2015 Back To School Guide
A FRESH
START
CAROLYN DUFF | THE DEPAULIA
2 | Back to School Guide. Sept. 14, 2015.
What’s Inside page
4
WHAT TO DO IN LINCOLN PARK Explore in and around DePaul’s campuses as you get to know Lincoln Park and the city.
Terms St. Vincent De Paul thinks you should know
6
HURTING FOR HOME
THE SAC
page
Don’t panic. Everyone gets home sick. Here are some tips on how to deal with it.
Stands for The Schmitt Academic Center, which is located on Kenmore Avenue. It’s also home to two other “buildings” — Levan and O’Connell. It’s easy once you get used to it.
JTR
7
MOST UNDERRATED PARKS
8
HOW READY FOR COLLEGE ARE YOU?
page
page
There’s plenty in Chicago to explore. Skip Millennium and Grant Park and try out these under-the-radar parks.
Are you a freshman and not sure if you’re ready for college? Find out with this quiz.
You’re taking the LSAT without Blueprint?
Reaaalllly.
LET BLUEPRINT GET YOU THE SCORE YOU WANT.
888-4-BP-PREP blueprintlsat.com Fall classes in Chicago to prepare for the December LSAT begin October 3rd. Register with code 15FALL100 for $100 off!
This one is simple: John T. Richardson Library, DePaul’s library on the Lincoln Park Campus.
VINNIE VAN
Perhaps the best option for off-campus students. These vans run during midterms and finals week, offering rides to off-campus students near campus
VINCENTIAN
St. Vincent De Paul’s favorite word (allegedly). When doing community service, it’s important to do it well.
Back to School Guide. Sept. 14, 2015. | 3
You saw it here Scenes from Hollywood classics filmed in Chicago The Dark Night (2008)
Look familiar? The second film in Chris Nolan’s critically acclaimed batman trilogy features Chicago icons like the Board of Trade building on LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard. Perched atop the classic art deco skyscraper is the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres. It was agriculture, specifically the grain trade, that kickstarted Chicago’s board of trade and set in stone the young city’s national significance. In the heart of Chicago’s business district with Ceres staring down at you, there is no better place to capture Bruce Wayne’s fight for justice. Catch a glimpse of LaSalle Street on the CTA brown line to Kimball.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
MEGAN DEPPEN | THE DEPAULIA
Young Matthew Broderick’s most epic game of hookie highlighted many Chicago staples, but the Art Institute of Chicago is one of our favorites. The museum’s lions are loyal Chicagoans, wearing sports uniforms and holiday attire throughout the year. They were donated to the Art Institute in honor of its new, current location on Michigan Avenue in 1893, the year of the famous World’s Columbian Expedition that made Chicago a world-class city. The bronze felines are unofficially named for their poses; the south sider (pictured right) standing “in an attitude of defiance,” while its northside cousin is “on the prowl,” according to the Art Institute history webpage. Snap a selfie with the lions and check out the artwork that is still on display in the Institute’s halls on free admission days. MEGAN DEPPEN | THE DEPAULIA
LOL (2012)
MEGAN DEPPEN | THE DEPAULIA
Any DePaul student taking the brown line to the loop knows to get off at Harold Washington Library. Three years ago, you just may have spotted Miley Cyrus. The modern coming-of-age story may not have been a box office hit, but it does feature a Chicago staple — the CTA. Created in 1945, new CTA officials were determined to reorganize the private transit system that had been ruled by classic Chicagostyle corruption. It took $12 million at that time to redo the elevated system, and by 1997 the CTA was the second largest public transit system in the U.S. It services about 1.7 million rides per average weekday and travels 214, 625 miles. Venture into new neighborhoods and explore Chicago’s colorful history with CTA. Insider’s tip: download the CTA to track arrivals and never miss another train.
