I went to Chicago Thursday night with my English class.  Our goal for the trip was to find connections between the city and the literature we’ve read so far.  We talked about demographics and architecture and stuff, and it was all very interesting. 

            While in Chicago we visited a not-for-profit organization called GRIP (Gospel, Relationships, Immersion, Prayer and Preparation) Outreach for Youth.  Their aim is to help at-risk youths learn and grow and become good citizens.  They do this through a variety of programs, including a weekly meeting during which high school kids get together to partake in teambuilding activities and basketball games.  All of the kids get mentors who keep in touch with them for their entire time with the organization.  All of the people there were very nice and seemed passionate about what they were doing. 

            Later the same day we went on a boat tour of Chicago.  The topic of the tour was architectural history.  It was awesome.  It was a bit chilly outside, but other than that the weather was beautiful.  Our tour guide was awesome, too, and he spoke at length about differences in architecture among the buildings, and he also gave some pretty good anecdotal history lessons.  It was informative and entertaining, and there was free coffee and cookies. 

            The trip was free as well.  I think I took a dollar with me.  This wasn’t something this class does every year, either; this is something that just came up in conversation one day.  One guy was just like, “Hey, we should go to Chicago.”  Our professor told us to ask the powers that be.  Someone did, and Wabash gave us a bunch of money.  Wabash is cool like that.  Application is an integral part of the learning experience, so being able to do things like this, like immersion trips, is good for me.  Hooray for learning!

            And can you believe I forgot to take my camera with me?