What Makes Us Unique by CUChicagoGraphicDesign

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

What Makes Us Unique A book about ourselves – our passions, our loves and what make us unique. Written and designed by the students in Art4510, Desktop Publishing 1, taught by Glenn Canigiani during the Spring 2018 semester at Concordia University Chicago:

• • • • • • • •

Anastasiya Camp Sarah Chew Jon Ortigoza Eric Ortiz Alex Pankey Anna Schaff Justin Timm Sarah Vergara

Table of Contents

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Anastasiya Camp

Sarah Chew

Jon Ortigoza

Eric Ortiz

Alex Pankey

Anna Schaff

Justin Timm

Sarah Vergara

ANASTASIYA K. C.

TRAVELS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLDâ&#x20AC;? Growing up as a missionary kid in St. Petersburg, Russia I have had the extraordinary opportunity to experience different cultures. Today we are experiencing a lot of misunderstandings between countries as well as holding to much pride to seek

compromise. Traveling not only gives me a chance to see new places and meet people, but also learn about the uniqueness of the different countries. Each representing their own beauty through their traditions and ethnic diversity. It truly is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wonderful Worldâ&#x20AC;? ~ Louis Armstrong 9

PEOPLE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MY WAYâ&#x20AC;? People. Some of the most complicated beings on this planet. We are all unique from one another with our little quirks and traits. Therefore I find people to be fascinating! In todays age when there is so much emphasis on external appearance, as a result we build up tall walls out of bricks upon bricks of insecurities. We forget to step back and take

an objective look at our lives and ourselves. Just one tiny step away from those insecurities we will can make a huge difference in our self-esteem. When we leave opinions of others behind, we will see the sunrise. Therefore I plan to do things â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Wayâ&#x20AC;? ~ Frank Sinatra 11

PASSIONS

“CIRCLE OF LIFE” From the beginning of life on earth, each organism of life have been connected to each other with an invisible strand of life. Ever since I was young I have always been fascinated with animals. I grew up watching a significant amount of television, most of which was Animal Planet documentaries. We make up only a small percentage of the planets population out of many varieties of other animals. Nevertheless we are the main cause to the state earth is currently in. With all our new inventions we feel invincible, but we must remember we are all connected in one “Circle of Life” ~ Lion King (1994)

“PHOTOGRAPH” If you could capture your childhoods most cherished memory, what would it be? I was not a big fan of photography at first, thinking there was not much to it and was not as impressive. Now you will not see me without my camera and me capturing every little thing I find intriguing. I do not posses the greatest memory for moments, but photography has not only given me the power to capture a cherished memory, but also share my perspective with others. It does not take much, just some form of a camera, one click on the shutter, and you have a “Photograph” ~ Nickelback 13

A middle child with two brothers, Kevin and Brian

24, 1995

Downers Grove, Illinois

OCT.

Visited over 25 countries in 10 years

TRAVEL

Joliet, Illinois • Valparaiso, Indiana Friendswood, Texas • Oswego, Illinois Wassenaar, Netherlands • Dubai, UAE Austin, Texas • Chicago, Illinois

ADVENTURE

United States Olympic Development Athlete as a Goalkeeper for three years

RESEARCH

Passionate about telling the real stories of people groups and places which have negative stigmas

PEOPLE

This Is Home

Aspires to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail over the course of seven months C h u rc h Chicago

Graduating magna cum laude from Concordia University Chicago on May 5, 2018 with a degree in photojournalism and minors in not-for-profit business and theology

Editor and Writer for the Northern Illinois District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Young Life Capernaum Volunteer Leader

Fashion and Interior Design

SARAH CHEW

A Third Culture Kid, Sarah Chew grew up traveling the world: she moved 12 times and visited 25 countries all before her twentieth birthday. Each new adventure molded a piece of who she is. With a constant itch to explore somewhere new and discover its hidden gems, Chew says “home to me is the state of transition. It’s just how I was raised. Airports are like going home.”

A Travelin’ Lady

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Beyond the Motor Safari

If you have ever hopped aboard the Motor Safari at Brookfield Zoo, you may have heard this gal excitedly share about Przewalskiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horses, American Bison, and pinnipeds galore. With a lifetime of pet ownership under her belt, Chew hopes to one day spend a summer or winter in Alaska working as a sled dog handler. 19

Getting the Shot After changing her major seven times in three years, Sarah Chew decided in the Spring of 2017 to simply take courses she was interested in and see what happened. In this, her love and passion for telling stories through photography was revived, and she is now graduating with an Interdisciplinary degree in photojournalism and is working professionally.

jon ortigoza

about me Bir t h da t e : Se p te mb e r 24, 1993 Ag e : 24 Ho m e t own: D e s P l a i n e s , I L Fa v ori t e Co l o r: B l u e Dog or Ca t: B o t h Ma j or: Gra p h i c Ar t s Sib l i n gs: 3

