Paolo's Response Post

Response Blog

Paolo Morales

9/26

            The first blog I read was by Nicole Galvin. She wrote about the same area as I did, and so I thought it would be nice to compare what each of us had to say about the area. The first thing I noticed was that she had a hook on her introduction, while I just dove straight into talking about my area. She also uses second person, which I think was a great idea because I feel that second person really engages the reader. Though she uses all capitals on a word and drags the letter at the end of a word. I.E: SOOOOO and Ahhhhhh. Also, she listed all the offices in the building so students get a pretty good idea of what the building was made for. She also put a map of the east campus which was a great idea so incoming students will have a better idea of where Student Service Building is located. Overall I really liked Nicole’s blog. I thought it was well thought out and does a good job in grabbing the reader’s attention. The picture’s she chose are a great add-on since they are supplemental to the blog. She also somewhat fulfilled the main goal, which was to link the mission statement to the area we are observing. The only times I’ve been to SSB was during orientation, and to pick up my U-Pass. Personally, I cannot link the mission statement with SSB so far because I don’t need financial aid. Although I know many people that receive it so I know this building is beneficial to many students

            Next was Yessica Huizar’s blog post on Area 2. First thing I noticed was that it looked a bit short, but maybe because she didn’t post her Word file on the blog. She also started out with an introductory paragraph. She has multiple building is her area, the UIC Theatre, Education, Performing Arts and Social Work Building, and Behavioral Sciences Building. She does a good job explaining what they look like and where they’re located. She also implements multiple quotes from people she interviewed and puts them in the correct spot. She doesn’t link the mission statement with her area and didn’t put pictures of the buildings. Overall, I thought she did a good job. She could have elaborated on each building, but she did a good job of describing and telling us where they’re located. She also has to add a picture. I’ve only been to the Behavioral Sciences Building during orientation. That’s where we had all the speeches and most meetings. From what I’ve heard is that the building is pretty confusing so I’m glad that I don’t have any classes in there. I’ve never been to the UIC Theatre, and the Education, Performing Arts, and Social Work Building because my major (Biological Science) doesn’t require me to take those types of classes. I don’t even know where their located so I have no experiences at those buildings. But I know that all of these buildings provide for students education obviously and so I think that it does relate to UIC’s mission statement.

            The last one I read was by Alyssa Salemi on Area 5. She observed the UIC Resident Halls. She jumped right into talking about the resident halls, just like what I did. She wrote it in first person and gives great detail on how it is living in the dorms. She describes the sounds she hears while she walks down the hallways. She also gives her advice of how she became to familiarize herself with the dorms. She lacked describing the James Stukel Towers, and Marie Robinson Hall. She didn’t add any quotations though, but has a couple of pictures. She also linked her area with the UIC mission statement. If I haven’t mentioned it earlier the statement is, “To provide a wide range of students with the educational opportunity only a leading research university can offer”.  Overall, I thought that Alyssa did a good job of describing one of the dorm halls, but could have done a better job on describing JST, and MRH. She added two nice pictures of the buildings, and did a good job of talking about the history of the area she observed and linked the mission statement with it. I live in Commons West so I have a bit of knowledge of it. There are many floor activites that residents can go to, and my peer mentor is a math tutor, so I could go to her for help for math whenever I need it. I think that dorming represents UIC’s mission statement well because I feel that it only helps students with their educational goals because they have multiple resources within the buildings for school help and also their located within campus and so that means students are close to the library and the offices of professors. It’s easy access for learning and studying. There has been many times where I studied in dorms with other classmates.

Paolo's Post

SSB 

By: Paolo Morales

            Hello freshman, I want to introduce you to my area of observation. The only thing it consists of is the Student Service Building and parking lots. The building is on the intersection of Racine and Harrison if ever you need to go there. It’s also right across from the big parking lot west of East Campus and across the UIC Pavilion.

