Taking the Classroom to Chicago—Learning in the City

Education, English, design, and psychology students—among others—spent time in the Chicagoland area this spring, learning outside of the classroom. Trinity’s proximity to Chicago provides many avenues for students to witness what they learn in class being applied in professional settings.

Hyde Park Book Stores

Every year, Dr. Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, takes students on a trip to Hyde Park to visit local book stores. After drawing a map of the area for students, he then “turns them loose” to purchase books and spend time in each store. At noon, the students met at Medici Restaurant to enjoy lunch and share their purchases.

“Having the chance for students to sit and talk about books and ideas is not only an important part of what college is all about, it is also a lot of fun,” said Boerman-Cornell. “Trinity is in a great position geographically to take advantage of what Chicago has to offer— including some of the best bookstores in the country.”

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Shakespeare is meant to be performed, and students in English 104 saw their required reading of Shakespeare’s Henry V come to life at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier.

“[The trip] gives us an important opportunity to think together about how literature can have a formative influence on community, one of the emphases of the English curriculum that also translates well to general education,” said Dr. Michael Vander Weele ’73, professor of English.

The Marketing Store

Students in design classes taught by Ellen Browning, associate professor of art and design, visited Vision Printing’s location in Tinley Park to learn about the printing process, from computer file to printed document. The group then headed to Chicago and The Marketing Store, a corporate branding firm whose clients include commercial giants Nissan and McDonald’s.

“The trip was an incredible opportunity to see before our eyes the things we had talked about in class,” said Kaitlin Feddema ’14 of Kalamazoo, Michigan. “Shutterfly calendars, burger wrappers, McDonald’s toys – we watched these things actually being created.”

Midwestern Psychological Association Conference

Psychology students attended the Midwestern Psychological Association conference to hear lectures about health, social and clinical psychology, and other topics. The conference, held in Chicago, hosted psychology scholars from universities all over the Midwest.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Jessica Clevering, Ph.D., said that her students were inspired by the conference, in particular the poster presentations directed to undergraduates.