Chicago: Oh the everyday

 My mother and I often make jokes about how we could use events from our everyday life to write great research papers. I've seen everything from navy airplanes and space shuttles flying overhead, to prostitutes, to peace marches, and ponies all in my small little area of the city. Some of these things annoy me and some of these things amuse me. My need to prove that this type of stuff actually happens is the main reason I take my camera with me everywhere I go. 

Everyday life in Chicago is usually pretty mundane. You wake up, you go do whatever it is you do, be it work or school or whatever, and on the weekends you relax and party in the evening. But then sometimes you wake up on a Saturday morning and you see six ponies in front of your house. You might blink a little bit and make sure what you're seeing is actually what's in front of your face and sure enough there they are. Cute little ponies that stink.  

The day the ponies were here it was about celebrating. It was Monroefest and it was the chance to have fun,  foster a sense of community, and to just enjoy the day. However, that's not always the case when things go on here. Sometimes it's about raising awareness of the ugly things that are going on in the city. Case in point, the march that my alderman participated in. This march was all about making a stand about the violence going on around the city, especially in the poorer neighborhoods of Chicago.

The clever little shirts all said "Peace in the Hood". Normally I am a bit irritated by large groups of people outside my house, especially when they are accompanied by drums. But this wasn't one of those cases. Anyone from Chicago knows that gun violence is a very serious and sad occurrence. There is absolutely no reason for the murders that go on here. So if a politician puts himself out there, walking with his constituents to get people involved then I'm all for it.

These are the types of things though that happen on an everyday basis. 

It's pretty cool I suppose. It keeps life exciting and it means that I will always have something to talk about on this blog.


Despite these stories, Chicago isn't just the random things like ponies and peace marches. Everyday life is just people going to the beach, or jogging next to the lake. Just like any other city there is tons of traffic. Kids go to school (with their weird clear plastic backpacks) and parents go to work. There are always complaints about riding public transportation. 


Everyday life is dealing with politicians who lie and cheat all the time. Everyday life is having to be re-routed because of weather, or movie filming, or a parade for a sports team, or a big political trial. That's what makes Chicago so dynamic I suppose. There's never a boring day here. It's always something to do here that is unexpected.  


Now that I've written more than I expected, it's time for the photo spam. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of CHICAGO: THE PHOTO STORY...uh actually it's no so much exciting as it is visually appealing. Anyway, read on.

-L

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2006

Chicago: Now let us pause for History

Chicago is one of the world's 10 most global cities and one visit here will prove why. Every year thousands of tourists come here. They ride the trolley, visit the beach, shop on the Magnificent Mile, eat the great food, and participate in the night life. Chicago really is a scenic and beautiful city. From the beaches to the tree lines streets of various neighborhoods there is plenty to look at and participate in while here.

From this view behind in Burnham Harbor which is on the Museum Campus.

The Museum Campus is where the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum are located. Way off in the distance you can see Navy Pier, a fun little place with boats and rides and other random fun.

The Field Museum of Natural History was founded in 1893 and named to honor Marshall Field who was its major benefactor.  It houses an array of artifacts from all over the world, everything from dinosaur fossils to Native American artifacts.

In elementary school whenever we took a trip to the museum it was always the Field Museum. I HATED IT!! To me the Field Museum was the most boring museum of all. It was only when I grew up and visited as an adult that I was able to appreciate it. 

There's just so much coolness inside this Museum. I can't advocate enough people going to visit this place. So go! But only after you finish reading this blog.

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2010

Laure n Green, 2010

The John G. Shedd Aquarium opened in 1930. John G. Shedd gifted the museum to the city and was a protege of Marhsall Field. It is another fun place that gets lots of visitors. Most people like to go and see the live shows with the dolphins. It's just really cool in general to go around and look at the different fish, dolphins, and beluga whales. This just might be the only museum like place that I've ever seen have a line that goes out the door and wraps around several times.

The last building in the museum campus is the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum which was founded in 1930. I found out that it was the first planetarium built in the western hemisphere. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the building. However, since I am me I'll probably be going there soon and it will have it's own blog post.

I enjoyed going to the planetarium as a child, mainly because I was very much into astronomy. I wanted to be an astronomer until my father told me that they don't make very much money. That shouldn't have influenced me so much to drop my dream but hey I was a kid.

Now with this, I end part two of my photo story. Hope the photos are being enjoyed. Part three shall be coming soon. Thanks for reading.

-L

References
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100817/838/tbs-delhi-mumbai-kolkata-lag-behind-in-g.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Museum_of_Natural_History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shedd_Aquarium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adler_Planetarium_%26_Astronomy_Museum

Chicago: The not so Second City

The Chi is my hometown. For better and for worse I love this place with every part in me. I love the beauty of it. I mourn for the ugliness that exists in it. My love for my city and my love for photography is what has influenced me to do this photo story. Enjoy.