I â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m v er y much a f un- l ov i ng a nd outgoi ng p er son. I enj oy

going to new places dow ntow n f or

food a nd d r i nks w i th fr i end s. I w oul d l ov e to tr a v el mor e b ut my f i na nci a l b ud get d oes not of ten a l l ow f or i t. I â&#x20AC;&#x2122;v e b een w or ki ng a t Nor d str om R a ck for a l most 3 y ea r s. I a m cur r entl y stud y i ng gr a p hi c a r ts her e a t C UC a nd w i l l offi ci a l l y b e gr a d ua ti ng i n Ma y 2 0 1 9 . 23

foodie

the hampton social 353 W Hu b b ar d S t , C h i c a g o , IL 6 0 6 5 4 The pe rf e c t s p o t f o r b r u n c h o r a l i ght b i te to ea t i n the hea r t of Chi c a goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s R i v e r N o r t h n e i g h b o r hood .

tupelo honey cafe 1820 Sou t h B l v d , C h a r l o t t e , NC 2 8 2 0 3 A d e l i c i ou s c a f e i n C h ar l o t t e i d ea l for a S und a y b r unch w i th a n inv i t i n g p a t i o u p s t ai r s , b e s t d u r i ng the summer.

upstairs at the gwen 521 N Ru s h S t , C h i c ag o , I L 6 0 6 1 1 A b e a u t i f u l r o o f t o p a n d v i e w o f C hi ca go w i th a w i d e sel ecti on of food a n d d r i n k s . G r e a t c h o i c e for a d a te.

kumaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corner 2900 W Bel m o n t Av e , C h i c a g o, IL 6 0 6 1 8 A re n own e d r e s t a u r an t i n C h i c a gol a nd w i th mul ti p l e l oca ti ons. Kn own f or t h e i r u n i q u e b u r g e r s a nd hea v y meta l a tmosp her e.

pet dad

posie Po s i e i s a C av a p o o , w h i c h i s a mi x b etw een a C a v a l i er Ki ng Cha rl e s Sp an i e l an d a P o o d l e . S he w a s b or n on Ma r ch 2 1 , 2016 a n d i s f r o m B & C K e n n e l s. S he a ctua l l y b el ongs to my sist e r J e n n i f e r a n d h e r h u s b and Al ex , b ut she i s a l so my d og in m y m i n d . P o s i e i s t h e m o s t ex ci ta b l e, l ov i ng d og I know a nd I d on â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t t h i n k I r e c e i v e a b e t t e r gr eeti ng fr om a ny one. I a l w a y s wan t e d a do g g r o w i n g u p b u t w e nev er got one. Posi e i s my fi r st ex pe ri e n c e w i t h r a i s i n g a n d g etti ng to know a d og b eca use I see her a bou t o n c e a w e e k . P o s i e i s the b est d og I know !

stella Ste l l a i s a d o m e s t i c s h o r t h a i r b l a ck ca t fr om PAWS C hi ca go. Her bir t h da y i s Ap r i l 3 0 , 2 0 1 4 . O r igi na l l y, she w a s sup p osed to bel on g t o my f am i l y, b u t e v e r y one end ed up b ei ng a l l er gi c to her, so m y ol de r s i s t e r L a u r e n t o o k her home. S he now l i v es w i th La u re n a n d h e r h u s b an d J a c k i n S tr ea mw ood , I l l i noi s. S tel l a i s a t im i d , s h y c at w h o i s o f t e n h i di ng a r ound the house. S he d oes no t go ou t d o o r s . Un f o r t u n a t e l y, she w i l l a l w a y s ha v e a n up p er resp i ra t or y i n f e c t i o n an d y o u ca n hea r her str uggl e to b r ea the a t t im e s . I c on s i d e r h e r t o al s o b e my ow n ca t, she i s my fa v or i te! 27

charlotte, nc

uptown Up t own i s th e h i g h e s t p o i n t in

Charlot te, an d i s e sse n ti a l l y th e ir

do wn t own a r e a. I t i s v e r y co rpora t e b u t h a s l o t s o f re s t a u ra n t s an d b ar s . P i c t u r e d to the left is the view from Ci t y L i gh t s R o o f t o p d u r i n g sun s e t . A t r i g h t i s t h e La t t a A rc a d e w h i c h i s a s m a l l ind oor a n d o u t d o o r s h o p p i n g are a i n U p t o w n w h i c h al s o has v a ri ou s r e s t au r an t s .

south end C ha r l otte i s v er y much know n f o r h a v i n g a n a rra y o f b re w e ri e s , a nd The Unknow n i s one i n p a r ti cul a r tha t i s v er y p op ul a r a nd l oca ted i n the S outh E nd a r ea . I ha d the op p or tuni ty to v i si t d ur i ng ha p p y hour a nd si t a t thei r b r a nd new r oof top . Ha l f a mi l l i on d ol l a r s w ent i nto r enov a ti ons a t The Unknow n ea r l i er thi s y ea r. Al l b eer ser v ed her e i s l oca l . 29

Hello, World!

