Exploration

By Genevieve Buthod

Exploration

Just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle the stress of another week of heavy assignments and tests, just when I was beginning to be overcome by the terror of the mountains I’d created for myself to climb, a close friend from back home in St. Louis paid me a surprise visit and put everything into perspective. I was so happy to see him, I almost forgot that I wasn’t finished working my shift for the night.

I couldn’t believe he had driven all the way up to Chicago to see me, so I decided to make it worth his while by taking him all over this wonderful city. I took him to a great dim sum place in Chinatown, where we met a friendly old man named Catfish who told us, let’s say, colorful stories from his life. We made our way up to the Loop and spent a while walking around Printer’s Row, seeing the beautiful Dearborn Station and diving into the wares at Sandmeyer’s Bookstore. I thought he would love seeing this Chicago institution, and I was right! It reminded me of how nice it can be to pay a visit to a fantastic local bookstore every now and then, rather than going to Walmart-esque stores like Barnes & Noble whenever I need something to read.

We headed over to Michigan Ave. and I took him on a lovely tour of the Fine Arts Building, one of my absolute favorite places downtown. According to the Chicago Architecture Foundation, it’s the last building in Chicago that still has an elevator operator! The elevator man closed the metal grates behind us, asked us which floor we desired, turned the crank and took us straight on up to Performer’s Music. I stand by my belief that this shop is one of the best places in Chicago to find sheet music for your next recital or audition. It has such a variety of pieces for everyone from saxophonists to classical guitarists to singers.

After getting back on the El, we went straight north to Belmont, one of my favorite pocket neighborhoods, and enjoyed a refreshing anarchist vegan dinner at one of my favorite spots, the Chicago Diner. Fittingly, when we got back to campus, I called up some of my friends (who also happen to be old SXU students) and we held a killer jam session in one of the practice rooms in the music wing. So much fun! It was amazing to be able to gain some perspective and have a little bit of home with me all weekend. My spirits are so lifted, and I feel completely ready to take on the next few months of hard work.

Genevieve Buthod is a sophomore, and a major in Computer Science with a minor in Philosophy. She is a happy and healthy vegan. She is also the TIAA-CREF Campaign Manager for Students for Justice in Palestine. Genevieve is the Senior Viewpoints Editor for the Xavierite.