Never Settle: Oriented and Ready to Go!

Wow! Orientation is over, and we have moved into our house in Chicago. I still can’t believe this is ACTUALLY happening. I feel like I have been waiting so long to move into my own space and start this new adventure. All the tiny aspects of this new life (making dinner, taking last year’s clutter to Salvation Army, finding our local grocery store) seem so surreal right now.

Before I launch into a recap of our first full weekend in Chicago (which will get its own post later on with plenty of pics) I will share with you some highlights of the LVC Orientation.

Of course, meeting the roommates was a huge one! I already vaguely knew one girl from Denison, but our paths had only crossed a few times-and the rest were complete mysteries to me (aside from my Facebook stalking, of course.) Surprisingly enough, what I could gather from profile pictures and posts sort of matched up with their personalities. (I can't decide if I have a gift, or am just too skilled now…). We have a great mix of personalities in the house, but do come from similar backgrounds in the fact that 6/7 of us just graduated from college this past May. I think it will work well for us to all transition together from “college life” to the “real world” and work through all of these new discoveries and challenges together.

Luckily, we have all clicked very well! Within our first day we had inside jokes, nicknames, and had begun a lot of great in-depth discussions. Perhaps we became a little clique-y…but I think it was a great way for us to bond and start the year off strong! One of my favorite nights as a group was when we went to a Luther Seminary staff member’s house for appetizers and drinks. We were the first to come and last to leave (and it was not just because of the free wine!). Already we have shared great stories with each other, started to develop group and 1:1 relationships, and most importantly decided we could really use a hot tub in the backyard. We are currently accepting donations :)

This is a thing.

In addition to great roommate bonding (there are some fab pics on my Instagram if you’d like to check out the fun times!) we got a start on some important discussions and topics in our workshops at Orientation. Two sessions that I think sparked some important thoughts and conversations amongst the roommates were our Anti-Racism and Anti-Heterosexism sessions.

When I first heard that a 7-hour day would be dedicated to Anti-Racism training I was both wary and uncomfortable. Racism is something I’ve learned about both in school and in practice, but it is still an issue I don’t readily discuss with people-mostly because I am afraid to offend people or “say the wrong thing.” This workshop really opened me up to discussing what racism looks like as a structural issue, and not just on an individual basis. We explored race beyond the divides of “black and white,” looking at immigration and American identity throughout history. From discussing the “Race” box options on the U.S. Census to what the Dominant Culture is in America (think white, married, protestant, heterosexual, patriarchal, etc.) we covered a gamut of issues. I still believe we have A LOT to discuss in relation to these issues, and I am fortunate to have a great group of housemates with whom I can have open and honest dialogue as the year develops. I know that we will face tough issues and questions both at work and in our social lives here in Chicago, and I am fortunate to have new friends to support me and help me navigate through these developing perspectives.

Our House's Notes: Dominant Culture in Religion

My favorite depiction of Institutional & Cultural Racism

The Anti-Heterosexism workshop was even more interesting, in my opinion, as it is an issue I have never discussed before. To be honest, I had never even heard the term before reading it in the Orientation Schedule. However, I strongly believe it is a topic that deserves more discussion and recognition in our society. With LGBTQ issues at the forefront in society-more states supporting marriage equality, and most notably DOMA and the recent expansion of same-sex marriage benefits in the military, it is important to have an open and honest dialogue about sexuality and the heterosexist society we live in. One of the most impactful parts of the workshop for me was when two transpeople who are current volunteers shared their personal stories with the group. I have never had an open discussion with someone who identifies as trans, and it was a very edifying experience for me. I also appreciated the Q&A later on with multiple volunteers who identify as either trans or gender-queer; being able to hear about their self-discovery journeys, experiences in the workplace, and current struggles was truly eye-opening.

A few other important notes:

I am officially a member of AmeriCorps and the Catholic Volunteer Network in addition to LVC-wooo! All of the volunteering!

I got some last-minute time with my girl Caitlin before she embarks on her own LVC journey to Baltimore. I am so excited to share our journeys along the way!

Every day I am more and more thankful to be here in Chicago as part of the LVC experience. There are many discussions I have started with my housemates that I am eager to expand upon as we start our jobs and become a part of the local community.

I will be putting up a post at the end of this weekend with some hilarious pics that recap our first weekend in Chicago-and it was one for the books!

SommerAnn