Good morning or evening or whatever time it is wherever you are from. My name is Eric Ortiz and I am currently 25 years old. I was born in Chicago in 1992. I have lived most of my life here in this city. I am currently studying to be a Video Game Designer. Though I am kind of confused as to how i would get to that position. I live with my family at home which includes my mom, dad and older sister. I do not have many hobbies unless you count playing video games as one of them. I have had a small circle of friends starting with my best friend Allen in the 6th grade. The circle constantly fluctuates as friends we use to know

fall away on their own path. But that is to be expected especially with the years we have been with each other. I guess the best way to describe my personality is like how Shrek described his. It has many layers and each layer varies in complexity. That being said I am fairly simple, at least thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I like to believe. I am hard working and determined when I am handed a task. I will not stop despite any difficulties I face. I am also trusting and somewhat full of knowledge as my friends will turn to me for advice on certain topics or for my insight on a personally matter. I tend to have a dry sense

Hello, World! of humor or at least that is what I am told. In general, I like to be kind to others as I feel like that is the right thing to do. Since the start of college i have had 3 goals in mind. To get a degree in whatever path I chose, to get a career and move out, and try to get close to fulfill my dream. So far, I liked to say that i am at least close to finishing one of these goals. But as with everyone, life like to throw you curve balls and boy, are these curve balls serious. But I am nothing if but persistent in achieving my dreams. I have come this far already and I am not about to stop now.

Cornerstone of Friendship The Xbox One is, for at least now, the pinnacle of home entertainment. At least in my opinion on the matter. The Xbox has been a main stay n my life for the past couple of years from the first generation to the current. While mostly I use it for games, it has been the main source of communication between my friends and I despite not being in the same place. It has allowed us to connect with each other and help strengthen our friendship. I find it safe to say that with the Xbox, my friends and I would not be together today. Which is amazing when you think about it as in the past friends tended to drift apart as they lose contact with each other over distances. But thanks to this gaming console, our friendships are still as strong as they have ever been.

My Surprise Pet Mia to keep her and raise her as part of our family. Though she is a handful most of the time, I am happy we decided to keep her as she has since then filled a vacant hole in our lives . She is 5 years old now and shows no signs of losing energy or playfulness much to our chagrin. But she has developed a close bond with my dad as she will always be by his side either sleeping by my parent’s bed in the morning or laying beside him on the couch.

Before Mia entered our lives, my family and I had owned three dogs prior. Sammy, Droppy and Chuckie were members of our family so it pained us to see them pass. Some died to complications of old age and others were sadly taken away from us before their prime. We had vowed to not own any other animal due to the pain we felt with each passing. That is when an opportunity came upon our lap. My aunt’s friend came into possession of a puppy from her workplace. Apparently the previous owner did not want the puppy so he tried raffling her off. My aunt’s friend won the puppy and called us as she did not know what to do with it. That is how Mia entered our lives. At first we were apprehensive seeing as she was a pit bull mixed with a Jack Russel. Both are energetic breeds and can be a handful in there own right. But after looking into multiple animal shelters, we decided

The Best Food.

When people think of food from Chicago they will mainly picture the deep dish pizza. And yes, while it is weird to have a thick crust one pound pizza, this city should be known for more than this. That is why I think theses foods should be blasted from billboards to newcomers. One of these treats notable to tourists would be the hot dogs we have. This is due to the toppings Chicagoans tend to put on them or more to the point what topping is not on it. When you look at a Chicago dog, it should leave you wondering where the hot dog is, if it is there at all. Another food that I think should be worthy of praise is the Italian beef sandwich. I can not think of anything else more representative of this city than this sandwich as you can not get it anywhere

else within the US. I mean sure you have the french dip sandwiches in California and there is also the cheese steak from Pennsylvania. But the Italian Beef is a sandwich above all others with it’s slow roasted beef, hot spicy giardiniera and the soft rolls used to house this masterpiece. Seriously, anyone who comes to Chicago for the first time has to have ordered this at least once. Finally, the king of desserts in Chicago has to be Eli’s cheesecake. Now I know New York tends to be known for cheesecake, but I think Eli’s has the potential to topple this monopoly on the dessert market. With its soft yet firm texture and creamy vanilla taste, one just needs a slice to know why Eli’s is the best.

My Best Friend Since then we have strengthened our bond and incorporated other people into the mix. Through thick and thin we have always had each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backs despite whatever difficulty the other was having. Though there were times in which I have come to question why we actually are friends. This is mainly due to his proclivity to helping others, but lets not go into that. Allen is a difficult person to accurately describe at times. But the best way to describe him is that despite what he may say and do on the outside, inside he is a deeply caring person that wants to see the best in the others around him.

When I was growing up, I always found it hard to make connections with other people. While I did talk to the other kids in my classes I could never bring myself to hang out with any of them or stand behind after school to play with them. Around the end of the 5th grade was when I went to summer school. There I met another kid named Allen. Even back then he had a deep voice for his age. He and I kept talking to each other throughout the summer classes. We formed a friendship after we finished and from there I transfered to that school.