This place is interesting because mainly students from UIC go here to either inquire about financial aid, U-Pass, which is the train and bus pass. This isn’t a building you would want to go to if you have an academically related question. I asked Savannah, a freshman, “Why are you going to this building?” She responds, “My dad is a soldier, and so I have to talk to them about financial aid”. This is the place where you get your I-card, which is your University ID. You should make sure you have your I-Card on yourself at all times because it can buy you food on campus, it can open doors, and it will get into your dorm room if your living on campus. What I found interesting is that the building used to be a shopping mall. The computer lab used to be a Burger King and it’s funny because they still have the original tiles and counters from the restaurant.

            There is a snack shop right in the center when you walk into SSB. Though when I was there, I never saw anyone buy anything from it, probably because it’s pretty expensive especially just for snack food. I suggest looking around for a restaurant because there are many outside campus that sells meals for very cheap.

            The conversations I overheard were the same you would here almost any other place on campus. I overheard people talking about how to get places, their personal life, sports, dorm life, roommates, The thing is that most people are on their phone conversing rather than conversing with someone else. The reason I believe that their on phones is because no one wants to go walk with their friend to the building because it’s a good walk from east campus, which is why most of the people that go here are by themselves. I also noticed that if people aren’t talking on their phones, they are still doing something on their phone anyways. Also, there is a constant flow of people coming in and out and that shows that students actually use this building for all the questions they have about their financial needs. You should also know that you could go here for testing services, student employment, student development, support for Native-Americans, international services, technology and system programming, the Dean of students, counseling center, African American academic network, and academic center for excellence. You can probably tell that this building is a good size since there are many offices in there.

This is not the place you would want to hang out or relax because of all the people and cars rushing around. There’s not much scenery besides the plants and trees. I would recommend a place where you can see the Willis Tower, especially at night.

            The environment outside is nice. There’s plenty of vegetation around the building. It’s a bit noisy though because it’s on the corner of an intersection so cars are always honking. There is vegetation inside also. I’m not sure if it’s fake or not but I think adds a nice touch. Getting around is pretty confusing for me. I’m sure that if I go there more often that I’ll get the hang of it but the thing is that I feel that I won’t have to go there often, so I’m not the least bit worried.  

            The Student Service Building is a great example of the UIC mission statement, which is, “To provide a wide range of students with the educational opportunity only a leading research university can offer. I think that SSB represents the statement fully because it has many offices that are made specifically for students’ financial needs, which makes opportunities for students to go to college who cant afford it. Also knowing UIC’s history, which was destroying a neighborhood to make room for a university, it makes a lot of sense that this building used to be a shopping mall.

Response Blog - Joshua Williams

Joshua Williams

English 160

Response Blog

                       

            Upon entering UIC, I knew very little about the school. I knew that it is largely a commuter school that is located by the train and bus system. I knew that UIC has a traditional campus, unlike many colleges in Chicago. I knew that UIC is well known for the research that it does. That is about the extent of what I knew. I found my way to the residence hall where I would be staying. I knew very little about the function of the buildings. I stumbled around the campus, frequently looking at my schedule and the campus map. I didn’t have any friends. Being new to UIC, you might share some of these experiences. I will tell you, however, that it does get better. You will meet new people, you will learn your way around the campus, and you will learn about the function of each building. Soon you will be proud to call yourself a UIC student, and later you will be proud to call yourself a UIC graduate.

            The University of Illinois at Chicago has a very unique and interesting history.  The University of Illinois was founded in 1857. The various health colleges that the University of Illinois affiliated with merged with the University in 1913. These colleges banded together and eventually became the University of Illinois at the Medical Center (UIMC). After World War II, student veterans wanted a college education, and the University took the initiative. A Chicago Undergraduate Division was created on the Navy Pier in 1946, and offered two year degrees.  More people still wanted a public university education and the decision was made to use the current location in 1961. This campus, which was opened in 1965, was named the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. It offered four year degrees and was a research-oriented school. The Medical Center merged with this new campus in 1982, and officially formed the University of Illinois at Chicago. This pushed the schools research to new heights, and drew in an increasing percentage of students wishing to live in the residence halls. Due to this demand, the South Campus was created in 2000, to provide students with more living space. Throughout the years UIC has only gotten better at providing its students for a bright and successful future. The tools acquired here at UIC are gained through hard work, and will help you wherever life may take you.

