On July 8, a warm breeze floated through as cherubs ventured into Chicago for the first of three field trips: a ride on the famous Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. The tour, which started on the Chicago River before venturing out into Lake Michigan, was many cherubs’ first time taking in the city skyline.
“I think it was a great way to introduce us to the city,” Rebecca Dodek of Rockville, Maryland, said. “Not only did it show us really nice and pretty buildings, but it also showed us some of the history behind them.”
The 90-minute tour, narrated by a tour guide, passed by iconic Chicago buildings like the curved St. Regis tower, the Wrigley Building and the gothic Tribune Tower. It also gave cherubs a general idea of the city they would return to throughout the trip.
“Yay, this is Chicago,” said Lily Youngstrom of Upland, California, “I didn’t know anything about the layout of Chicago at all. I had no idea how big it was.”
Liam McCall of Reno, Nevada, was among the cherubs who spent their time below deck.
“We just had a lot of fun talking to each other and we took a lot of nice pictures on the boat. It’s a very scenic ride,” McCall said.
A back and forth with Scotty D., the theatrical, pink-shirted tour guide, that included some light teasing of talkative cherubs transformed into a prevalent cherubs memory.
“Scotty D. brought the cherubs together,” said Madelyn Cass of Boulder, Colorado. “We all formed this big inside joke that we’ve all referenced, and it was just a really funny, unique moment to our cherubs year.”
Once the boat tour was over, cherubs spent an hour shopping and eating in downtown Chicago before making their way to the Medill Chicago building. There, instructor Tracy Van Moorlehem informed them about Medill’s Journalism Residency program. After that, everyone returned to Evanston on the L, ending the cherubs’ first Chicago day.
“The field trip is a good way to experience a little bit of Chicago that you might experience if you go to Northwestern,” McCall said.