The Yearly Family Trip

Before the introduction of my current dog Mia, my family and I went on a vacation every summer to Orlando. I honestly do not know why we only went there but it was like a default vacation spot for us. We would make sure that everything was packed and ready to go the day prior and rush to be on time when it was time to leave. We always would do the same things every time we went. This included visiting the parks, going to many of the restaurants and finally racing on a go-kart track. Even though it was rinse and repeat, we still loved the fun we had. Do not get me wrong, there were times in which my family and I would get into fights over silly things like myself not going on certain rides as I do not like heights or some other nonsense. In the end, we still manage to have a good time, despite any grievances, with each other and will

always cherish those memories. Mainly because until Mia gets used to other people and dog, not likely any time soon I may add, it may be a very long time before we get the chance to go to Orlando again.

What I Want To Be

When I was in high school, my friends and I got into a debate about video games. Specifically, what would make the best video game to play. After spending a good tow hours we came up with a great idea for a game which involved aspects of survival horror with a AI director that would challenge the player at every possible moment.

I continued this until one day when I was with my advisor, he had asked what i wanted to do as a career. It was from that point on I decided to pursue a career in video game design. It was been a rough struggle to get to the point I am at so far. Yet, despite the difficulties I have encountered I still want to pursue this career.

From that point on, my interest was fixated one the idea of the perfect video game. While at the time I wanted to invent the perfect game, I also started to study the games I was playing to see why I liked them. Soon, I found that there were certain qualities in the games that I played that made them fun for myself.

I have hope for two things to occur as I continue down this path. One is that I will be able to take my ideas and make them into tangible products. The other is that one day I will be able to witness the excitement on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faces as they play one of my games 37

ALEX PANKEY

POSITION:

Attack

HOMETOWN: Elmwood Park, IL

WEIGHT:

160

CLASS: Junior

HEIGHT:

6’0”

MAJOR:

Graphic Design

TRAVEL Growing up, traveling was not, and still is not something that I am dying to do as it seems others may. To this day I have still never even been on an airplane. But if I were to go anywhere in the world at this moment it would be to Germany. The reason I say Germany would be because of my interest in German cars and one of the most famous race tracks in the entire world, the Nurburgring race track in Nuremberg, Germany. Not just the race track do I want to visit, but I would love to take a ride on the Autobahn in one of my favorite cars. I would also want to visit the BMW museum in Munich, Germany. BMW is more than just a car to me, its something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m deeply passionate about and love to learn about. Visiting the museum and seeing the classics and learning more about the company is something I would love to do during my travel.

PASSION Cars to me are much more than just objects we use to get from point A to point B. They are a way of life. The people you hang out with, the places you go, the things you buy, to me it all revolve around cars. Even your basic habits are different compared to everyone else such as the way you clean your car, take car of your car, have fun with your car, etc. Cars are a way for me to express myself, and a way for me to escape reality. The long nights in the garage by yourself really test your skills and patience to get your car the way you want it to be. Sometimes you really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even want to be in there but you just do it. Through thick and thin its all worth it in the long run. Every dollar you spend, even though you may be broke at some points. It teaches you to work hard to get what you want, and to not give up on your goals. Cars are truly something I am passionate about and is something that will be a part of me for the rest of my life and will teach me life lessons for the rest of my life.

ENTERTAINMENT There are many things I enjoy doing on my free time for entertainment such as playing video games, watching TV, going out with friends, etc. But nothing compares to music for me. Music plays a large role in my life. There is not a moment throughout the day where I am not listening to music. If I just so happen am not listening to music chances are I’m looking for more music to listen to. My favorite kind of music is rock music. I listen from classic rock to the heaviest metal you could possibly think of. I love it all. I do enjoy listening to other genres as well, but I refuse to listen to country music. Going to concerts are my favorite thing in the world. The energy throughout the venue brings a smile to your face the moment you step in and when you leave you’re just aching to go back as soon as you possibly can.

My favorite bands are The Amity Affliction and Motionless in White. I have seen both bands over six times in the last 4 years and will continue to see them until I am unable to anymore. These bands aren’t just my favorite bands for their music either. The bands members, to me are some of the most inspirational guys I’ve ever met. The do so many things for their fans and inspire so many of their fans to be themselves and to not care what other people think about them. Their music helps so many people get through hard times. To many people my music taste may be odd or startling, but everyone has their own taste and no one was ever able to convince me that my music taste was bad. There is a saying out there that goes, “You hear the screaming, I hear the meaning”, and I could not explain my music taste any better other than to show people this quote. 45

ANNA SCHAFF

ello! Welcome to the next eight pages of my life story--they probably won’t be that interesting, but if you’ve got nothing better to do. . . read on! My name is Anna Schaff (if you haven’t already figured out from the giant heading on this page). I’m currently a sophomore at Concordia University Chicago majoring in Graphic Arts and minoring in Marketing. Here at Concordia, I’m involved in several music groups, which I’ve grown to love, and have made most of my friends here through these, so I’m definitely thankful for these groups. I was born in a little town in Central Illinois surrounded by corn and soybean fields, and I’ve lived there my whole life (already exciting, I know). I have an older sister (Elizabeth) who lives in Seattle and an older brother (Matthew) living in Detroit, and two loving parents (John and Leandra) at home. I also have a cat named Spot, who is probably the coolest cat you’ll ever meet, but I think he knows that already. Growing up, my siblings and I fought a lot; I don’t really know how my parents dealt with that much fighting, but we also had a lot of fun together. One game that we played that I used to think was really fun was when my brother and sister would tie me up and leave me in a bedroom and time me to see how fast I could escape. Looking back now, I realize they were probably just doing that to be mean to their youngest sibling, but I probably also deserved it. I was constantly tattling on Elizabeth for doing something she shouldn’t have been doing, or telling on Matthew for hurting me somehow.