UIC Campus map.

 

            I have recently become acquainted with the buildings and resources here at UIC. The first facility I got to know was Commons West, Commons South, and the Courtyard. These are the residence halls where UIC students live. The building is large and brown, with a gothic styled architecture. There are five floors filled with great people, and the three residence halls are connected on the third floor by walkways. The hallways look hotel styled, and are usually clean. There are lounges strategically placed throughout the building, and the fifth floor tour lounge is very nice, with its big screen TV, kitchen, piano, and fantastic view. The mailboxes and laundry is on the first floor, and the front desk is on the second floor only a short walk away from the rooms. Walking past the front desk there is a computer lab, and walking past that I saw Student Center East. Student Center East serves a variety of functions. There is a large sitting area with a TV, which the students take advantage of to socialize and work. There are a number of places to eat in the inner circle, including Subway, Wendy’s, and a Burrito Bar, and all of these places are located on the second floor. There is also a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Baskin’ Robins close by. The second floor also hosts the UIC Station, a small store that sells snacks. On the first floor there is the cafeteria and the UIC Bookstore.

            I walked to the Recreation Center which is on the other side of Halsted Street. This building in large, and has large buildings. To UIC students it is free, and the public can pay to enter. Once inside I saw a swimming pool, a large gym, a track, and a couple basketball courts. There are also outside basketball and tennis courts located next to the building. On the other side of Student Center East the Quad is located.

 The Quad is a large, circular, concrete space with various benches placed loosely around the circle. This is a heavily used area often with people walking to class, talking to each other, or simply relaxing. The Lecture Halls are located around the Quad, in short buildings and in a circular fashion. The buildings are named A through E, and each building is in fair condition. South of the Lecture Halls is Taft Hall, Burham Hall, and Adams Hall. These buildings are used mostly for small discussion classes. Further south is the Science and Engineering building. Even further south there is a collection of fields. Thomas Beckham Hall is located very close to these fields, and houses a large number of upperclassmen. Walking from Student Center East and through the Quad I saw the Richard Daley Library. It is a very quiet and respectable place. There are an impressive number of books, and multiple sitting areas. As an avid reader I felt a certain joy at so much knowledge being at my disposal. Leaving the library and going northeast I quickly found myself at a small group of buildings. They turned out to be Lincoln Hall, Douglas Hall, and Grant Hall. Lincoln and Douglas Hall are connected by walkways, and the buildings are mainly used for their classrooms. Inside computer labs and lounge areas can be found, and it is very pleasant and modern. Grant Hall is very important because it host the Writing Center, which is a writing resource many of the student at UIC use. North of these buildings is the Art and Architecture building and it is strange. It has the shape of a double helix on the outside, which is very interesting, but the inside is plain. West of the Art and Architecture building I found Henry Hall, Jefferson Hall, Stevenson Hall, and University Hall. These buildings are used for the classrooms inside. University Hall is the largest building on campus and is imposing. Each floor belongs to a different subject, and so has a different feel. To the left I saw the Behavioral Sciences Building. This building has classes, a computer lab, and a cafeteria. Across the street (Harrison Street) I saw the UIC Theater and walking west I saw the Student Services Building which is interesting indeed. It used to be a mall and has been repurposed for a lot of the offices of UIC. Inside I found all of the ethnic group offices, the Office of Admissions, the Office of Career Services, the Counseling Center and much more. I liked this building because the indoor trees seemed out of place, and because it was a mall it was strange to see offices inside. As I walked back to my room in the Courtyard, I couldn’t help but be in awe of all that was there to help me on my journey. All-in-all I am really glad I got to know the campus, and understand where the campus resources are.

 Lecture Halls during class hours.

            I am satisfied with the campus as a whole. Although there is a lot of concrete, there are special areas of grass carefully maintained. The buildings of the campus are varied, some old some new, some have great resources, and others are just used for classes. The resources that are available make studying here easier, like the abundance of computer labs, and the Writing Center.  My time at UIC is just beginning, and I will no doubt use many of these wonderful resources. The campus really seems to be tailored to the needs of its students, and I am happy to be one of those students. Another strong point for the university is its diversity, and I get the impression that UIC strives to make sure students get to see other cultures. UIC is old, and I quickly saw evidence of this age (i.e. the interior of some of the older buildings). Furthermore, this university has struck a nice balance with many people busy with their studies, but still making time for fun. I don’t know what the future may hold, but I can say that my time here at UIC will help me to conquer anything that I may encounter.

