A Few Pics from May

Panel Follow-up

Who knew the possibility of hosting the Olympics could arouse such strong emotions? The passion of the panelists for their point of view was obvious from the start. From advocating for the Olympics to advocating for community involvement, to being flat out opposed to hosting the 2016 Games, the perspectives varied but the passion remained high. It is clear that if Chicago is chosen in October there will be an outburst of both jubilation and protest. Students, staff and others in the audience peppered the panel with thoughtful questions. It was two hours well spent. The great response from the community and the value as a class for the students has prompted Center staff to consider future panels on relevant topics as a part of the program.

Scott E. Chesebro, PhD
Executive Director
Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture

Photos from 2016 Olympic Bid Panel April 24, 2009

Scott Chesebro, Chicago Center Executive Director
introduces 2016 Chicago Olympic Bid Panel to Chicago Center students and community members.

Panelist:
Dr. Stephen Alexander, Sr. Research Fellow Olympic Study Group DePaul University

Panelists:
Denise Dixon, Action Now Executive Director; Glenn Reedus, Chicago Media Money Monetizer; Dr. Stephen Alexander, Sr. Research Fellow Depaul Univeristy; Tom Tresser, No Games Chicago

Communications and Marketing Director, Althea Conyers

As the International Olympics Committee leaves Chicago and heads to Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Madrid (Spain), Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture congregated a panel of Community leaders and activists to discuss the impact of Chicago hosting the 2016 Olympics will have on neighborhoods and communities.

Action Now Executive Director, Denise Dixon has fought for a community benefits agreement (CBA) to be passed by City Hall. This legally binding agreement would insure that a portion of jobs, housing, and minority contracts for neighborhood residents would be allocated. Currently, City Council has decided against approving this legal agreement.

Dixon is not opposed to the 2016 Olympics being held in Chicago but asks, "Is he [Mayor Daley] going to sell out the people of Chicago in the communities where the venues are to be held?"

Chicago Center Executive Director, Scott Chesebro states “these issues are exactly why there is need for a community based forum where an assortment of voices can be heard and a discussion can take place on the benefits and the drawbacks that Chicago faces if granted the 2016 Olympic bid.”

Chicago Center is an Urban Education program which provides college students from across the country with internships and seminars designed to broaden their understanding of complex issues and increase their effectiveness as citizens. For forty years Chicago Center has prided themselves on a ‘first-voice’ pedagogy that encourages their students to hear the diverse voices that are represented in Chicago.

This event was for Chicago Center students and was also open to the public and the media.

Return of the blog

The Blog is back up and running! Here are some photos of the mural presentations at Scott’s house for the Directed Study course.

Tiffanie Beatty, our LearnChicago! Coordinator has been hired full time as our Program Associate. She sent this via email the other evening after attending Lollapalooza (with former staffer Shane Peterson). ~Valerie

Everyone, I have a confession!

As you know, I have been here a year and up until last night, I LIKED Chicago a lot!

I have even said I "loved" Chicago. But I have been lying.

Last night though, surrounded by over a 100,000 musty, screaming, white suburbanites,

I fell hard.

At first I was mostly excited for Shane. Somewhere in the middle of "Homecoming" I screamed "Shane, you are home!" Right after I said it, I realized so was I.

Standing there, with my diamond in the sky, some of my favorite South Siders (Hyde Parkers to be specific) by my side, Mr. West on the stage goin nuts, and the magnificent skyline behind it all,

I became one of the many.

Final Summer Session Wrap Up

photos by Keith Zabel

More Summer Session pictures

Tracy at her internship, After School Matters. You can see some of her students in their computer literacy class, and her supervisor Mr. Johnson.

Leesa's Chicago Communities and Cultures Seminar learned about Chicago's architecture and sculpture on a walking tour with Executive Director and Instructor Scott Chesebro.

photos by Scott Chesebro and Anna Clement