Now that we’re all gone away from home for the majority of the year, we somehow seem to get along much better. We mostly just get to see each other on major holidays, now that we’re all spread out. Holidays are a big deal for our family--I’ve got a lot of relatives, although we are spread out all over the world. Thanksgiving is spent with my mom’s siblings (along with their families), who all came over to the United States from Macau, where they were born and raised. Christmas and Easter are usually spent with my dad’s side of the family. He has six sisters and two brothers, and although the family is spread out all over the country and several other countries, there are usually some people close enough to spend these holidays with. These next several pages are a small portion of my thoughts and memories in life, and may or may not be worth your time. If you have nothing better to do, however, grab a cup of coffee or tea and continue reading.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

rowing up with a mom who cooked dinner for us every night was apparently not as normal as I thought it was, especially when almost every meal included a bowl of rice, no matter what we were eating. Because we had rice almost every night, I would often grow tired of it, but now that I’ve come to college, I miss the nice bowl of hot rice every night. One of my all-time favorite homemade Chinese dishes that we eat without rice, however, is pork and shrimp dumplings, which we usually make when our

whole family is together--it’s become a tradition to all work around the table together, rolling out and forming the dough, mixing the fillings, and assembling the dumplings in the final stage. It’s always a struggle to balance out the ratio of dough-rollers to fillers to final stage dumpling folders, but it’s definitely a fun process when you have 15 people all working together. The following recipe is what we use--these are definitely worth all the effort that goes in.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings Wrapper Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ⅔ cup boiling hot water ⅓ cup cold water

Directions

Measure out the flour and salt in a large bowl and give it a stir. Add the boiling water and stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Once the mixture becomes crumbly, add the cold water and quickly stir vigorously. Begin kneading the dough in the bowl by hand for several minutes until a ball of dough forms, then take the dough out and continue kneading by hand on a counter. After 3-5 minutes of kneading, the dough should be ready and you can place in a bowl, cover with a barely damp paper towel, and let it rest for about 20 minutes. While the dough is resting, the filling for the dumplings can be made.

Filling Ingredients

1 pound boneless lean pork ½ pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp, chopped into small pieces 2 slices ginger, or as needed to make 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or rice vinegar 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Few drops of sesame oil Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and combine well. Once the dough has rested, divide it in half and leave one half in the bowl while you work with the other half. Roll it into a long sausage shape, and cut into about twenty sections. To form the wrapper, take one section and roll it into a ball, flatten in the palm of your hands, then use a rolling pin to create a flat circle, about 3-4 inches in diameter. Fill the wrapper with a heaping teaspoon of the filling. Fold the dough in half, crimp the edges, and pinch to seal. To cook, the dumplings can either be boiled in water or chicken stock, or can be fried in a pan for potstickers.

ARE THERE BEARS?

lmost every summer, my family goes camping for a week somewhere in the United States (usually). As most people know, camping trips take a good amount of work and preparation, yet the aspect that concerned my mother the most was if there were bears around our camping area. Every time we decided on our destination for our next trip, she would look up to see the bear activity in the area and determine if it was safe enough to do tent camping. I don’t remember the first time I went camping, but I remember my parents telling me the story of how they took me at nine months old, along with my two siblings, to Glacier National Park in Montana, and while we were there, or so the story goes, a man was killed across the lake by a bear. Ever since, my mom has been wary of camping anywhere near places where bears have been sighted. As a family, we’ve camped in many areas of the U.S., including Maine, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, the Grand Canyon, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and the list goes on. From mountains to forests to beaches, we have had a lot of great adventures and

some good memories. I remember one time when we were camping in Colorado, my siblings and I were playing around the campsite and we found these little brown pellets on the ground. We were gathering them up and planting them like seeds until my dad decided to tell us it was actually deer scat that we were playing with. It was a bit of a rude awakening for us, but we all survived apparently. One “fun” experience camping was two summers ago, when we had our big Schaff family camping trip at Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine. I was in the tent with my brother and sister, and my sister woke me up in the morning because I was talking really loudly in my sleep. After I woke up, I felt really nauseous for some reason, so I went to put my shoes on to get out of the tent and go to the bathroom, but I was stumbling and fell onto my brother, who got mad naturally. when I woke him from his peaceful slumber. Anyway, I finally got the tent door open and stumbled out with my shoes half on, when my parents, who were sitting outside, saw my face and told me I looked super gray, at which point I passed out

onto the ground. My dad came and picked me up, and he thought I was going to die because I was hardly breathing, and he tried to call 911, but realized we were too far away for them to get to the campground quickly, so my parents drove me to the nearest hospital themselves. However, once we got in the car, I came back to consciousness, and once we got to the hospital, I felt perfectly normal. The doctors did several tests, but couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find anything wrong with me, so we went back to the campground and continued on with our day, getting breakfast and going on a hike, and I felt great after. My sister still tells me she saved my life by

waking me up that morning, but really, she was just being cranky that I had woken her up. Our family has definitely had some exciting and memorable camping experiences, and I am so thankful for all the opportunities and places weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been. Camping has been an activity that our family has grown to love--it gives us a chance to take a break from the stress of everyday life and enjoy the world around us. Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation never ceases to amaze me and everyday that we get to spend more time in it is an amazing experience. 51

