Who's Watching at UIC
By: Candace Sexton
Anyone
who has ever heard of the phrase, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (also a
great film) knows that the name within itself presents a situation from good to
worst. When I look at University of Illinois at Chicago, I see the same thing,
but vice versa. Unfortunately, when the university was initially established,
the ugly, began first when residents had to split from their neighborhoods in
order for UIC to be constructed. However, during the end of the process, it
became much easier as the residents became some-what tolerant of UIC. Because
UIC has only been established for 30 years, it still doesn’t mean the history
is irrelevant. There are very few freshmen who actually know the history of the
university. And let’s just say it isn’t an easy one to live with, literally.
Since
I’m an architecture major, I’ll begin with the architecture building. It’s easy
to say that the Architecture & the Arts building is old –very old, like
ancient old –compared to Grant Hall, Lincoln Hall and Douglas Hall. Though
there is a diversity of age groups, from incoming freshman to seniors and
graduate students to professors, who surround the building daily, it still
doesn’t make up for its lack of style compared to the modern developments of
the university. If you ever decide to visit the architecture building, located
across from Commons West, you’ll notice mostly men–particularly freshmen
–skateboarding around the building or architect students blowing off some steam
by smoking a cigarette. Because I’m surrounded by architecture students 24/7, I
felt asking them about the building would be kind of biased because many of us
shared the same opinion. Instead, I questioned Nick, one of the freshmen
skateboarders, who said, “It doesn’t look run down, but you can tell it was
built when the school first opened, maybe before then.” As you look in from the
outside, you’ll expect to envision an extravagant gallery of photographs, floor
plans, and construction models. However, I can tell you now that you shouldn’t hold
on to this dreamy idea because it doesn’t exist. You should get rid of the
image you see on television where art buildings are artsy and beautiful. If you
have any high expectations, prepared to be disappointed, as you will only see
an old and gloomy structure standing on bricks.
If
you’re expecting any level of modernization, I would recommend going to the halls
I mentioned earlier –Grant, Douglas and Lincoln Hall. Not only are they
recently constructed, but the atmosphere feels wonderful. Because these
buildings are so close to each other, it actually feels like a small community.
The breath of fresh air, the wind blowing through your hair, and the
fine-looking green grass makes the environment much more presentable. If you ever
have the chance, sit down anywhere in the area and study for a quiz, work
diligently on an assignment, or hang out with friends. Each of these buildings
also has specific purposes, besides holding classroom lectures. Douglas Hall
serves for the College of Business Administration, while Grant Hall has the
Writing Center available for any student on campus. The Writing Center is a
resource to help students improve their academic writing; rather it’s for an
assignment for English, scholarship essay, thesis statement and anything else
you can think of. The Writing Center is opened daily for students, however
always remember to schedule an appointment as well as bring your writing
prompt. Nevertheless, once you walk into
one of these buildings, particularly Lincoln Hall, your experience of the area
will go from good to great. Not only is this building much cleaner than any
other building I’ve been in at UIC, the design and architecture of the building
is absolutely amazing. It clearly shows that whoever worked on this building
put both time and effort into every detail.
Overall,
the look of the entire area is nice. Even though the Architecture & the
Arts building isn’t my cup of tea, there are still a few nice qualities about
the place I enjoy, such as the studio –where most of the overnight crams will
occur –and the lecture/discussion hall. When it comes to Grant, Lincoln and
Douglass Hall, there is very little to say. Each of them are amazing models of
work.
Response Post: A Different Perspective
By: Candace Sexton It is arguable that the campus of UIC –besides the residence halls –is actually one of the most interesting places to visit throughout Chicago. After being informed of the history of numerous buildings and activities that are held on campus, I don’t consider the school to be as boring as I thought. After writing my last blog, it’s very clear that my stance on the Architecture and the Arts building, right across from Commons West, isn’t as peachy as many would have expected it to be. A lot of my peers thought that since I was an architecture major, I would fall in love with this building. Well, let’s cut to the chase. It didn’t happen, nor will it happen in the near future. Sitting in the studio for hours at a time working on a project is one thing, but then having to sit in a building with a total lack of modernization takes it to an entirely different level. But, seriously, let’s move on because I could rant about this building all day!
To
be honest, the most exciting events throughout my day always happen inside the
residence halls because it allows me to interact with many of the students,
RA’s (resident assistants) and PM’s (peer mentors). Alyssa Salemi stated it best when she said, “As you approach the dorm rooms, music
echoes down the hallways. The halls are always crowded with students making
their ways from bed, to class, and back again.” There is never a dry spell when
living inside the dorms because residents are usually participating in
activities put on by the residence hall and hall council. Many of these
programs usually consist of movie, game and study nights. And speaking of the
residence halls, there is surely a difference between Commons West, Commons
North, Commons South, and Courtyard compared to the modern buildings such as
the James Stukel Tower and Thomas Beckham Hall. It’s clear that the more recent
halls fit into today’s society, while the more traditional halls contribute to
the history behind the university. Nevertheless, I’ve also learned that you can
have a good time in other places on the campus as well.
Let’s
start with the SSB building. I found out a juicy little secret about this
building and never in a million years would I have realized it if I hadn’t read
Nicole Galvin’s post. According to her, “SSB used to be…a mall!” Can you
believe it? A mall! That’s honestly one of the few things someone can say to
get me interested in a conversation. When hearing the word “mall”, my attention
was completely focused on the Student Services Building. Once I found out that
tid bit of info, I then understood why there are numerous offices in the SSB. Knowing this, I’m able to acknowledge the
history behind UIC even more. It’s clear that the school hasn’t been here
forever, however it’s moving closer to modernization. Anyway, a few of the
offices I actually had the opportunity to visit were the Student Employment
office, ID office (which all of us had the chance of visiting during
orientation), AAAN and CHANCE. The AAAN (American Academic Network) and CHANCE
(Academic Center for Excellence) were actually my two favorite offices to visit
because I had the opportunity to talk with the advisors, who were really interested
with me working within their programs.
Another
thing someone can say to get me interested in a conversation is the topic of
sports. Any sport ranging from basketball, volleyball, football, track,
baseball and soccer will capture my attention, which is exactly what Leslie Padilla
did when she mentioned even the slightest topic of sports. Because I rarely
walk down south of Halsted, I barely pay attention to the surroundings there.
However, after leaving JST (James Stukel Towers), another residence hall, a few
days ago, I decided to take a closer look and once I did, I was completely
amazed. Just as Leslie mentioned, there were “fields open to sports ranging
from baseball to softball and soccer” as well as “a track” that is visible to
anyone, including UIC students who walk pass. The atmosphere was absolutely
mesmerizing and I wouldn’t mind spending a few hours there daily to catch up on
my sports. All in all, UIC is a great
place to be; whether you’re living on or off campus. You just have to make the
effort to visit these places. And once you do, I guarantee you won’t regret it.
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