MEGAN DEPPEN | THE DEPAULIA
4 | Back to School Guide. Sept. 14, 2014
CHICAGO Museums/Outdoors
What to see, eat, and do in Lincoln Park
1 Oz Park
2021 N Burling St Chicago, IL 60614
2 Lincoln Park Zoo 2001 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60614
Restaurants
5
Lincoln Park
500-5700 N Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL 60614
North Avenue Beach 1600 N Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL 60613
7 Chicago History Museum 1601 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60614
8 DePaul Art Museum 935 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60614
3 Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
6
1 Pequod’s Pizza
4
Bourgeois Pig Cafe
7 Allende’s Restaurant
2 Homeslice
5
Devil Dawgs
8 Insomnia Cookies
3 Sweet Mandy B’s
6
Chicago’s Dog House
9 Del Seoul
1 Lincoln Hall
4 Apollo Theatre
7
Regal Webster Place 11
2 Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre
5 Steppenwolf Theatre Company 1650 N Halsted St.
8
Landmark Theatres
2430 N Cannon Dr Chicago, IL 60614
2207 N Clybourn Ave Chicago, IL 60614
Entertainment
4
938 W Webster Ave Chicago, IL 60614
1208 W Webster Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2424 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2433 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614
3 Kingston Mines
2548 N. Halstead St. Chicago, IL 60614
Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N Stockton Dr Chicago, IL 60614
738 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2147 N Sheffield Ave Chicago, IL 60614
816 W Fullerton Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2540 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614
Chicago, IL 60614
6 Facets Multimedia 1517 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
2408 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2260 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2568 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60614
1471 W Webster Ave Chicago, IL 60614
2828 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60657
Back to School Guide. Sept. 14, 2015. The DePaulia | 5
YOU CAN EVEN BRING YOUR BOOKS
Fall is the start to many new journeys. For some, it’s decorating and furnishing a new apartment or dorm room; for others its making new friends, finding student groups to join, or learning to ride the L. For all of us, it’s attempting to further improve the equation that makes the grades we all need to succeed. It’s finding the perfect study environment, the perfect snack, coffee, or routine that will magically result in us retaining all of the information needed to ace a midterm or final. We seek the perfect couch, the perfect ambiance, the right amount of chatter that doesn’t cross the line from pleasantly distracting to outright annoying. While some of us find solace in the tri-pods and
swivel chairs at the Richardson Library, others seek unconventional spots to study. But research by cognitive scientists has shown that all of us can benefit by switching up our study environments. An article by the New York Times references a classic 1978 study where psychologists had college students study 40 vocabulary words in two different rooms— one windowless and full of clutter, the other with a view of a courtyard. Students who studied the words in two different rooms did far better than a group of students who studied the same words twice in the same room. When paraphrasing the conclusions, writer Benedict Carry wrote,
CityGrounds Coffee
“[The brain] colors the terms of the Versailles Treaty with the wasted fluorescent glow of the dorm study room, say; or the elements of the Marshall Plan with the jade-curtain shade of the willow tree in the backyard.” The more the brain needs to work, the more information it will retain. The DePaulia has travelled from the Lincoln Park Campus to the Loop to find your “willow tree” and “fluorescent glow.” Be it snacks, free computers, a courtyard patio or the overall atmosphere, the following coffeehouses have a little something extra to offer you during your darkest study hours.
24-hour Starbucks
507 W. Dickens St.
210 W. North Ave.
While CityGrounds lacks in coziness, it’s large study table inside and outdoor patio offer an alternative to the DePaul library. Though there’s no designated study space, the music plays softly, and on an average afternoon, the majority of guests keep to themselves on their computers or in their books. If anything can sell you on this place, it’s their inexpensive menu that offers healthy food options like a $6 quinoa salad, or one of their various $4.50 flavored oatmeals.
Starbucks is nothing new. It has everything to offer when it comes to a solid study spot: comfy seating, plentiful outlets, snacks and caffeine to keep you going. But this Starbucks makes the list for the instances when you know you’ll be up until 2 a.m. and need fellow procrastinators to keep you motivated.
For study spots near the loop campus, visit depauliaonline.com
6 | Back to School Guide. September 14, 2015.