PASSIONS

ast year, my piano teacher told me, “You know, I don’t think humans were made to do just one thing their entire lives,” and although I’m not really a “deep thinker” most of the time, this is something that’s stuck with me for a while now. I think it’s pretty crazy how people can have so many talents in such different areas, yet sometimes choose one thing to do for the rest of their lives. When I was trying to decide what I should study in college, all throughout high school, I thought that because I was fairly talented in music, I would major in music education and become a teacher for the rest of my life, following in the footsteps of almost everyone in my family. However, I had a mid-senior year crisis and thought I would major in forestry and become a park ranger so I could spend all my time outside surrounded by mountains and trees. Shortly after dreaming this up, though, I realized that being a park ranger may not be the most stable occupation, so back to music education it was. However, my sister (an elementary school teacher) somehow tried convincing right before I started school here at Concordia that I shouldn’t go into teaching; she tried telling me that I wouldn’t enjoy teaching at all with my personality, and at first, I was firm in my decision to be a music teacher, but finally I

listened to what she had to say. I decided to switch my major to Graphic Arts, which to be honest, I didn’t exactly know what that meant. Since then, I’ve learned quite a bit more about what exactly a graphic designer does (a lot), and I really am enjoying all that I’m learning about graphic design and I’m excited to do more work in this field. I also have a list of “dream” jobs that I want to have throughout my life, including a coffee shop owner (I could settle for a barista), flight attendant, park ranger, and I could probably go on for a while longer, but that could probably become a bit boring. I believe that God has created all of us for a purpose, and it often becomes easy for me to forget this as I become stressed and overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done for school and the future. With graduation coming up within the next year, one Bible verse that always comforts me is Jeremiah 29:11 - “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” These words give me encouragement when I feel like I have too many things to finish on my to-do list, or too many passions that I’ll never fit them in during my lifetime, but I find comfort knowing that God has a plan for me and he will take care of me. 53

Justin Timm

My name is Justin Timm, and I am a graduating senior at Concordia University Chicago. I’m very passionate about art - so much so that I’ve dedicated my career to creating art pieces of varying mediums. As of currently, my interests lay in both digital photography and graphic design - and I’m hopeful that I can someday make a substantial living off of the work I create for clients. One thing that’s particularly interesting about me is the fact that I was actually born a fraternal twin. Much like myself, my brother Brandon was very much into the visual arts and, for quite some time, wanted to lead a successful career as an art educator. 55

Fruit

If I were to pick one particular type of food that I can’t seem to get enough of, it would undoubtedly have to be fruit. Whereas most people take guilty pleasure in snacking on a variety of different greasy and/or oily foods, I’m different in that my guilty pleasure comes from eating more fruit than I probably should. Though I don’t really have an explanation for it, I can’t seem to stop myself from indulging - or, in this case, overindulging - in a variety of different fruits. What started out as an attempt to start making better choices with my diet has more-or-less turned out to be an eating habit on an entirely different level. Pictures from https://www.pexels.com/royalty-free-images

While I do consider grapes to be my favorite fruit, I’ve gotten myself into the habit of eating more and more strawberries as of recently. Not only are they extremely healthy for your heart, but they also taste incredibly delicious as well. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always preferred ripe fruit over fruits that haven’t already ripened. This, of course, is in due part to the fact that most ripe fruits are much more sweeter in comparison to unripened fruit.

While I can’t necessarily say that I consider fruit to be my favorite type of food, it’s certainly up there on my list of preferred foods to snack on. With that being said, I will never turn down the opportunity to eat, say, a bowl of mixed fruit if given the chance to. I’d much rather prefer to fill up on empty calories by eating fruit than I would by eating anything that’s overtly greasy and/or oily - such as fast-food or any other sort of junkfood (e.g. potato chips, cookies, etc.)

Visual Arts

Why do I like visual arts? This is a question that I’ve asked myself for quite some time. If I were to go out on a limb and make an educated guess as to where my love for the arts came from, I can only assume that it stems from my overbearing desire to create things. Not only that, but it could also be because it’s the perfect way to release emotions, realeasing whatever negative energy that may or may not be pent up inside. When I’m making something - be it a sketch, drawing, or painting - it’s almost as if all of my troubles melt away into nothing.

