cts orientation newsletter - spring 2014

8/13/2019 CTS Orientation Newsletter - Spring 2014

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ORIENT TIONNEWSLETTER

CHICAGOTHEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SPRING 2014


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CTS ORIENTATION NEWSLETTER SPRING 2013 PAGE 2

773.896.2400 1407 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 ctschicago.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Classes to Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Students Perspective: Kathy Schuen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Streaming Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Students Perspective: Angela Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In and Around Hyde Park and Woodlawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Students Perspective: Josh Simon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

= most helpful for face-to-face students = most helpful for online students

CLASSES TO TAKE

If you havent done so already, you will soon bespeaking with your advisor about what classes youshould take this spring. Here are some ideas.

MDiv students should think about taking RH 344:History of Christian Thought (online only), RH 301:Interpreting the Hebrew Bible (online only), or both.They might also consider taking RH 325:Interpreting the Epistles (face-to-face and online),another required course.

MARL and STM students have more flexibility, andso should talk with their advisors about their specificinterests before choosing courses.

We recommend that students who will be takingclasses primarily online consider carefully how

much time they will be able to devote to thestudieseach online course requires about 1hours of work per week.

Some courses, such as Systematic TheologyReligion in North America, and Christian Ethicshave pre-requisites, so most MDiv students will takthose courses in a later term.

Once youve completed your Moodle orientatio

and have been notified about by the registrar abouwho your advisor is, you can start the registratioprocess by contacting your advisor. Happregistering!
http://www.ctschicago.edu/https://twitter.com/CTS_Chicagohttps://www.facebook.com/CTSChicagohttp://www.ctschicago.edu/


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A STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE: KATHY SCHUEN

ONLINE CLASSES, ONLINE SUCCESSES

Hello, everyone. My name is Kathy Schuen, and inthe fall of 2013 I signed up for a CTS course taughtcompletely online. I live in Portage, Michigan, anduntil last fall I had no way to access the theologyand philosophy courses that interested me. I am aproud parent of 16-year-old twins, am married to aman who gracefully copes with an extremelydebilitating disease and am a working pastor aswell. I cannot relocate, and a long commute is notpossible at this time, as I juggle roles of pastor,wife, and mother. So, when an online course on myfavorite philosopher, Jacques Derrida, was offered I

immediately signed up. I was starved for deep,intense and vital conversationsin short, a learningcommunitydevoted to exploring the work of thisdifficult, fascinating thinker. I was excited to explorewith others the reality of the virtual, and curiousabout what that would be like.

Ive been asked to share my some of myexperiences and suggestions with those who arenew to the online classroom. Here are a fewrecommendations based on things that worked forme:

Be a virtual presence in your online class! The onlyway your classmates will get to know you if you arenew to CTS is through your posts and/or webcamcheck-ins. The usual classroomvisual cues will be lacking,so your writing has toconvey both yourthoughts and yourpersonality. Post oftenand be creative! Usecharts, video clips, and

images when these illustrate your points. Responpromptly to others. Respect deadlines, especiallthose that require responses from your classmates

And rememberkeep your responses positiveCyber-communications can be easily misinterpretesince the usual conversational cues arent availableso dont hesitate to ask for and offer clarificatiowhen it seems indicated.

Make sure you have internet access! This soundlike a duh, but I live in an area subject to poweoutages. I needed a plan B, and some of my post

were sent from a nearby librarys computer terminawhen our power went out. CTS Moodle is extremelwell-managed. Questions are promptly anthoroughly answeredso dont be afraid to askSome things were common knowledge for others ithe class, but were not obvious to me. So, asYour classmates and instructor wont biteguaranteedafter all, its virtual!

Be prepared to put in the time . . . for me this wathe hardest part. The level of discourse in the claswas amazingly high, and I had to work hard on m

essays and responses. In an online course thresponses can be more considered and in-deptthan in a traditional classroom. The disadvantage ishowever, that this becomes a tacit expectation. Itmuch easier to keep up than to catch upand thiis doubly true in an online course where it i

impossible to claim the dog ate your paper.

