Love is in the air...

This is a very busy time with Chicago Semester—it is the time for neighborhood visits! As part of Chicago Semester each practicum group explores a different Chicago neighborhood which will later be presented during our Community Dinner.

My group is visiting Logan Square, which is where our supervisor lives. I was already slightly familiar with the area because I have gone to a church in the neighborhood a couple times. Just from my limited exposure to the area I decided that Logan Square is definitely a community I would love to live in.

What I love about Logan Square is its strong sense of community and obligation to one’s neighbor. On our neighborhood visits we toured a social service agency, a subsidized housing development, and an elementary school. The school system is particularly impressive because it strives to get the parents involved in the classroom. Because Logan Square has a highly Hispanic population it is beneficial to get the parents, many whom are new to the country, comfortable with the schools, which can be described as the foundation of community. I am so convinced that Logan Square is the place for me that I have already begun apartment shopping!

This week has also been exciting because both of my roommates’ had birthdays! To celebrate, we went to the Signature Room in the Hancock Tower for drinks. The view was so beautiful but the pricing was outrageous! The Hancock is definitely a place reserved for special occasions ONLY, albeit it must be experienced at least once by every CSer.

After our drinks a small group of us meandered around to enjoy the view and noticed a couple that had just gotten engaged. We watched them from afar as the waiting staff brought decorative desserts out for them amidst their exaltations. As I observed, I came to realize that the woman kept removing her camera from her purse, taking a picture of the dessert, returning her camera back to her bag only to reach for it two seconds later and hold it awkwardly in her hands. I decided that they really needed some pictures of the two of them together on such a special event. So, I went down to their table and politely interrupted and asked if I could help them out in the photography department. They jumped at my request. I took some cute pictures of them and even insisted that they take a kissing picture! My friends poked fun at me, but I am more than happy to throw my dignity to the wind to assist on such a joyous occasion!

I’m a sucker for cheesy romantic comedies too, so don’t even ask.