Pictures from https://www.pexels.com/royalty-free-images

My decision to pursue a career in the arts is rooted deeply in the fact that I’ve always had an innate love and appreciation of both visual and digital arts. It’s hard to say how and when this affection with the arts came to be, but I’m fairly certain that it had something to do with my being raised in a primarily art-centered environment. My mother was very much into knitting and embroidery, whereas my father absolutely loved sketching and drawing everything within his vicinity. I’m sure that I picked up on both of their dedications to the arts and, somewhere along the line, developed one of my own. And it is this dedication that has and will likely continue to propel me towards wanting to create artworks that are both unique and creative for many years to come.

I’m very hopeful that, sometime in the near future, I can somehow lead a successful career in the arts. I would love nothing more than to make a living off of the artwork that I create for clients - be it as a freelance artist or as an employee to a Fortune 500 design firm. It really doesn’t matter how or where I end up working - so long as I can progressively build my career as an artist, I will undoubtedly be content.

White-tailed Deer

In terms of what my favorite animal is, the spot would undoubtedly have to go to deer - or, more specifically, the White-tailed Deer. While Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m unsure as to where my love for the animal originally came from, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m almost certain that it has to do with the fact that I live relatively close to a forest preserve and, as such, have become accustomed to seeing them graze on my commute to-and-from campus. Personally, I feel as though the White-tailed Deer is perhaps one of the most majestic animals Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever seen throughout my lifetime.

Pictures from https://www.pexels.com/royalty-free-images

I’ve recently gotten myself into the habit of photographing these majestic creatures whenever I get the chance to do so. While I’ve only just begun photographing the species, I’ve already managed to take dozens upon dozens of photographs of the animal. Unfortunately, most of these photographs are severely lacking in quality, as most of them turned out more blurry than others. This, of course, is in due part to the fact that you have to be quick in photographing deer. I’ve learned that, in spending too much time having the camera focus onto a deer, you lose time for actually taking the picture. After all, deer are extremely timid by nature; any slight noise or movement is enough to send them running for cover in the forest. They’re not as timid when they’re in a herd, so you’re better of photographing them during the fall and winter seasons. One thing I particularly love about White-tailed Deer is how the appearance of their coat changes as the seasons progress. I’ve always been fascinated with how deer can go from sporting a reddish-brown coat all throughout the spring and summer seasons to sporting a grayish-brown coat throughout the fall and winter seasons. That’s just one of the many reasons why I consider the White-tailed Deer to be my favorite animal.

Arizona

While I’ve been to Arizona once or twice before, I’ve never actually stayed there for an extended period of time. As such, I’ve always had an innate desire to live in Arizona - or, at the very least, spend as much time there as possible. With so many different things to see and do in Arizona, who wouldn’t want to spend the rest of their lives living peacefully in a land full of beautiful landscapes and remarkable landmarks. While I’m almost certain that I’ll never actually move to Arizona, I nonetheless look forward to a time in my lifetime where I can spend as much time there as possible. Perhaps as an extended vacation? Pictures from https://www.pexels.com/royalty-free-images

They say that Arizona is the go-to place for tourists looking to do a little stargazing. With little to no light pollution obstructing the view of the night sky, visitors to the state are almost guaranteed to see one of the most breathtaking starscapes they’ve likely ever seen. The mere fact that you can see parts of the Milky Way in the clear night sky is, in and of itself, nothing far from amazing. To get the most out of such an experience, tourists are better off going out on stargazing tours where they and several other tourists will set up camp in one of several remote locations of the wilderness. These locations are typically known as “dark spots”, a term used in reference to a plot of land where the stars are at their brightest.

Though arid and rugged, Arizona is home to various species of plants and animals. One such species of plant is the beautiful Saguaro Cactus Blossom. This particular flower has been described by many to be a master of desert survival - as made evident by the fact that it is one of the only flowers capable of surviving in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. It was for this reason that the State of Arizona selected it to be their state flower. Unlike most other plantlife that strives in Arizona, the Saguaro Cactus Bloom is unique in that, rather than growing from a bush, it instead grows on the outer surface of the Saguaro Cactus - the cactus species from which the flower’s name derives from.

SARAH VERGARA

My name is Sarah Vergara and I am recently a student attending at Concordia University Chicago. I am majoring in the Art Department for Graphic Arts in which I take courses that involve designing logos and publishing books, prints and anything custom made. I am fun, kind and caring girl who is willing to take on a challenges and go on exciting adventures such as traveling to different country and exploring different sites along the way. I have two older brothers in which one of them is my twin brother meaning I have one who is the same age is me. I am also the youngest and the only daughter of the family though I find it being difficult sometimes but I love my parents and brothers. I have a mother who works with children at the Chicago Juvenile Probation Center while my father works at the Chicago Police Department as a police officer. I am not related to celebrity star Sofia Vergara in any way. Although, we may have the same last name there is no relation between us just a coincidence.

