Housing Discrimination in Chicago: A History of Injustice

This is my action project for my workshop, "Writing Workshop". In this class, we looked at many different examples of writing and reviewed some basic and advanced writing skills. We took the time to either write a research paper about a topic we were interested in, write a personal narrative about ourselves, or write a summary response essay. This workshop challenged me by introducing me to more styles of writing. I chose to do a research paper because I wanted to challenge myself for this last project of my Freshman year. I have spent a lot of time researching housing discrimination. I even reached out to the director of Human Rights Compliance/Fair Housing at the Chicago Commission On Human Relations. I hope you enjoy my research paper.

GMOs vs Organic Seeds (Debate)

In the last unit of GMOs in my Freshman STEAM course, Food, we learned about genetic modification and gene editing. We studied math related to genetics such as Punnett squares and probability. We went on Field Experience to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. There we got the opportunity to meet and speak with farmers from all over the Midwest about their opinions on the argument on GMOs and organic crops. For this final action project, we were instructed to choose a side in the argument on GMOs. I was able to gather information from the farmers at the Green City Market to use as resources in my debate below. I enjoyed arguing this topic because the topic is an issue which can have a global impact. I hope you enjoy!

Volunteering at Marwen

Before and during my time at GCE, I have ventured out to a free art program located in the west loop of Chicago called Marwen Arts. I have been attending to their art programs for about 3-4 years now. This completely free art program has built me into the successful young man I am today. Marwen has given me opportunities in auctioning off my artworks, meeting professional artists, and experimenting in different mediums of art.

I have been recently volunteering at Marwen, a free art program in Chicago. At Marwen, I have been volunteering and helping at events such as DIY Holiday Parties, End of Term Exhibitions, Career Fairs, and even as a student representative at their annual gala. During these times, I have been doing things such as setting up tables and chairs, passing out flyers and giving people information about the art program, setting up and running a photo booth, and making buttons for people. From this volunteer experience, I have been learning how to stay organized, how to insert myself into communities, and help give back to communities. I made a difference for others by introducing people to a free art program where they can learn arts, express themselves, and develop their artistic skills. These experiences have impacted my future volunteer work because now I can look forward to connecting and reaching out to fellow organizations that support Marwen.

Here are some pictures of me setting up cameras for a photo booth at Marwen's Fall Term Exhibition.

N.L. (2019) "Setting Up Lights"

N.L. (2019) "Gathering Tech"

Thank you for viewing blog.

Beef Fried Rice

In the third and final unit of Birth in my Humanities course, Food for Thought, we studied how advancements in technology and research such as the Industrial Revolution and technology has affected our food today. We watched a movie called, "Food Inc", which showed us how major food industries and corporations such as Tyson and Monsanto control the animals and food we eat. The movie exposed me to the disgusting realities of the food industry in our country today. In this unit, we also read excerpts from Michael Pollan’s book called, "In Defense of Food"; which explained how the Industrial Revolution has affected our food and the way we eat today. We learned about the difference between organic and industrial food, different ways of farming to substitute for industrial farming, and the six ayurvedic tastes which relate to nutrition. We went on Field Experiences to Whole Foods where we analyzed different food and nutrition labels and to Uncommon Grounds where we met Brandon who talked to us about their rooftop farm and how their restaurant operates. For this last Action Project, we were instructed to write a food review on a meal that was restaurant cooked and homemade. We had to describe each dish using our senses and recommend which one we like more. I decided to write my reviews on beef fried rice because it is one of my favorite dishes from Asian cuisine. I really enjoyed this project because I went out to eat my favorite meal and then recreated it myself at home.

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