           

Galvin, Nicole. Area 1, Student Services Building. Blackboard.uic.edu

Huizar, Yessica.  Area 2, Behavioral Sciences Building. Blackboard.uic.edu

Tapoi,  Elisabeth . Area 4, AA,GH,DH, and LH. Blackboard.uic.edu

Williams, Joshua. Area 5, Residence Halls. Blackboard.uic.edu

 

Residence Hall Tour - Joshua Williams

                           

Joshua Williams
English 160 Blog

     Upon entering UIC, I didn’t know what to think. A part of me was scared, while another part was excited, and a third part was determined. The residence halls are located near the CTA train station and also along the bus route. On move-in day, I saw the Courtyard which is a large brown building with tinted windows. I got my keys and stumbled through the building trying to find my place until eventually I asked for directions. Shortly after, I met the people of my cluster (a cluster being an small group of rooms sharing a bathroom) and was amazed at how diverse we all were, almost all of us being a member of a different race. Being new on campus I wasn’t exactly scared, but I wasn’t comfortable either. I’m glad to say that later on this discomfort went away entirely.
         In the weeks to come I learned a lot more about UIC’s history. I read about how classes were given at the Navy Pier and the pressure for a public university lead to the birth of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle in 1965. The new campus was located in a working class, multi -ethnic neighborhood, and destroyed many homes. The campus was built in sections, the west campus dorms being built between 1965 -1969. This gave the largely commuter school a place to house some of its students. UIC was formed by the joining of the Medical Center campus and the Chicago Circle campus in 1982, and this merger allowed the university to maintain a higher level of research. Over the years the university has only improved, and its determination in providing excellent education has not wavered.
        The people are nice, and everyone is always quickly walking somewhere and usually in groups. I found it relatively easy to make friend, and now it’s common for us to stay up late together, even if we have class in the morning. I found that just like my cluster, the rest of UIC is very diverse, sporting people from many ethnic groups, languages, and walks of life. My new friends, along with a large number of students in the residence halls, live close to home and visit home often. I am always glad to see them when they come back, and I am sure we will have long and fulfilling friendships.
      Later on I became better acquainted with the buildings. Upon arriving I noticed that the Courtyard was big brown and gothic and the architecture of the other buildings was similarly large and stoic, except for the Art and Design building, which has a very weird abstract exterior, and is not connected like the three residence halls are.

      It wasn’t until later that I became acquainted with Thomas Beckham Hall, which consists of two red brick buildings connected by a narrow hallway. The Courtyard, Commons South, Commons West, and Thomas Beckham Hall are all residence halls for UIC students. The hallway of the residence halls could be from a hotel, and the carpet is clearly old, but clean.  The Courtyard, Commons South, and Commons West, are all connected on the third floor, and there are a few lounges strategically placed throughout the building.  The tower lounge (located on the fifth and final floor) hosts a wonderful view of the city, a big screen TV, electric piano, and a kitchen area. The mailboxes are on the first floor. The front desk is located on the second floor a short walk away from the rooms and provides access to information, has spare keys, and allows UIC students to receive their mail. There laundry room is on the first floor (and is usually full on the weekends). The entire building seems well maintained and I never see the same trash on the ground two days in a row (if there is any trash to be seen at all). There are only two exceptions to observation. The recycling which consists of three bins has a tendency to overflow on the weekends, and I saw flooding on one rainy night. Overall the residence halls of UIC are not extravagant, but not bad either.
       The people here are great and I feel safe walking down the halls at night. The people I talked to had mixed feelings about the size of the rooms, some saying they were comfortable, and others saying they didn’t have enough space.  The residence halls are a short walk from various other buildings and it was universally agreed upon that it is great being so close to our classes. One UIC student said “It’s pretty convenient because I don’t have to bring everything to each class, and I have time to prepare in between classes.” People often go to eat together and the planned activities, such as concerts and Sunday brunches, give us things to do as well as opportunities to meet new people.
     Starting college can feel a bit overwhelming, but with the excellent buildings, maintenance, and people, getting situated in the residence halls was the least of my problems. It is easy to get comfortable and call this place home, and I can say I’m proud to be a UIC student.
   