One more thing: be prepared to be amazedawed, and delighted at the worlds you and you

classmates will uncover together! The instructobecomes a valued companion on youexplorations rather than a dominating classroom

presence, and your learning community cabecome a place of growth, renewal and creativ

engagement. Have fun!

Kathy Schuen, Distance Scholar


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FINANCIAL AID

There are two financial aid issues that may or maynot be of concern to you.

a. If you need to use student loans for thespring semester, please download the CTSStudent Loan Fact Sheet (PDF) from theCTS website. This fact sheet explains thefederal student loan program at CTSincluding the required FAFSA submittal andexplains the steps you must take to arrangefor student loans.

b. No spring 2014 semester scholarshipassistance (except for the STM program) is

available from CTS. But you are encouraged

to submit applications to be considered foMerit and Needs-based scholarships for th20142015 academic year beginning iSeptember 2014. If you wish to apply fothese types of scholarships, please contacthe CTS Financial Aid Officer HowarNelson at 773-896-2412 [email protected] for an explanatioof these scholarship opportunities.

Feel free to contact the Financial Aid OfficeHoward Nelson with any questions or concerns.

STREAMING CHAPEL: YOU DONT HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO PARTICIPATE

A key part of community life here at CTS isour weekly chapel service. Each week, adifferent group comes together to plan aservice of meditation, worship, and/orcelebration for the community. All of theseservices are streamed (broadcast) liveonlinehelping to make chapel accessiblefor those who may not be able to attendphysically but can be at CTS electronically.

And chapel services arent the only thingsaccessible online from CTSvariousworkshops, lectures, and other events arealso either streamed or recorded during theschool year. These streamed services andevents are available via the CTS website toour online students, our alumni, and other

friends. These online community lifeofferings are a great way for us to celebrate,learn, and worship together as one community. We may be separated by distance, but thanks to the onlinformat, we can continue to gather around our common pursuits.

The first chapel of the semester will be a Prayer for Beginnings service on February 5. In addition, be sure twatch Spring Convocation on February 12. Dr. Bo Myung Seo will be speaking on Ralph Waldo Emerson as Thinker of Religions. The streaming links for these will be announced latercheck your email and CTSFacebook page.

MA student Jae Seon Jo runs the camera for the Casteeda Lecture.
http://www.ctschicago.edu/http://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfhttp://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfhttp://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfhttp://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfhttp://www.ctschicago.edu/images/DownloadableFiles/Student%20Loan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdfhttps://twitter.com/CTS_Chicagohttps://www.facebook.com/CTSChicagohttp://www.ctschicago.edu/


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A STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE: ANGELA PARKER

WELCOME TO CTS . . . NOW WHAT?

Please allow me to extend greetings to all studentswho are embarking on seminary training for the firsttime. Whether you are a masters student or adoctoral student, please allow these few reflectionsto help you make the transition into the comedicmaze of seminary training. I describe seminarytraining as comedic because I want to remind youof the old adage Sometimes you have to laugh tokeep from crying.

Angela, why are you talking about crying? I ambeginning seminary, what do I have to cry about!?In actuality, you probably will not cry. But there willbe times when you will question your decision to behere and if you have made the right choice bybeginning seminary. So, when these thoughtsoccur, please refer to my following tips to help youstay on track during your time at CTS.

Tip No. 1: You cannot read everything. Now donot think I am telling you not to read. I am advisingyou all to learn the art of speed reading.Speed reading does not mean that youread every single word of every

single article or book assigned.Your reading list for your classeswill be way too long. However,you must learn the art of speedreading so you can ascertain whatthe authors main points are andhow the author argues to herconclusion. This is essential inseminary.

Tip No. 2: Expect to be

challenged. When I

entered seminary, I was agood Baptist girl from theSouth who thoughteveryone read the Biblethe same way I did. Oneweek in seminaryknocks those thoughtsright out of your head.

