Welcome to the LARES

Summer Success Seminar

Monday Symposia

Mondays are an important day for the Summer Success Seminar. It is the one day during the week that all students and instructors meet together for presentations, films, and critical group discussions tying the Monday program to the course curriculum and to the other objectives of the program including resource identification as a part of college life and academic survival. You will be given an opportunity to establish new networks with your fellow peers; meet with UIC instructors, advisors and current students; and, become acquainted with the numerous support services found on campus.

Week 1: Monday, June 15, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Lecture Center F6
Facilitator: Mitzi Ramos Activity: Program Introduction & Interactive Group Simulation Theme: Individual vs. Group Dynamic / A Vision for the Future Introduction: Surviving your transition from high school to college can be quite challenging. Not only do you need to have an idea of where you are going, but you also need to know how to overcome any unforeseen obstacles which may impede your path. Objective: The objective of this first Monday session is to provide you with the tools necessary to overcome difficulties you may encounter during your transition from high school to college. Whether it is academic assistance, emotional support, or the confidence to meet challenges, this first Monday is designed to give you the confidence to attack any crisis head-on. We will begin with an ice-breaker to illustrate the transition from high school to college. We will then move on to a discussion on the history of LARES and the creation and objectives of the Summer Success Seminar. This dialogue will introduce you to some of the valuable academic and support services at your disposal, in addition to familiarizing you with the struggles faced by Latinos throughout the years. We will conclude with an Interactive Group Simulation designed to reinforce the importance of listening to directions, staying focused under pressure, and teamwork.
9:00	Administrative Matters (Mitzi Ramos) Collection of Information / Distribution of Monday Schedules & UIC Planners Ice-Breaker Activity – From High School to College: An Exercise in Transitioning
9:30	Introduction to the LARES Program – Luis Duarte Introduction of LARES Counselors – Alicia, Diana, Joanna, Tony & Alfredo
	Introduction to the LARES Summer Success Seminar – Hugo Teruel Introduction of Instructors & Curriculum – Mitzi Ramos
10:00	Jose Perales, Graduate College, Assistant Dean for Recruitment & Minority Affairs Interactive Group Simulation

Week 2: Monday, June 22, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: BSB Lobby / Humboldt Park
Facilitators: Hispanic Center of Excellence Activity: Protests Against Proposed Budget Cuts Theme: Observing Civic Activism Introduction: Local community groups join forces to protests proposed budget cuts which would eliminate their programs and services. Objective: Throughout the course of your college career, you will learn about the impact of civic participation. In order to provide you with a firsthand account of the mobilization process, you will observe and evaluate a protest demonstration.
9:00	Bus Leaves BSB
9:30	Arrival
10:00	Speakers

Week 3: Monday, June 29, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Lecture Center F6
Facilitators: Mitzi Ramos (English Instructor) Activity: Film / Discussion Theme: Immigration, Narrative, Identity, Literacy Introduction: The film Piñero has been selected to help you identify the relationship between theme and form. Objective: Using this film as a backdrop, you will take part in a discussion on Piñero’s life as an immigrant. In addition to this discussion, you will be offered a step-by-step demonstration of how you might begin to write an analytical essay on the film. You will take part in a discussion designed to help you formulate questions that will lead to the articulation of an argument essay.
9:00	Introduction
9:20	Film: Piñero (2001) (103 min)
11:00	Discussion

Week 4: Monday, July 6, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Lecture Center F6
Facilitators: Mitzi Ramos (English Instructor) Activity: Film / Small Group Discussion Theme: Resistance & Counter-Narratives: Making Meaning, Immigrant Narratives & Immigration Policy Introduction: Bread & Roses, the immigration poems, and the immigration narratives have been incorporated into this summer’s curriculum to further explore the theme of resistance and counter-narratives from an immigrant’s perspective. Objective: Not only will you have an opportunity to explore the struggles encountered by many immigrants, but you will also be given a chance to examine the socioeconomic and political implications of these struggles as presented in the film Bread & Roses.
9:00	Introduction
9:20	Film: Bread & Roses (2000) (110 min)
11:20	Discussion / Bread & Roses Reviews

Week 5: Monday, July 13, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Lecture Center F6
Facilitators: Mitzi Ramos (English Instructor) Activity: Musical Performance & Group Discussion Theme: Counter-Narratives: Exploring Culture & Formation of Meaning Through Music Introduction: This summer, you have been given an opportunity to explore resistance and counter-narratives in the form of poetry, narratives, documentaries, and film. With the exception of the Los Tigres del Norte corrido, the role of music has yet to fully be explored. Objective: In light of the fact that music can be used as a venue for academic discourse, we have invited professional musicians to help explore issues of difference and counter-narratives. Through music, films, documentaries, poetry, and narratives, one can begin to uncover the different factors which help shape and define meaning for Latinos – factors which help us resist and create our own counter-narratives.
9:00	Group Discussion: Immigrant Interviews
10:00	Introduction & Musical Performances

Week 6: Monday, July 20, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: Lecture Center F6
Facilitators: Mitzi Ramos & LARES Counselors Activity: Vignettes / Discussion Theme: Reinforcing Your Academic Support Network Introduction: A major goal of the LARES Summer Success Seminar is to provide you with the survival skills needed to aid your transition to college life. Objective: The LARES Counselors have a strong desire to open the communication lines between themselves and the students they advise. It is their objective to help all students reach their academic goals. Today’s activity consists of vignettes which will be followed up with a group discussion. You will be divided into teams, and you will be given a scenario consisting of a situation you may encounter while in college. With the help of your team, you will offer a solution to the problem and act out your scenario. The group will guess what problem you were trying to act out and comment on the solutions you offer to address the predicament.
9:00	Introductions & Distribution of Vignettes & Preparation Time
9:30	Vignettes – Overcoming Crises & Obstacles

Week 6: Thursday, July 23, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Location: LC F6
Facilitator: Mitzi Ramos Activity: Final Day of the Summer Success Seminar – Closing Activities Theme: A Foot in the Right Direction: Reinforcing Your Support Networks Objective: The goal of today is to enjoy the last day of the Summer Success Seminar while reinforcing your support network for the fall. The morning with begin with the introduction of the LARES Student Handbook. The focus of this discussion will be to reinforce the academic culture at a university. You will also participate in a scavenger hunt. The objective of the scavenger hunt is two-fold; not only is this activity designed to provide you with an opportunity to explore the campus and various support services available, but it is also designed to solidify your relationship with LARES counselors (scavenger hunt team captains) and students with similar academic interests (scavenger hunt team). The scavenger hunt concludes at Giordano’s and another opportunity to make new friends and increase your network of acquaintances.
9:00	LARES Student Handbook Distribution
9:30	Recognition of Summer Success Seminar Students
10:00	Scavenger Hunt
11:00	Giordano’s Lunch / Raffles / Program Evaluation

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