Chicago was founded in 1833 and since then it's grown to be quite a huge place. Chicago is loud, it's messy, it's annoying and it's cool. The weather is bi-polar and it's gets ridiculously windy. No lie, sometimes you have to walk backwards if you'd like to reach your destination in time. Chicago can be both bitterly cold and tirelessly hot. It has a huge feeling and small feeling all at the same time.





There's no way to get away from construction no matter how hard you try. Chicago is the type of place that makes you wonder sometimes. There are so many contrasts that exist in this place that you wonder if it's really real. How can a city be both beautiful and terrible?

I never thought of Chicago as being a second city despite that nickname being given to it. To me it's a first class city with all the drama and greatness that comes along with that label. Sometimes I want to escape, get away from the ridiculousness of the politics and the red tape. But where would I go. Having grown up here I'm ingrained with the ability to deal with all the crap thrown at me.
This post is just an introduction to what I hope turns out to be a thoroughly enjoyable story. I'll show the beauty and the beast that is Chicago. I hope to inspire other people to get out and take a look around their own cities. Takes pictures of the mundane things. Become a tourist of your own town. Appreciate everything that is around you. Now onto the lovely other pictures! Part II is forthcoming. YAAAAAAAAAY!

Lauren Green, 2010

Lauren Green, 2010




Lauren Green, 2010

Thanks to Teri Green and Perry Baylock for being my adventure buddies and going around with me. Thanks to Rakesh Prem for being my research assistant and getting me motivated enough to actually put this up.

Tourist in your own city

Sometimes I wonder if people actually know how to enjoy their own city. See I don't have a lot of money to be able to go on vacations so I have to find my enjoyment in different ways. My mission this summer has been to explore Chicago. It's nothing fancy but there is certainly something very enjoyable about going around your hometown and taking photos. It's simple but oh so much fun. So after months of work I'm putting up my photo story. It isn't professional but it's definitely been a labor of love.

Can't find a good man?

So my friend directed me to Nightline which was having a panel about why successful black women can't find men. There was blame back and forth stemming from men being intimidated, to women eliminating brothers with potential in favor of those who've already made it. In the end though, no real conclusion was reached.

It made me think, really it did. Why can't successful black women find a man? I don't think it's because men are intimidated by strong black women. I don't think it's because women discard potential. Those might be factors with some people but in my opinion it's not the only factors. I think a lot of the issues that lead to the lack of marriage relationships for black women stems from being too independent.

I'll preface by saying there is nothing wrong with being independent. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who can get what she wants when she wants (for herself). But really there is a point where the independence can turn into stubborn pride. That's when we get the women who don't allow a man to do anything for them. They don't want to cook or clean or do anything that might put them in the running for securing the dreaded label of "traditional".

Women in general now don't like the idea of being traditional, or being humble, of being submissive. Calling a woman traditional is almost like cursing at her. Submission has become a dirty word. Humility rarely exists in our society. These are all qualities that need to exist for a successful marriage. At some point in the marriage relationship either the husband or the wife is going to have to submit to the will of their partner. That's are how decisions and compromises are made. If you live without humility you are bound to piss people off and gain the reputation of being prideful. So really I think subconsciously many of these women are not prepared for a serious/marriage relationship. That requires being humble, submissive and a tad dependent. If they are not prepared to do that then they are not prepared to have a man.

Now on the Nightline panel, Sherri Shepherd said something that I found very interesting. She said she doesn't have the energy or time to keep validating a man's ego, and that is part of the problem she finds with men. Now if the situation was reversed and a man said that about her then I'm sure she would find it quite insulting but this is how people talk to each other. This is part of the problem. Folks don't know how to edit their mouths.

I don't want to put all the blame on black women because it isn't all their fault. There is a genuine lack of men who are motivated enough to even be worthy of getting in relationships with. Many of these men do cheat on their women. Or they leave the women who have had their backs years in favor of some arm candy.

Let's be clear that I'm not advocating that black women allow themselves to be dominated. I hate a pushover woman just as much as I hate one with too much pride. Both are extremes and extremes are never good. It is comforting however to know that so many of these women want companions. It shows that we haven't let ourselves get to the extreme point where we feel we don't need a companion at all. I just think these women should evaluate themselves. They might biologically and physically ready for a mate but are they mentally and emotionally ready?

-L

Freaknik: The Musical

Not much can make me speechless but this is one of those things.....

Disclaimer: This is 50 millions types of ignorant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXo_1ba34aE
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6250GF20100306

As I write this I am loath to put up the link, I feel like my linking this is encouraging this animated filth. I don't know what hurts me more; the fact that someone actually had this idea, the fact that this idea was put into fruition, or the fact that people have actually watched this and enjoyed it and hope for a sequel. Have we as a society devolved to such a degree that we actually support this? Why does T-pain have a Grammy? Why does he have a cartoon? Why does he have a career?

