come into the office for a meeting, before discussing    grades/attendance/normal class related things, the Honors Advisors always start the session off by asking how you, personally, are doing, in school or otherwise. It truly is a safe space in the Honors office. You’re open to ranting about tough classes, homework struggles, and anything else you may need to relieve some of the weight you are carrying, and Kenley and Sarah Maria are more than happy to listen and/or give advice. Within the walls of their offices, you don’t need to be the perfect student who has everything together. You can be honest about struggling grades, late homework, and even openly admitting that you procrastinate every single assignment. All they want to do is help ease our struggles any way they can and are eagerly awaiting their appointments with students in order to put that help into action.  

Camila:  

My Honors Advising sessions with Kenley are always very rewarding and meaningful. When I was a freshman, her guidance was helpful as I navigated the responsibilities of being an Honors student. I gained familiarity with the program and began to feel more comfortable. Honors advising appointments are beneficial to me because they feel personal and give me a space to connect with the Honors Program. Kenley is always very aware of my experiences as a student, and it is rewarding to feel understood. Kenley knew that this semester, I have had a more challenging schedule. It has been difficult to manage classes, work, and family responsibilities. As we began discussing the possible classes I could take next semester, I knew that I wanted more flexibility and time available for me outside of classes. I am also considering double majoring, which would shift the courses I take. When I shared my hopes for the next semester and following, Kenley helped me map out actionable steps and strategies I could take. Although semester planning can feel like an impossible task, honors advising provides me a space to think about the choices available to me.  

Roan: 

Honors advising is great because it gives me a space to talk about my experiences as a student and make choices that develop my learning. Honors advising is not just about picking classes for next semester, but also a space to think about your future. In my advising sessions, I am able to talk about every aspect of my academic life. I can share about the classes I love and don’t love, how classes impact my progress and academic future, and my overall experience. There is a genuine commitment to each person’s success when it comes to Honors. As Honors courses tend to be less major-specific, I can at times struggle to decide which Honors course will work best for me. Kenley is knowledgeable about every Honors class from content, style, to instructor. Honors advising allows you to find out which Honors courses are perfect for you and your own learning. Overall, Honors advising is more than just an academic meeting. It is also an opportunity to gain helpful knowledge that will help you succeed in and outside of honors.   

From the experiences of our Program Assistants, it is clear that the needs and desires of every Honors student are different. From sharing your semester experiences, your challenges in classes, or to your aspirations for the future, your Honors advising sessions can be used for a variety of needs. You are given the agency to direct your session however you would like. Sarah Maria and Kenley are available to support you, no judgement! We look forward to seeing you all in the office at AUD 711!!  

Meet Our Program Assistants!

As we settle into the Fall 2024 semester, the Honors Program Office would like to take a moment to welcome our new team of Honors Program Assistants! Bringing a diverse range of backgrounds and talents, our team is committed to enriching the Honors experience and supporting the academic journey of students in the program. The Program Assistants will keep our student body up to date through an active and engaging social media presence, and will provide in-depth information and stories on our blog. Camila, Mary, and Roan are excited to introduce themselves to our Honors Program community!

Camila:

My name is Camila and I am a sophomore majoring in sustainability studies, from the west of the city in the Berwyn/Cicero area. I was always interested in urban planning, because cities have always surrounded me, and as I moved through my education, I noticed the inequities embedded within the physical structures of our environments. Roosevelt resonated with me as a social-justice oriented institution, because of its location, and it was close to home. Although Roosevelt does not have a program directly related to urban planning, after a one-on-one shadowing opportunity with Professor Mike Bryson, I was convinced to ultimately study at Roosevelt. I was also intrigued by the Honors Program, because it resonated with my learning and provided me with a large amount of financial support, which alleviated most of my stress relating to the college application process. 

As I gained more familiarity with the Honors Program as a student, I felt more comfortable and began engaging more with my courses. For example, I joined the Honors Exchange last year, which was the most memorable learning experience of my freshman year. I was thrilled to learn that the Honors Program office was looking for another Program Assistant during my second semester of freshman year. I resonated greatly with my Honors educational experiences and was excited to learn more through this position. Although I joined a bit later in the school year, I was still able to learn so much about our Honors office operations. I had the guidance and support of my three peers, who helped me learn about the many running pieces of the office, like the social media, blog, newsletter, club, and much more. This experience was great, and I enjoyed being part of the office as a student worker. I am super excited to continue working this year as the Lead Honors Program Assistant. My peers last year provided me with a welcoming and comfortable environment to learn and explore this position, and I hope to do the same this year. Together, we are working on many projects, ensuring this year will be memorable and filled with excitement! 

Mary: 

Hi! I’m Mary and I am a Junior here at Roosevelt this year. It’s my first year working in the Honors Program and I am so excited to start seeing the business side of the program in addition to the student side. I am a criminal justice major with a legal studies minor. Being a part of our school’s justice program has been so impactful in my learning journey and I have gained so much knowledge that I had no idea about before coming here. I am originally from Lafayette, Indiana, home to Purdue university, where I took an online college course before coming to Chicago called ‘Introduction to Serial Killers’. I decided to take this course because I graduated high school a semester early, but still wanted to wait until fall to go to college. This course also allowed me to get a sneak peek at if this was truly the major I wanted to pursue and I fell in love with it from the start. I chose to come to Roosevelt because my dad used to work at the University Center and I always knew I wanted to live there. Roosevelt seemed like the best fit for me based on the three colleges that live in that building. Three years later and I am so glad I made that choice. I sort of fell into the Honors Program my second semester here. I didn’t know our school had one, but I received an email saying that I would be a good fit and that I should consider joining; obviously I said yes! Going along with that, I was always curious about the students behind the desk in the Honors lounge and when I received the encouragement to apply, I was thrilled! This year, I am going to help with writing blog posts and coming up with fun ideas for the Honors Program social media accounts. I am very excited to see what lies ahead with this job for the upcoming semester, and figure out my place in this team.

Roan: 

Hello! My name is Roan Daley and I am a sophomore here at Roosevelt. I am from Essex Junction, Vermont and I am a criminal justice major. I have had an interest in criminal justice from the time I visited the F.B.I. museum during an 8th grade field trip to Washington, D.C. After doing a technical program in high school, I knew criminal justice was what I wanted to pursue. What brought me to Roosevelt was a couple of things. I absolutely love the location, Chicago is my favorite city and I love going to a school where the city is our campus! I also love the social justice model that Roosevelt strives for. Social justice is something that is very important to me especially in relation to my criminal justice studies. What drew me to the Honors Program was the commitment to interactive learning such as discussion and collaboration-based classes. The Honors Program also offers scholarships for students which was a huge help for my academic success. I applied to be an Honors Program Assistant because I loved my first year in the Honors Program and wanted to expand my involvement. Going into my first year as an Honors Program Assistant, I am very excited for everything we have planned. My background is in social media and I look forward to the fun and creativity that comes with that! 

Looking Ahead:

As you can see, our Program Assistants have established themselves as proud Rooseveltians and Honors students, connecting deeply to the mission of Roosevelt and the ethos of the Honors Program. This position provides a unique learning experience, and our team is eager to positively impact our community. Equipped with their various skills and interests, Camila, Mary, and Roan are well-prepared to undertake the tasks ahead of them. Through the work produced by our program assistants, Honors can continue providing comprehensive information and updates for program members that will boost engagement and encourage participation in Honors initiatives. Stop by AUD 711 Monday through Thursday between 9 am and 4:30 pm to be greeted warmly by these excellent students and enjoy the vibe of the Honors office! !