HURTING FOR HOME
Adjusting to college life isn’t always a smooth transition By Hannah Pipes Copy Editor
For a typical freshman in college, the first day of school is a bit emotional. Meeting your new dorm mates or settling into an apartment marks an entirely new experience. The overwhelming excitement of finally going away to college is often met with nostalgia for family, friends and old memories — homesickness. “I was most homesick right when I left for school,” DePaul sophomore Haley Moles, said. “Saying goodbye to the people I knew my whole life was unreal. It was just really sad to see the simplest parts of my past 18 years, like seeing my mom when I came down for breakfast every day, come to an end.” According to Academia.com, 95 percent of college freshmen feel homesickness at some point during the year. While succumbing to homesick you may feel alone, remember that many of your fellow freshmen are likely experiencing the same thing. Upperclassmen are not immune to homesickness either. Many students spent the summer at home and must immerse themselves into their college environment again. Getting accustomed to a new
environment can be challenging. Here are three ways to make it easier: Make your new space feel like home: Plain dorm or apartment walls can become instantly more homely by hanging up old pictures. Bring your favorite parts of your bedroom to college with you, whether it is a fuzzy beanbag chair or a colorful desk lamp. By bringing a piece of home along with you, it will be easier to feel comfortable, no matter how many miles away you’ve traveled. Find the right balance: While you may be inclined to Skype your parents every day for the first couple months, it is important not to let your home life hinder your process of engaging in your new environment. Make sure to give Mom and Dad regular phone calls, but make sure you aree dedicating plenty of time to participate in the DePaul community. Amber Anderson, a sophomore, found her own method of comfort. “I combat homesickness while away at school by texting or face timing my family and I surround myself with positive people that distract me from that homesickness,” she said.
CHRIS WARE | TRIBUNE CONTENT SERVICE
Get involved: DePaul has a wide variety of activities available, from numerous clubs, to oncampus jobs, to various activities in the student center. On a college campus in the
city of Chicago, there will always be plenty to do. Make the most of your college experience by taking part in the variety of events available.
Back to School Guide. September 14, 2015. | 7
PARK HERE: The most underrated parks in the city
COURTNEY JACQUIN | THE DEPAULIA
The Ping Tom Memorial Park (left), Garfield Park Conservatory (center) and Hyde Park Osaka Garden (right) are green escapes in the concrete jungle of Chicago.
By Mariah Woelfel Multimedia Editor
Did you know that the city of Chicago’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources manages over 8,100 acres of land? We’re here to help you take advantage of that. This year, step outside of Millennium and Grant Park to explore areas of the city that you wouldn’t enjoy otherwise. Ping Tom Memorial Park – Chinatown • 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. • Fieldhouse Hours: Sun: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., MonFri: 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Sat: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. • Park Hours: 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Inside its recreational fieldhouse, Ping Tom Memorial Park features a multi-purpose gymnasium, 9–foot swimming pool, meeting rooms, a fitness center, a green rooftop and a full service kitchen. Outside, you can walk the lake path, rent a kayak from the boat house or use one of its numerous public docks.
Garfield Park Conservatory • 300 N. Central Park Ave. • Facility Hours: Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Wed: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. The Garfield Park Conservatory occupies 4.5 acres of land that are home to thousands of different plant species on display in its eight different rooms. The conservatory is renowned for its Fern Room, which features tropical plant species, an indoor lagoon and sits under the glass-vaulted ceiling that many know from photographs. The conservatory was a groundbreaking revolution when it opened its doors in 1905. The pot-less plants, vaulted glass ceiling and the Fern Room’s indoor prairie waterfall caused visitors to refer to it as “landscape art under glass,” according to the Chicago Park District’s history on the building. Originally designed by Danish-American landscape architect Jens Jensen, the conservatory was modeled after a Midwestern haystack and has undergone several restoration projects since.