   

Freshmen Guide to the SCE and RC

The Student Center East (SCE) and the Recreation Center (RC) are places where students at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) can come and spend their time. At the RC, students along with residents of Chicago can work out and use the facility as they like. In the Recreation Center there are basketball courts, activity rooms, a pool, weight lifting area, and other small rooms that can be used for anything. The RC is on the outskirt of the campus in an area where residents of Chicago can reach, as well as the students at UIC. The facility provides basketball courts and tennis courts on the outside. During winter, these sports can be transferred indoor. Inside the RC there is a locker room, which is free of charge where customers can rent out lockers, change, or use the shower. Observing the locker room, I realized that It’s one of the cleanest locker rooms I’ve ever seen. Actually, the entire facility of RC is the cleanest place at UIC.

To enter the RC, customers have to either scan in with an I-Card, or show proof of membership. Once inside, the customer is free to do as he or she wishes. Most customers come to the RC to work out, but there are some students that come to use it as a study place or a place to relax. Customers socialize mainly in the lobby, while the weight lifting area and activity rooms are used for recreational reasons. Students know that they will probably gain some pounds over the years at UIC, and that is why the RC is used to counter weight gaining during college. Its a great way to prevent the “freshman 15”.
Across from from the RC is the SCE, the Student East Center. The SCE is mainly used by students, because it is where the bookstore and the cafeteria are located. Beside the cafeteria, students can buy food from various places in the SCE. On top of the bookstore is a place called the Inner Circle. This is where Sbarros, Wendy’s, Burrito Bar,  and Subway are located. Leading into the Inner Circle, students can drop by the TCF bank to check their saving or checking account. A Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robin is located right next to the TCF. Other facilities such as the Wellness Center and the Resident Halls are located within the SCE. The Resident Halls are attached to the north side of the SCE and only students that are resident of the campus are allowed to enter. Anyone else besides these students must be checked in by a resident.
During the weekends, the SCE is like a deserted town. A lot of students go home to visit their parents, leaving a small amount of students left. Stretching from the resident halls all the way to the inner circle, you will only spot a couple of students passing by. On the weekdays, students roam the SCE lining up at the Inner Circle for lunch or just resting at the lobby. Since UIC is populated with 85% commuters, the SCE is the general location that commuters most likely to be at during their free time.
The SCE is also a place where history is preserved. On the second floor of the SCE you will find the history of UIC in a glass sealed containment. You will also find Scholarship funds and the Navy Pier Hall of Fame. There is the Illinois Room in the SCE where meetings can be organized, such as for Black History Month and other history celebrations.
The Student Center East and the Recreational Center are two places that are mostly used by students and residents of Chicago. The Recreation Center opened in 2006, while the SCE was built during an earlier time. The SCE has maintain its structure, but the inside has changed. New places and stores have opened up, and new sections are being added. The RC hasn’t changed much since 2006. With just a few update with workout machines and facilities inside, the RC has kept its appearance.
These two facilities play a main role for the campus. While one helps guide the students of UIC, the other is providing a healthy living. One of the goals of UIC is to help give back to the communities that UIC was built on, and I think that the RC is one great way to give back. The RC is free of charge to UIC students, but it doesn’t mean that it’s expensive if you’re not a part of UIC. The charge to use the RC is fairly cheap, and it’s better to get a membership. The great thing about having access to the RC is that everything is free once you enter. You can use the pool as long as you like, or shoot around in the basketball court. If you forget a towel, you can rent one out from the shower room for no fee at all. I think these are great ways that the RC help give back to the communities. However, I feel like most residents of the communities do not see the RC as a welcoming place, or they just don’t see anything that can be of great use.
Since the RC was built in 2006, it doesn’t hold a lot of history or the history of UIC. It is fairly new and there is no sense of UIC history within the building. I believe that to keep up with the modern look and demands, the RC had to sacrifice the UIC history to give what most people would want. Nonetheless, I think the RC is one well known place on campus.
The SCE was built at an earlier time than the RC. It is placed on the campus ground where students can reach it. It’s purpose is to provide a place where all students can reach, and to be the heart of UIC. Within the building you can sense the history of UIC even though UIC is a young college. The only down fall of the SCE is that students can only get a sense of UIC on the second floor, but I barely see any students going up there. Instead of retaining its history, the SCE has given in to the demands of the students, which is to provide a place of eatery and support. Most might think that this is a bad thing, but it’s not. The SCE main goal is the provide what the student might want, and they’re are doing that.
I believe that UIC is still too young to have a big collection of history events. Also, it has adapted to the modern look and demands. Even though the SCE and the RC doesn’t retain much history of UIC, they provide all the needs that students and residents of the communities around UIC want. These two facilities are the hearts of UIC and will forever be necessary to the campus.