ART

Everyone has some sort of passion in their lives while for me art is considered my passion. Art is considered a passion because it is the only thing I am good at and comfortable with in my opinion. My major in college is Graphic Arts in which I take courses that involve designing logos and publishing books, prints and anything custom made. My favorite specific type of art is drawing since I find it to be easy and simple in my opinion. I have done other forms of art in my time but drawing is what I like to do most. My medium consists of using pencils, colored pencils and markers on paper. I like to think of art as a relief because drawing helps me relieve any stress I have on my back. I draw whatever my heart desires even if what I draw does not turn out like I how I expect it to be. My favorite things that I enjoy drawing are people and animals in which people would often ask me that kind of question. My most difficult things to draw are realism and backgrounds because they the most detailed of drawings and are hard to master even from this day. Drawing has been something I have done since I was three years old and that passion has been by me for as long as I can remember. 67

JAPAN

Source: InternationalTraveller.com

Whenever I think about traveling, I think about going to Japan. I know that going to a different country can be expensive but I am willing to wait no matter what. My mother once told me that I was the person in my family ever to be determined about going to a different country. I want to visit Japan so that I can go sightseeing, learn more about Japanese culture and maybe visit an animation studio. Throughout my life, I have studied what places there are in Japan and even taught myself how to speak the language. I have an uncle who lives in Japan and he is just dying to see me and my brothers. I want to see him as well but knowing that I have school and cannot afford going there is what is preventing me from reaching that dream. I would rather go to Japan as a trip rather than study abroad there to experience more on the country. In all my life, I wish that I can go to Japan so that I can finally visit my uncle and check going to this country off my bucket list. Japan is a place where I want to experience the culture and beauty that is of certain places, famous cities and even learn about some of the Japanese history that this country has to offer.

Source: JapanGo.jp

MUSIC

Entertainment can be an influential topic to discuss on. I like music because it comes in different genres similar to movies except they are quicker. For music, a song can last three minutes while movies can last an hour. I expect to hear something interesting instead of having to wait for that moment. As long as there is music I can dance to, that is fine by me. I cannot go a day without listening to music otherwise I would feel stressed or panic. I even listen to music that is of a different language and I can still dance to it. The only music I do not enjoy listen to is rap because the lyrics never make sense and it just consists of made up rhymes and swears. Also, some music involves singing which is one thing that enjoy doing for leisure. Although, I still have a problem of not singing in front of the public because I get nervous too quickly. I mostly sing when I am alone in my dorm so that I am the only person who can hear my own voice. Since high school and freshman year here, I have participated on joining the school choir as an alto. They are the female voices who have a medium to low vocal range. Overall, I enjoy music altogether because music is my lifeline that is a fact. 71

PASTA

Food can sometimes be a personal topic to discuss on but out of every food I like pasta is my favorite. I love pasta which makes me a pasta fanatic in a sort of way. I love any shape of pasta from spaghetti to cavatappi. Pasta is also the only food I am good at cooking with just boil water and dump the pasta. I know that pasta can tastes bland without any sort of sauce or extra ingredient to give it some flavor. For me, I personally love to eat pasta with marinara sauce or a butter and Parmesan sauce. My older brother would often comment about me being a lover for buttered noodles. I am also the only person in my family who enjoys pasta more than anything. I can eat pasta everyday similar to how my mother could eat rice everyday. Whenever my family and I would go to the Olive Garden, I would always order the Five Cheese Baked Ziti because it is so delicious and it has that irresistible signature Five Cheese marinara sauce. I also like going to Noodles and Company all the time. I even have my own Noodles Crave Card being the pasta fanatic that I am. Pasta is my life and I cannot get enough of it.

Source: OliveGarden.com

BUDDY

I am a dog lover when animals are on the agenda. I like all kinds of dogs from different sizes to different breeds. Buddy is my aunt’s dog who is a Maltese/Lakeshire Terrier Mix and is one year old. I have only known Buddy since last year but he is a very playful dog to be around with. I went to my aunt’s house a few times to spend time with my cousins and every time I enter the house, Buddy is always there. He is a sweet dog and is also a bit spoiled if he does not have anyone to pet him. An interesting story Buddy is that he was once a stray dog who was neglected by his owner. Luckily, he followed my aunt’s friend all the way to her place where she groomed him and decided to give it to my aunt to raise to love him. My family once owned a dog named Chip but we had to put him down a year ago. Chip was already old and he was already at that time where his body was giving up. I would like to have my own dog as a pet someday but that takes especially when you have to keep it up to date with vaccinations and filing the dog for insurance. My point is that taking care of a pet is a responsible job and a lot of time is required. 75

FAMILY

People from around the world are different whether it is through appearance or social background. I find family to be the most important people of my life because they are always with you through good times and bad. My family for instance, has always been there for me. If it were not for my parents supporting me, I would have never had any more Families are what bring people together to share about our personal lives. People who celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas are holidays that involve being with family. I have an uncle who I have not seen in seven years until 2014, he threw a party much like his way of recovery since my uncle was mentally ill at the time. My family members do go through some rough times such as anxiety, depression and unpleasant thoughts. We all try to help out each other whether it is through financial difficulties or personal family affairs. Families are what makes an individual feel important about themself by having the guidance and support needed of being a better person. They are there to love and to take care for one another until death to us part.