Clueing In the Parents

Yesterday evening the 2018 ILC Orientation took place at Lavonya DeJean Middle School. The purpose of the orientation is to inform everyone involved about what to expect on the trip, this time including the parents.

The night began with Don giving us a run-down of what we would cover during the orientation, including a detailed itinerary of our trip, loaner items, and what to expect in the following weeks leading up to our trip. This was followed by the chaperones who introduced themselves to our parents and explained why they should entrust them with us.

My mother and I

(I promise I was not as bored as I look).

Once introductions had been made, we split up into our cohorts to discuss closely some more details about our trip. In our respective groups, we went over the draft itinerary Don had provided. I was glad to see we finally got some concrete details about our Departure Day. We learned we are meant to be at El Cerrito High School at 2:15 AM that day! When I saw this I thought “I might as well not go to sleep” but I was quickly corrected by Don who advised that no sleep plus a day full of traveling and sightseeing would be a recipe for disaster. 

On the upside, we get to travel with Southwest, which allows two checked bags so I don’t have to worry about packing everything I need in just one. Also discussed was our stay at the Omni Hotel, our finalized list of sightseeing options, orientation dates, class start and end dates, and finally the return back home. Through each part of the itinerary our chaperone, John, gave many details as to what we can expect. This brought much comfort to my mother because she saw just how experienced and knowledgeable John was about the entire process.

While discussing the itinerary, our cohort was joined by three members of last year’s UChicago cohort Raqeeb, Cecilia, and Jahnvi. They gave us tips about everything from signing up for the activities that take place on campus to having a Target nearby that we could go to if we forget to pack something (which I inevitably will). I was glad to have the UChicago cohort from last year present at the orientation. They were able to give us an exclusive insight into life on campus that even Don with all of his knowledge could not give us. Because of their unique perspective, I wish we could have had more time to talk to them, but the time to regroup came pretty fast.

The UChicago cohort of 2017 and 2018 

When we regrouped, Don went over everything we needed to pack for our trip (the list goes on and on). Although there are many items we need to get and pack, it is comforting to know I don’t need to worry about some of them because Don had many items he can loan us.

After going over all of the loaner items Don has to offer, we stepped outside to take a picture of all of the ILCers along with Don and the chaperones. This picture brought an end to the orientation.

I thought that last night’s orientation was very productive. Not only did I get a more concrete idea of what the trip will look like, but so did my mother. I try to keep her updated on as much as I can, in regards to the ILC, but nothing can make up for the direct exposure she had last night. She got to meet both Don and John, which brought her comfort knowing they are both so efficient and experienced.

Although much of the information was a review, I also gained new insights during the orientation. Getting to see a detailed itinerary, helped me build a better picture of the time we will spend in Chicago. I am looking forward to all of the memories we will create there. It’s crazy to think it is only one month away!