Hyde Park Osaka Garden • 6401 S. Stony Island Ave. • Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Japanese Osaka Garden is the surviving testament to a long history of Japanese structures and history on the Wooded Island of Jackson Park. According to the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Parks Committee, the original structures were built for the 1893 World Columbian Fair, and provided an alternative to the bustling atmosphere of the surrounding area. Today, the garden is home to inner and outer pools, a mood bridge, rock waterfall, a traditional Torii gate (built by hand using a traditional tongue and groove method) and various rare tree species. Due to the adjoining Paul H. Douglas Nature Sanctuary, the Garden provides a great space for viewing local and migratory birds and insects.
8 | Back to School Guide. Sept. 14, 2015.
QUIZ: FRESHMEN ARE YOU READY FOR COLLEGE? 1. Choose a font for your WRD final paper: a) Comic Sans MS b) Palatino c) Times New Roman d) Century Gothic 2. Your professor has a strict policy against using phones in class. You: a) Forget to turn the sound off. The entire class gets to hear your “Trap Queen” ringtone halfway through the lecture. b) Put it on silent (but place it in your bag so you’ll see the light turn on if you get a text). c) Turn your phone off and put it away until the class is over. d) iMessage on your computer the whole time. You’re professor will never know. Thanks, technology! 3. Showing up for class late is: a) Optional. By that point the responsible thing to do would be to stay in bed and get some more sleep. b) Awkward, and you avoid it at all costs. c) A rarity for you. d) A regular occurrence for you.
Mostly A’s: You’ve always landed on your feet in life, but living on your own in Chicago is a whole new playing field. No longer will your parents be able to bail you out of all the trouble you get yourself into. Hopefully, your move to college will be a smooth transition as you learn what life is like without a safety net. I have faith in you. I just really hope you didn’t choose Comic Sans MS as your favorite font.
4. If you had to compare your study habits to a “Harry Potter” character, it would definitely be:
6. Where are you getting your spending money this year?
a) Draco Malfoy. You always get good grades (and if you don’t, your father will be hearing about it!) b) Harry Potter. You make sure to get respectable grades, but always have time for extracurricular activities like Quidditch and saving the world. c) Hermione Granger. You love studying so much that you hope Rev. Dennis Holtschneider will grant you with a Time-Turner so you can take twice as many classes. d) Ron Weasley. You tend to get by with a little work, a little luck and a little help from your friends.
a) The Bank of Mom and Dad. b) You’re hoping to find a babysitting gig ASAP. c) You’ll be applying for jobs as soon as you can. d) The goal is to live off of your graduation party money for as long as you can.
5. How do you dress for your first day of class? a) You’re going to be dressed to the nines. Honestly, how are your classmates supposed to focus on the lecture when you’re looking this fresh? b) Whatever looks most comfortable, but you’ll be sure to at least shower. c) You honestly haven’t even thought about it. d) The same clothes you slept in last night. You’re running late because you stayed up until four in the morning watching “Treehouse Masters” on HGTV.
Mostly B’s: You seem to be going into this whole college thing with a pretty level head. You know that your main priority is your schoolwork, but also that college is about much more than getting straight A’s. Keep up with your workload, make new friends and enjoy the freedom that is your freshman year of college.
7. Which movie most accurately portrays your perception of college life? a) “Animal House” b) “Legally Blonde” c) “A Beautiful Mind” (With you being John Forbes Nash Jr., of course) d) You don’t have very many expectations. Just hoping it doesn’t end up anything like “The Roommate.” 8. How do you plan on spending your weekends? a) At the club. Bottle service all night, bro! b) Hanging out with new friends. c) Doing homework. d) Netflix binging.
Mostly C’s: Your drive and focus are admirable, but it is important to remember that getting a 4.0 GPA isn’t the most important part of your freshman year. Be sure to try and meet new people and learn more about yourself. This is the first year of your life that you’re living by yourself. Make sure you don’t let any great people or opportunities slip by while you have your nose buried in a book.
Mostly D’s: College is the first time in your life that Mom and Dad won’t be there to nag you into doing your homework or making sure you shower everyday. You’ve gotten into a great university and are by no means a lost cause, but remember that it is time to grow up a little bit. You don’t want to return DANIELLE HARRIS | THE DEPAULIA