2006 Summer Success Seminar
Week 1 Highlights
Monday
The Sears Tower and University Hall frame the view of the bright blue sky on a warm June Monday morning.
The Behavioral Science Building (BSB) hosts the first meeting of the current Summer Success Seminar student group.
Dr. Leonard Ramirez prepares his opening remarks as some of the students chat among themselves.
Dr. Ramirez welcomed the students. He explained the history of the Success Seminar and his hopes for their success. He explained how academic intensity is critical for success. He voiced is hope that if they didn't already have that intensity they would acquire it during the Summer Success Seminar.
With Summer Success Seminar Co-ordinator Jose Antonio Arellano adjusting the multi-media controls, Dr. Ramirez introduces the next speaker,
Assistant Dean Jose Perales.
Dean Perales welcomed the students to UIC. He gave a brief outline of his educational background, which included being a member of LARES
during his undergraduate days. He explained how he blossomed later during his academic career and how he hoped those in attendance would take advantage
of all the resources offered by the University, including LARES.
After his opening remarks, Dean Perales has the staff members set up the planned group activity.
Jose Antonio instructs the students to split into 6 groups by counting off, each student calling a number from 1 to 6.
Small colored fuzzy balls, balloons, pipe cleaners, and thin colored paper tubes are the tools to be used by the groups in the....
mock disaster drill!
Dean Perales set the stage.. A terrorist group has staged attacks in many US cities. The terrorist have used dirty nuclear weapons that have caused massive casualties. The 6 groups are medical triage teams and must prepare medical emergency rooms for the coming injured. They are given instructions about organ handing and blood typing.
The groups must decide how to divide duties...only two in the group have sterilized hands and must keep them sterilized for the upcoming organ transport and surgeries.
Some of the team are charged with organ transport and organization.
The balloons are large organs and the fuzzy balls are small organs. Different colors represent different organs. No organ can be touched by hand. Large organs must be transported by hollow paper tubes and the smaller organs must be transported by using the pipe cleaners.
Here we see the efforts of Group 1. They separated the organs by type. Other groups chose different ways to separate the organs.
After the drill was finished, Dean Perales opened the floor for discussion. When the discussion was finished Dean Perales thanked the students for their efforts. He gave them his contact information and told them his door was always open.
The talking portion of the first day was now finished. The walking portion was just starting.
The group of students follow the instructors across campus. They pass Stevenson Hall, the classroom building where they will all meet tomorrow. The path takes them off of the UIC campus, across the Eisenhower Expressway and finally to....
the Giordano's Pizzaria on Halstead and Van Buren.
Math Instructor Antonio Vasquez holds the door as the students enter Giordano's. The students soon find seats, ready to enjoy the delicious pizza.
Cynthia, Alicia, and Karina are engaged in a conversation while enjoying the pizza and softdrinks.
Students at the other tables seemed to be having a good time, too!
Dr. Ramirez thanks the students for their attention and warns them to be on time tomorrow.
The faces of the students show the serious nature of the words offered by Dr. Ramirez. It looks like the students are getting the message.
The partially eaten pizza can be thought of as a metaphor for the student's experience.
They have just had a taste of college life, with the rest of the meal awaiting them in the coming years.
On to the Success Seminar! Good luck to all!
This is the view that students see as they walk from BSB to the Summer Success Seminar classrooms in Stevenson Hall.
In order to gauge the level of proficiency in math of each of the students a tough Diagnostic Exam is given on the first classday of the Summer Success Seminar.
The students in Terry's 9:00AM class are hard at work, trying to answer as many questions on the exam as possible.
The students in Antonio's 9:00AM section were also working hard on the Diagnostic Exam.
Students in Doug's English section were asked to write about some personal experiences.
You can see University Hall from Terry's third floor classroom in Stevenson Hall.
Terry's 10:30AM Math Section students also had to take the Diagnostic Exam. As the pictures show they took the task seriously.
Laura gave the camera a big smile once the exam was finished and the class dismissed for the day.
The students made their way into the hall and down the stairs, preparing for the rest of the day.
After completing their assignments Doug's 10:30AM English section prepares to leave the classroom.