By: Minh H.

Alyssa Salemi

Browning

ENGL 160

Exploring the Residence Halls of UIC

           The residence halls at UIC are arguably the busiest places on campus.  Students make their ways through the maze of hallways, hauling book bags and laundry baskets teeming with a month worth of dirty clothes.  As you approach the dorm rooms, music echoes down the hallways.  The shrieks and laugher of the residents are always roaring from the lounges.  Each door is decorated with the names of the room's occupants, and some include personal touches, like dry erase boards. The halls are always crowded with students making their ways from bed, to class, and back again.  But despite the traffic, I find a sense of friendliness in these buildings.
     The first thing I noticed about the residence halls when I moved into courtyard a few weeks ago is the astounding complexity of the buildings.  Several buildings are linked together by bridges that can only be accessed on the second floor.  Each building has a lot of stories.  The building's utilities (such as laundry rooms, trash rooms, and lounges) seem scattered about in an entirely unorganized fashion.  For a new student the residence halls can be overwhelming.
     The first step I took to mastering my way around the buildings was getting to know the names and abbreviations for each.  Commons North (CMN), Commons South (CMS), Commons West (CMW), and Courtyard (CTY) are all connected.  James Strukel Towers (JST) and Marie Robinson Hall (MRH) are located a few blocks down from the other buildings.  Once I was familiarized with the locations of each hall, the buildings didn't seem quite as intimidating, and I was able to explore the details of each on-campus house.
     CMN, CMS, CMW, and CTY are all relatively unimpressive looking buildings.  They stretch out across a large area on campus, beginning at the corner of Harrison and Halsted.  The outside is mostly paved, with a few trees and bushes scattered about the perimeter.  The light orange brick on these residence halls make them easy to recognize amongst the other buildings on campus.  Students are often congregating outside on the benches to smoke cigarettes or chat between classes. 

Commons South

    JST looks clean and new.  It towers over Rochford Street with floors stacked up as high as thirteen stories.  The bright orange brick and teal windows make it hard to miss.  Marie Robinson Hall also looks modern.  Because it's located on Maxwell Street, it is surrounded by shops and cafes.  In fact, it's located directly above a Caribou Cafe! 

James Strukel Towers

     While most of the traffic seen in these locations is by students, working staff is also present in the halls.  The crew that is responsible for keeping the residence halls clean have a challenging task.  The garbage cans in the hallways are overflowing with pizza boxes and aluminum cans.  Wrappers and gum speckle the stained carpeting.  I find myself pitying the staff for having to clean up the mess of inconsiderate college students, but I am always impressed by the hard work they put forth to keep the environment clean.  They demonstrated their diligence one day on the bridge from Commons West to Courtyard during a rainstorm.  The hallway's ceiling was leaking water and dampening the carpet, creating an awful musty scent.  The employees treated the leak in no time and did the best job they could at removing the water from the carpet.  Unfortunately, the smell still remains.