If black folks ever want to wonder why we don't get anywhere in this society then we should look no further than the mirror. We talk so much about the civil rights era, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, etc. etc. We talk about how we should be treated equally. About how black is beautiful and we should have pride but then we throw all that down the trash and uphold Freaknik and doing the stanky legs, we don't value education or hard work, we allow our schools to fail, make babies with multiple partners, and go on Maury wearing nothing but a bra and panties claiming that "I'm thickalicious!" We complain about the cops coming after us but then sit on the porch in 30 degree weather selling drugs with the police van sitting directly in the line of sight.

Seriously?!

There are so many things that we should be proud of but it's overshadowed by the GLARING IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so pissed because the ones of us who work hard, who go to school, who bust our behinds at work and try to rise above the ignorance are labeled as haters, or go unappreciated, or are teased and made fun of for "trying to be white". Buy a clue! Not everything in life is about race or trying to be white or fighting "the man". It's about carrying one's self in a respectful manner.

So please, let's not encourage ignorance. Continued support of ignorance leaves absolutely no excuse when circumstances don't improve.

-L

Re: School Closings

Disclaimers: statistics are courtesy of the Illinois State Board of Education website and their report cards on schools. Any news articles will be referenced accordingly.

So there's this uproar going on in Chicago right now. Frankly it goes on just about every year recently. The Chicago Board of Education decides that some schools will be closed and undergo a "turnaround". Parents, teachers, community leaders, etc. all protest and say that it's terrible to close these schools. Teachers will lose jobs, the destabilizes the children, etc.

I went through CPS both the good schools and the bad schools. I HATED elementary school for two main reasons, one I was socially discriminated against and two because I was always so bored. We always went over the same things over and over. I was one of those "smart kids" who was beyond grade level but there was nothing for me to do. The school had no resources and everything was dedicated to helping those who were not meeting grade level. As a child that annoyed me to no end. As an adult I understand why that's important. Especially in the climate of no child left behind and the constant pressure to get our children up to grade level in reading, math, and science. It's stressful to be a teacher. That is why I ended up not going for a teaching job. I knew myself well enough to understand that I would not have been able to deal with what teachers deal with. They have to be mother, father, teacher, and disciplinarian to these children. School closing only add to the stress, costing teachers their jobs and livelihoods. I respect teachers. I know teachers and their dedication is AMAZING!

If I'm so understanding then what's my problem? Well I have a big problem with much of the complaining coming from some parents and community leaders. Where is all this outrage before the announcement of the school closing? In fact how did we even get to the point that our schools are under-performing to the point that they need to be closed? Why do these schools closings take people by surprise every year?

I want to throw out some quick facts about one of the schools that is being slated for turnaround. Marshall Metropolitan High School is behind the elementary school that I attended. I've always known it was a bad school, so I wasn't surprised by the fact that it was listed as one of the schools being closed. Let's look at how the school is doing.

Graduation Percentage
2009: 41.1%
2008: 28.0%
2007: 46.9%

PSAE Scores (the Prairie Sates Achievement Exam is given in grade eleven to test students progress)
level 1 (academic warning)
level 2 (below grade level)
level 3 (meeting grade level)
level 4 (exceeding grade level)

Reading Math Science
2009
level 1 27.9% 42.7% 31.8%
level 2 63.9% 55.9% 65.9%
level 3 8.2% 1.4 % 2.3%
level 4 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

2008
level 1 34.0% 42.7% 29.3%
level 2 59.6% 54.1% 68.2%
level 3 5.8% 3.2% 2.5%
level 4 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

2007
level 1 31.6% 42.2% 36.2%
level 2 71.6% 55.6% 61.2%
level 3 6.9% 2.2% 2.6%
level 4 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

I should have looked at more than three years but to me this was enough to give me a quick snapshot. The graduation rate is below 50%. There is consistently less than 10% of these students meeting grade level and none are exceeding. Now if you just take twenty minutes and look at these figures and think about them then would it really surprise you that this school is slated for closure? I know it's kind of unfair to look only at figures and not take into account what the students will have to go through when their schools are closed and they are uprooted. But really what is the choice? Do we continue to let these students back slide? How can the US keep up in the world when we have such poorly educated students? We have to look at the figures because they are tangible proof of what is going on with the students.

But back to my irritant. Where are the parents? Where are the community leaders? Why aren't they doing something about this? I feel like they should be making a big deal every year. How can you possible not know that a school is doing this bad? 28% of students graduated from Marshall in 2008 yet I can't recall hearing anything huge in the news about it.

I don't want to be the villain and blame one person for everything. I blame our culture. We have an ingrained culture of sweeping problems under the rug. We don't deal with problems until it has gotten so terrible and that there is no other way around it. I hate to say this about black people (my people) but we accept these low standards. We accept our children dropping out of school. We don't encourage education but we sure do get angry if someone tries and take it away. Why are we allowing schools like Marshall to fail?

Let's take all this outrage over school closings and direct it into positivity. Let's be outraged over what we have done to ourselves. Let's encourage our kids to go to school, to pay attention to the teachers who have gone through so much training and education to service the schools. Let's participate more in the lives of our children. Maybe slowly we can reverse this terrible trend that we're in.

-L