Topic

After some discussion with my classmates around me, I have realized that this project is not limited to just an outside community. At first, I looked at the project from the perspective of fixing something from a neighborhood or a community in need and although this maybe a good idea, our own school is in need as well! Although Roosevelt University emphasizes social justice, it lacks in several different areas that are crucial to a student's education. Our small group brought up several important aspects that are being cut such as grants, workstudy, or the fact that it costs to print. Since these topics are essential to a student's education, I would love to be a part of a group that wants to enhance/develop a group to help change people's minds about the cost of our education! Of course these are not the only problems we have at school, so if anyone has any other opinions, I am open to those as well :)
Regarding the role we will play in our groups, I would have to say that I am a negotiator or a supporter. As Mr. Walcher said, everyone has the potiental to be a leader and although I have fulfilled that role in the past, I am open to helping my group in whatever way possible :)

Group Projects

Honestly, group projects have never been my cup of tea. I love hearing other people's opinions because not only will these individuals help shape my thoughts, but because different perspectives brings in more, well-rounded information on a topic since not everyone thinks the same. Nevertheless, working with other classmates can be a negative depending on who you are working with. My past experiences have sadly left me disliking working with groups because the other members never contributed any type of information useful to the assignment. Classmates can be highly helpful or useless in the sense that they sit back and depend on the "smart" student to complete the task. This is exactly the environment I have endured several times over throughout my years in school. Of course, more recently in college, my group projects have changed my view on working with others because professors have started giving points and grading groups based on individual work and group work. This method makes students provide more of their insight which equals out the amount of work on the project.
After hearing my Libs professor introduce our final project yesterday, it gave me both a feeling of excitement and a bit of fear because this project is like nothing I've done before. While our group projects in the past have been about creating a project based off a chapter in a book or an object/subject, this is pertaining to actually communicating to another individual about the topic of our choosing; I have never done this before. So overall, even though I have had bad experiences in the past, I am open minded to a new type of project with a new group.

Eden's Place in Fuller Park

So when I started off researching for this project, I was debating whether to write about Lincoln Park or Lincoln Square (You can really tell I like Lincoln huh?). Anyway, after a lot of endless research without any results on a topic, I have finally figured out what I want to write about: Eden Park in the community of Fuller Park. This place is really a miracle and I am very excited to finally be able to research my topic! So far this is all I have, but of course, Ill definitely be adding more in the future :) As for the resources, I put them in with the names because I have not put in the "Notes" in yet!

 

Introduction

Opened in 2003, Eden's Place is a site that does not reflect the common belief f those non-Chicagoans, as well as Chicagoans, that the city is consisted of only angles, lines, squares, bricks and copper wiring [1]. This abandoned junk yard turned nature center is located on the Chicago's South Side in Stewart Avenue in Fuller Park. Eden's Place serves and welcomes neighborhood residents of all ages in addition to visitors who are interested in the educational nature-based activities that Eden's Place has to offer.

 

History

In the year 200, the small neighborhood of Fuller PArk was announced as the area with the highest lead concentration in the entire Chicagoland area [from Chicago Tonight]. As a concerned parent, Michael Howard, founder of Eden's Place, started informing residents of the area's problem and projected his efforts in improving the Fuller Park area with the makings of Eden's Place [from Chicago Tonight]. The area that would be known as a "treasure" [www.fullerpark.com], was a rush and noise of traffic linned up besides factories [Prologue: Cloud over Chicago]. The location was between busy railroad tracks and the Dan Ryan's Expressway full of waste; however, with the help of hundreds of volunteers ranging from adults to children, the area started clearing up [from Chicago Tonight]. Unfortunately along the way, Michael Howard discovered that the area was being dumped on by the city itself with materials such as old railroad tracks and soon proved to the major of that time, Richard M. Daliey, and with that, the city agreed to he;[ wotj tjhe clean up, which they had not done in the first place [from Chicago Tonight]. As the project continued, Mr. Howard had to face several distrubing issues such as gang violence and local arguments that actually objected to the the opening of Eden's Place [From Chicago Tonight]. Michael Howard thought he was bringing nature into an urban area because Chicago [was thought to by many] represented all that ws most unnatural about human life [Prologue: Cloud Over Chicago]. Nevertheless, residents of the neighborhood complained that he was bringing black slavery because the people involved (majority were black), would be cultivating gardens [from Chicago Tonight]. Michael's intentions were far from creating an uneasy atmosphere for its residents; he wanted a better, healthier environment for the children [from Chicago Tonight]. Sadly, even gang members that dealt at the corners where Michael Howard planted butterflies at considered him a threat and on June 11, 2000 the Howard's home was fire bombed. Fortunately nobody was hurt [From Chicago Tonight]. As the advancement kept on with Eden's place, recongition from all around poured in to donate and volunteer. Finally in 2003, Eden's Place opened.

 

Context

Mission

History

Programs

      Field Trips

      Leaders in Training Programs

      Raising Animals

      Nature Restoration

      Educational Workshops

      Community Events

Awards and Recongition

Effect on Fuller Park

See Also

Notes

Annotated Bibliography

Here are my two annotated bibliographies although I have to admit, I am not 100% certain of my topic. I am still debating on what to research :(

"Lincoln Park." Everyblock Chicago. Msnbc.com, 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.
http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/neighborhoods/lincoln-park/.