     The most remarkable thing about the halls is the sense of comfort the residents seem to have there.  Many students haven't lived in the halls long and are not used to living without the resources they had back home, but it seems they have managed to make a home here at UIC. While observing a group of students in the cafeteria at John Strukel Towers, I was invited over to talk.  I made acquaintances with a few girls who live at JST.  One girl who was sprawled out over two chairs picking at a slice of pizza described her experience living in the hall; "I have enough microwave meals to last me a lifetime and I finally figured out how to work a washing machine.  I don't think I'm ever going back home!"
     The history of this school is emulated in the residence halls.  In 1965, the mayor of Chicago offered the Harrison and Halsted location to the Chicago Circle campus.  It was previously located at Navy Pier, and largely and commuter school.  The mayor chose this location because it is easily accessible to commuters through the blue line, nearby expressways, and bus stops.  In 1982, the Chicago Circle campus merged with the U of I medical Center campus, forming UIC.  The school slowly began expanding it's population of students with a desire to live on campus; in order to accommodate the students, more residence halls were built.  The most recent addition to housing is JST, constructed in 2005.
     Elements of UIC's mission statement were also verified during my visit to the halls.  It's statement, "To provide a wide range of students with the educational opportunity only a leading research university can offer," was especially apparent as I examined the students in the halls.  I found many residents of many races and cultures.  In a short period of time I witnessed students wearing crosses around their necks, some wearing turbans, and others with yamakas.  I even overheard several conversations in foreign languages.
     What does this mean for a UIC student?  This school is a friendly environment, built with it's students best interests in mind.  The feeling of neighborliness I experienced in these buildings was refreshing, and its diversity is able to provide all students with both a sense of home and an opportunity to explore other cultures.

My Responses to Other Blogs :

     I've come to view the University of Illinois at Chicago as a diverse campus, teeming with reminders of its past.  Each building on campus signifies the incredible expansion UIC has undergone since moving to its current location in 1965.  Whether doing paperwork in the Student Services building, sipping coffee in University Hall, or navigating around the Behavioral Sciences Building, UIC's goals are reflected in its environment.  While this campus does have its negatives, my view of this school has become increasingly fond since my exploration of the various neighborhoods it contains.
     You may ask yourself, what is so historically significant about a campus that is relatively new and still being added on to?  The buildings on the Harrison and Halsted location of UIC are no more than 47 years old.  The University of Illinois in Chicago didn't become the institution we know today until even more recently, when the Chicago Circle campus merged with the University of Illinois Medical District thirty years ago!  So why does this make a difference to students and to the neighborhood surrounding UIC?  The mayor of Chicago offered this location to the Chicago Circle campus because it was looking to expand its population of student residents.  At the time this location was home to many historically and culturally significant locations, like Greek Town, Pilson, Maxwell Street, and the Hull House.  While many of these places were destroyed to make way for the construction of residence halls and classrooms, some of the history still remains.  The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is located a few steps outside of the East Area Office, Greek Town is a couple blocks down Halsted Street, and Pilsen is easy accessible by bus or a short walk down Harrison.  While much of the history here was unfortunately destroyed due to the placement of this campus, the students here are privileged to be able to be enjoy what has been preserved.  And speaking of preservation, it's interesting to know that not every building on campus was specifically constructed for UIC.  According to the "Time to Explore! Student Services Building" blog by Nicole Galvin, SSB (or the Student Services Building) was originally a mall!  The University bought the mall and transformed it into the strange maze of offices we know today!  And as for the computer lab at SSB?  The brown tile floor might look familiar if you visit a lot of fast food restaurants- that's right, the lab was once a Burger King.

