Chicago Studies

Listen Here! Remembering Eddie Harris with the Junius Paul Sextet
Date and time: June 6, 2026 from 11 am - 1 pm

Venue: Oak Woods Cemetery Chapel (1035 E 67th St. Chicago IL, 60637)

We celebrate the Chicago-born musician Eddie Harris (1934 - 1996) at his resting place, Oak Woods Cemetery, with a conversation on his musical impact between Professors Travis Jackson and Adam Green, followed by a performance by the Junius Paul Sextet. Free and open to all, followed by lunch.

Each year, the College Dean's Office, Office of Research & Teaching Innovations, and Chicago Studies welcome student self-submissions and faculty/departmental nominations for the Chicago Studies Undergraduate Research Prize, which is awarded for the outstanding BA thesis or capstone project from that academic year that focuses on Chicago or considers Chicago in comparison to other urban areas.

Students from all academic disciplines in the College are eligible to submit qualifying theses/projects for review by our committee. Students who submit Chicago-focused projects also receive our signature "I Studied Chicago..." tote bag -- see image!

Student self-submissions due this Friday!

How did you spend your May Day? Prof. Bharani's Architecture of Memory course class spent it at the , the National Public Housing Museum. Students went on the museum's historic apartment tour, in which they got to enter and interact with exhibits comprised of items donated by previous public housing residents. Each home's story is told with the help of the guide and, most importantly, audio from the families themselves. Beyond the tour, exhibits are curated by donations to the museum, labelled with stories about the artifacts written by the doner. Honestly, there is so many more wonderful things we could write about this museum, but you're just going to need to go see everything yourself!

Admission to the museum is free, and tours are $15 for students. Make sure you check out all their free events on their website, too. If you haven't been yet, this museum is an absolute must!

This week, get involved with Community Stewardship Days! Alternatively, explore the Volunteer Fair or Solidarity Bike Rides to connect with communities across Chicago.

All are welcome to community stewardship days, regardless of age, background, or experience level. Stewardship day activities vary by site and time of year, but include tasks like litter pickup, trial mulching, invasive plant removal, native plant planting, habitat monitoring, and more. This weekend, team up to help restore and care for Marquette Park Natural Area! Find other dates on the Chicago Park District website.

The Volunteer Fair is back this spring with more ways to make an impact in Chicago. Whether you're passionate about the environment, mentoring youth, or social justice, there's an organization that needs you! The Volunteer Fair makes it easy to connect with inspiring community groups making our city stronger. Alongside 20+ groups, plenty of networking opportunities are available with others passionate about building a better Chicago.

The Connecting Neighborhoods Solidarity Ride is looking for volunteer bike marshals for their event. The ride will start and end at Logan Square Plaza. If you are available to serve on Squad as a volunteer bike marshal, please confirm your attendance directly to Emily Soriano: [email protected] and Alex Wilson (West Town Bikes): [email protected].