As an academic institution, we are charged tchallenge the preconceived notions that you mahold dear and force you to ask new questions. Yomay have thought you knew all the answers tevery question about faith, theology, ethics anscripture reading. However, you will learn iseminary that the more questions you ask, the morquestions you generate. Be ready for that.

Tip No. 3: Please remain active. You will btempted to stay in your apartment or library in ordeto try to read everything on your syllabus. Geoutside sometimes! Know that when you step awafrom your work and engage your body (througexercise, a walk, tennis, riding your bike), your braistill thinks about your academic work in thbackground. You need that time of refreshmenand rejuvenation so you can come back to youacademic work with a fresh perspective.

Tip No. 4: If you are a PhD student, scratceverything I just said! No, I am joking (only a littlbit, though). For the PhD students that arbeginning their programs, please, please, pleasethink about and make notes for your Program oStudy. Ask yourself why you are studying at CTand begin to formulate your Program of Study nowWe PhD students have a habit of taking way tolong to complete our degrees. Please keep TipNo. 1, 2 and 3 in your view but remember that yomust keep moving along in order to complete youdegrees (and get the really cool PhD hat).

Angela N. Parker is a fourth year PhD studenin Bible, Culture, and Hermeneutics wit

a New Testament focus. Parke

attempts to read the sacretexts through

womanist/postcolonial lenin order to provid

liberation antransformativ

interpretations.


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IN AND AROUND HYDE PARK AND WOODLAWN

Whether you are moving into an apartment in HydePark or Woodlawn, or you will just be coming intothe neighborhood for classes and events, here aresome good things to know:

Getting Around

1. Public transportation to and around CTS: To getto Hyde Park and Woodlawn, befriend Google Mapsto get directions for CTA, and check out theCTAswebsite to find maps, fare prices, and statusupdates for trains and buses. The 6 and 28 busesrun between Hyde Park and downtown, and theMetra goes both north and south, with a stop right

by CTS. Within Hyde Park, CTA buses 170, 171,172, and 192 go around the Hyde Park/Kenwoodarea, and you must pay regular fares for those.However, theNightRide shuttles,which start at 5:00p.m. and run into the early morning every day, areavailable to anyone for free.

CTA has a bus stop right in front of CTS.

2. Walking to CTS: Check the weather before yoleave, as you might need to carry an umbrella olayer your clothing. Keep your cell phone and othevaluables in your pocket and out of sight, just to bsafe, but be sure to enjoy the fantastic scenery anarchitecture as you walk!

3. Driving to CTS: Parking on the Midway is freeand theres a free parking lot on Stony Island an60th St., but plan to arrive early in order to snag spot, especially when the University of Chicago is isession. If you want guaranteed parking every dayCTS offers parking in our parking lot fo$140/semesterspace is limited however, so it

first come, first served. In addition, considecarpooling with your classmates. This is a great wato debrief after class, and its good for the plane

(contd

The Press Building next door to CTS has good food and coffee
http://www.ctschicago.edu/http://www.transitchicago.com/http://www.transitchicago.com/http://www.transitchicago.com/http://www.transitchicago.com/http://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/transportation/saferide.shtmlhttp://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/transportation/saferide.shtmlhttp://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/transportation/saferide.shtmlhttp://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/transportation/saferide.shtmlhttp://www.transitchicago.com/http://www.transitchicago.com/https://twitter.com/CTS_Chicagohttps://www.facebook.com/CTSChicagohttp://www.ctschicago.edu/


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Eating and Drinking

There are all kinds of unique restaurants in HydePark and Woodlawn. So where do you go when youhave a fifteen-minute class break and need coffee?

Where is a good place to celebrate a birthday ortake out-of-town guests? Here are some ideas:

1. Youre at CTS and you need a quick meal:

The U of C Press Building next door hassandwiches and prepared meals forbreakfast and lunch.

57th St. has a nice row of restaurants,including Medici, Noodles Etc., Subway,Edwardos Natural Pizza, Z&H Market Caf,

and Salonica.

BGabs Goodies behind CTS serves rawvegan food, smoothies, juices, and teas.