The Jane Addams Hull-House

     Viet Phan's "Area 2" blog addresses a problem I think every student on campus has faced at one time or another.  Navigating around this school can be quite a challenge.  The layout of some buildings is quite maze-like; it's most common to be confused when entering the Behavioral Sciences Building, the Architecture Building, and the
Science & Engineering South Building.  In Klaritza Rojas' "Blog Post for Neighborhood Eight" she discusses how the layout of each building is very different from the next on the inside, but the outside of many of these buildings are unique so it is easy to locate them if you know what they look like.  Both of the blogs seem to agree that in time the campus become much less scary and more welcoming and familiar, which is something I've also come to learn throughout my stay at UIC.  This point also seems to coencide with a section of UIC's mission statement that reads "to address the challenges and opportunities facing not only Chicago but all Great Cities of the 21st century, as expressed by our Great Cities Commitment."  While the layout of this campus may seem intimidating to a new student, it is part of our history.  While the school may have challenges finding the money to renovate the campus, it is a challenge we must learn to overcome.
     It is also interesting to draw attention to the vast amount of diversity on the campus.  UIC's fifteen different colleges attract people of all interests and backgrounds.  While exploring the residence halls, I was greeted with many examples of cultural diversity.  Leslie Padilla's blog post entitled "English 160 Writing Project 1" describes her experience as she walks down Halsted Street.  She explains her encounters with two different students that both have different reasons for being in the same place, one for athletic and one for social reasons.  This University caters to student's academic and
social needs. These examples support a section of UIC's mission statement that declares UIC's mission is "To provide a wide range of students with the educational opportunity only a leading research university can offer."
     The University of Illinois in Chicago is a well rounded school. It offers many opportunities for its students to grow and learn in an enriching environment.  The struggles first year students face while trying to navigate around the buildings seem to subside quickly.  Having been a student at UIC for five weeks now I can say that I truly feel advantaged to have such a historically rich neighborhood surrounding me and to be able to learn from all the different cultures clustered here.

Response Blog

Michael Gulczynski

English 160

Writing Project 1 Response Blog

Response Blog

       I read the blogs written by Paolo Morales, Nicole Gavin, and Melanee Neely. All of them were extremely helpful in helping me find a new way of looking at my new school. The campus itself is fairly large; and while my area I blogged about consisted of University Hall, Stevenson Hall, Jefferson Hall, and Henry Hall, it still was only a fraction of the entire campus.

      

http://www.vrupl.evl.uic.edu/virtualUIC/overview.html

       The campus uses many structures to achieve diversity in study, class, and the overall feel of the school. The areas discussed in the blog posts I read exceed my thoughts of the areas when I first saw the campus. This is when I simply thought, “Oh wow, that’s a pretty cool looking building.” These posts have helped me to understand what the campus as a whole is like. It is a place where you always seem to find something new the second time you look through it. Every building you step into has something different about it, even if it’s only a slight difference. You may find yourself in a building you think is old, but you come to think of it as cozy and inviting. There are just so many examples to be stated such as: Stevenson Hall may look old and not as inviting as you would’ve thought, but it is actually quite relaxing. University Hall may look like a place where not to spend a lot of time because its intimidating, but the little lunch area inside of it gives it the atmosphere of being student friendly. There are other examples, but you have to experience them instead.

http://www.envdesigni.com/uic-environmental-consulting/

       Each time a new student comes to the campus, they get overwhelmed. They seem to feel as if it will take a longer time than 4 years to get to know the campus like the back of your hand. This is all perfectly normal until you begin to realize that the campus isn’t there to scare you. It’s a tool for you to use. It is quite inviting and it gives an atmosphere of welcoming, but also fast-paced college life. From the constant chatter you hear from people just relaxing in the lounges to the sound of book pages being turned makes you feel like you are in a place of higher learning. The feeling of freedom is also a nice thought. You can eat lunch when you want, you alone are responsible for your homework, and class schedules are not separated by minutes, as they were in high school.

       In conclusion to this response blog, every one of the people whose blogs I read had something genuinely interesting to add to my gradually renewing picture of the campus in my mind. The different places I have never been before seem to make you want to take a look after you have heard someone’s opinion on it. Everybody has an interesting story to tell and how they describe the campus is just as important to everyone else as it is to the author; this is because the campus has a different effect on everybody. The importance it has on other students and faculty is that they may know what the campus is to them. The feel of a building may differ from someone else's view, but this gives an insight to how other people view the building, and you may appreciate what others' opinions have to offer. Very few people share a completely similar view of the campus. This is what makes UIC special. The diversity of the study, purpose, and people make the campus what it is today: a place where new students can find things they never knew before, and where they can find out how they want their lives to be in the future.