The "everyblock" website is a very helpful link that discusses the different issues occuring throughout a certain neighborhood. For example, the neighborhood of my choosing, Lincoln Park, is not discussed in a very prosperous viewpoint as the majority of the websites advertise it to be, but as a place that has some range of crime. Here, people from Lincoln Park (or anyone who has information on the area) are capable of updating information and of talking to one another about the important issues that not only includes crime, but, for example, renovations around the area. I really liked this website because it helped me learn about new issues that other websites did not take the time to adress and it helped me hear, in respect of the residents of the neighborhood, what they really thought of it. The reason why I think this website is credible is because it is based on their first hand experience; yes, the residents all live in different parts of Lincoln Park, but the information is logical and insightful. As for an overall intended audience is actually, from what I have read, is directed to other locals so they can help each other out. The residents from Lincoln Park have an authority to write this information down based on the number of years they have lived in Lincoln Park; however, many other factors can give them the authority to write about what happens daily. One reason can be that these peope see something happen and since no one else has reported the incident, these people can feel obligated to report it somehow which is why this website is set up. For whatever the reason was/is, I believe this to be a reliable source that I have obtain insightful information from.
 


"Lincoln Park, IL." Zip Codes and Area Codes. 2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2011.
http://www.zipareacode.net/lincoln-park-il.htm.

Although I have found a well-rounded graph concerning the demographics of Lincoln Park, this website game me the precise statistics of the population. Even though the information is very limited/small it is very informative and is an eye opener because it showed that the white population is 57,688 while the Hispanic and the black populations are well under 4,000 people each. This website may not explain why this area is like this; however, it is a good start to what I am trying to research: why the majority of the people in Lincoln Park are white. This is no problem with a white population, but the fact that Hispanics and the black community, that are said to be growing everyday in numbers, are so significantly low in this area is questionable. The authority of the website is somewhat questionable since I have never heard of the source and because the information is so "basic"; however, pertaining to its credibility, it is credible. The website is based on zip codes and everyone can relate to this because we all have them. I doubt that a website would lie about the number of people living in a certain area. I will back this website up (in the future) with a more reliable source such as a graph or chart by a popular magazine or newspaper. The audience this website is trying to get attention from must be people that want to buy homes in a certain area that would like to know basic facts about the area to determine whether or not they would like to live there. With the information provided by this website, anyone can have a good image concerning a certain area, like for example, Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Park is an area that contains alot of activity; however, as for people, several groups create and help shape the community such as the first immigrants that come and settle in what once was a swampy location with occasional quicksand. These first immigrants to come settle were Polish and German immigrants. They brought over their culture and language which have been the orgins of this area since it is very Polish and German influenced. The only controversy that has occurred lately that can cause a stir in the neighorhoods is the fact that the student that was from Roosevelt and was killed recently was killed in the Lincoln Park area. This neighborhood is known for its clean and well-kept all around neighborhoods, so this comes to be a shocker to many. Considering that this area is heavily occupied by Europeans, when different ethnic groups come in the picture, there is racial discrimination. For example, there is a very small population of Puerto Ricans in the Lincoln Park area, their treatment is poor and although there were efforts for equality in 1970s, the efforts have not changed much of the neighbors' opinions. Overall, the primary group that dominates the area of Lincoln Park are Europeans; however, subgroups have been created pertaining to hobbies or other activities.

In Case You Didn't Know...

Lincoln Park has always been an area that has always caught my eye; yes, it covers what most of Chicagoans like to visit: the beaches, the museums, the lakeshore path, and amazing harbors, but have you ever wondered what else Lincoln Park has to offer? Lincoln Park is the "chamber of commerce" with multiple activities hosted throughout the year for its residents. For all ages there are art and music festivals throughout the summer for entertainment as well as the program called the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit that is privately funded but is open for the public to see. Here you can see art art its finest from the chosen particpants.Lincoln Park also contains the Children's Memorial Hospital that has dedicated its time and efforts to children of all ages including my sister. The helpfulness and outlook to beautifying and conserving the area is a huge priority in Lincoln Park. As a result, this area is also known to be featured in several known films such as "Public Enemies" and "The Dark Knight."


http://www.lincolnparkchamber.com/lincolnpark/did-you-know/

Lincoln Square

After much thought, I have considered to research Lincoln Square. Although Lincoln Square was labeled as community number 4 out of 77 communities in Chicago, it is in reality a neighborhood. Lincoln Square is made up of many private residences and small buildings. The square is the home of this location where everything comes together. I had the pleasure to come to the Square one Wenesday night and although it was a school night, people of all ages were there walking around with their pets, talking, enjoying the view, eating, and of course, listening to the music. The music is essential to the square because its vibrate and the variety of music is endless. Although I have only been there once, the area has left an impression on me and that is why I think that it is ideal for me to research Lincoln Square. Throughout the year, the Square holds several events that vary from wine fests to 5k runs for those who enjoy a little competition. Lincoln Square also includes Ravenswood which is home to the ex-governor Rod Blagojevich who has put up his home for sale (for anyone interested in buying!)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/system/neighborhood_images/0000/0021/Lincoln_Square.jpg%3F1191428781&imgrefurl=http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/neighborhoods/10/designers&h=209&w=275&sz=30&tbnid=KRsy2rC4q6MB2M:&tbnh=94&tbnw=124&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dlincoln%2Bsquare%2Bpictures%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=lincoln+square+pictures&docid=t2aK7rpwKX-vhM&sa=X&ei=pVGLTrK2LsOJsALk_tysBA&ved=0CDMQ9QEwAg