2. You need caffeine in a hurry:

Theres usually some coffee already madeor ready to be made in the student loungeon the third floor of CTS.

Go to the student lounge if you need a quick coffee fix.

The Press Building next door servesIntelligentsia coffee.

If youre willing to walk a little farther, Medici,Z&H Market, and Caf 57 on 57th St. all

serve good coffee, and Robust CoffeLounge at Woodlawn and 63rd does too.

For major coffee chains, check out thStarbucks on Woodlawn and 55th St. an

Einsteins Bagels inside the U of C ReynoldClub on the corner of 57th St. anUniversity.

3. You just aced your finals, and its time tcelebrate with drinks or dessert:

Jimmys Woodlawn Tap on Woodlawn an55th St. (next to the Starbucks) is a nice chibar. Theyre cash only, but they have a

ATM.

Medici on 57th St. has great shakes, floatscakes, and pies.

57th St.'s restaurants are a short walk from CTS.

The Pub in the basement of Ida Noyes a59th St. and Woodlawn (requires a $5 yearlmembership).

Einsteins Bagels in the Reynolds Club othe corner of 57th St. and University has $milkshakes every Wednesday!

4. Youre done for the day and want a nice dinner:

Leonas at the shopping center on 53rd anKimbark. You must try the mozzarella sticks

(contd


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Shinju Sushi on 53rd. Theyve got a greatdinner special.

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen in theKimbark shopping center at 53rd and

Woodlawn.

Hyde Park Produce in the Kimbark shoppingcenter at 53rd and Woodlawn. Go here topick up tasty pre-made meal in the deli case,or buy affordable fresh produce & make agood homemade dinner!

Seven Fun Things to Do in Hyde Park/Woodlawn

1. Go to the Lake; at some point, be sure to have apicnic on Promontory Point on 54th St. Dont forgetthe beach and the Lakefront Trail, too!

Promontory Point offers an unparalleled view of the lake.

2. Check out the Oriental Instituteits free and ashort distance from CTS.

3. Bookstores galore! Seminary Co-op Bookstoresnew location at Woodlawn and 58th St. is beautiful.

But check out 57th Street Books and PowellsBookstore, too (just to name a few).

4. An eclectic assortment of shops and even amovie theatercheck out 53rd St., Harper Court,and 55th & Lake Park.

5. The Midway right in front of CTS is a beautifulpark. When the weathers nice, take a jog there!

6. Rockefeller Chapel offers terrific concerts anartistic events throughout the year, in addition tchurch and meditation services weekly.

Rockefeller Chapel's beautiful architecture is a must-see.

7. The Museum of Science and Industry is a greaplace to visit, and while youre there, check out thOsaka Garden just south of it.

The Osaka Garden is a great place to findsome peace and quiet.


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A STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE: JOSH SIMON

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Im a second-year Master of Divinitystudent; you will love ChicagoTheological Seminary. I look forwardto meeting, learning, and hanging outwith you over the next several years.

When I first started here as a firstyear student, one of the best piecesof advice I received from a second-year MDiv student came when shenoticed that I had not worn a fall

jacket on a rather unexpectedly cool

day. I mentioned that by the time Irealized it was going to be cold. I wasalready out of the house and couldntturn back. She responded with, Self-care is important. Now, to keep thepractice going, from a second yearMDiv student, I give you this advice:to make your experience heresuccessful, you need to practice self-care. You cannot care for others ifyou do not take care of yourself.

Chicago Theological Seminary willchallenge you in many ways; it canbe really easy to lose yourself in youracademic and church responsibilitiesand completely forget your own self-care. I suggest spending time withother seminarians outside of CTS,making friends outside of theseminary setting, and exploringChicago, which truly is an amazingcity to people watch. Our communityat CTS is an awesome community for

learning and growth, but it is vital foryou to spend time outside ofseminary and religious activities.Finally, do not forget to take time tobe by yourself, take time to reflect onthe preceding week. See you soon!

Josh Simon, MDiv student

cts orientation newsletter - spring 2014

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