CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY JULY 2014

CTS ORIENTATION NEWSLETTER JULY 2014 PAGE 2

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

The ACTS Consortium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Students Perspective: Angela Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Biking Hyde Park and Woodlawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Classes to Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
=most helpful for face-to-face students =most helpful for online students
Cover photo: Ayanna Johnson speaks at CTS Colloquium on Violence last spring.

THE ACTS CONSORTIUM
Taking classes at CTS is wonderful, but
occasionally you might want to broaden your
educational experience. Thats what the ACTS
Consortium is for!
ACTS stands for the Association of Chicago
Theological Schools, and the ACTS Consortium is a
collection of eleven different Christian seminaries in
the greater Chicago area, many of which are
located in the Hyde Park neighborhood with CTS.
The ACTS Consortium allows you to expand your
academic horizons by meeting new professors and
getting an ecumenical education. It also gives you
the opportunity to take classes that might not be
offered frequently at CTS, such as courses in
ancient languages.
ACTS courses are available to face-to-face and
online students alike, and CTS students can do
more than just regular-semester classes. Where
space is available, winter and summer classes and
even study-abroad trips with our ACTS partners
might be an option for you.
We encourage new students to stick with CTS
classes for their first semester, but as your
academic career continues, dont forget that you
can take advantage of Chicagos many schools for
your own intellectual and spiritual development.

CHECKLIST

So youve been accepted. Now what? By now
you should have received a message from
me in your personal email account containing
important information on how to log in to your
accounts and what forms to send in. That
message contains all you need to know, but
to help you keep track of it all, heres a
checklist of what you need to complete:

Access your CTS email and send the
Faculty Assistant a test email. Feel
free to forward your CTS email to your
personal account.
Access Moodle and go through the
orientation process there.
Fill out and return the New Student
Information Form.
Snail mail a passport photo for your
CTS ID card.
Send a copy of a government ID,
such as a drivers license.
Fill out and return the Immunization
Form.
Add Orientation Weekend (August
2223) to your calendar and fill out the
Orientation Form.
Talk to Howard Nelson about financial
aid (optional).

CTS ORIENTATION NEWSLETTER JULY 2014 PAGE 3
773.896.2400 1407 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 ctschicago.edu
A STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE: ANGELA PARKER
WELCOME TO CTS . . . NOW WHAT?

Please allow me to extend greetings to all students
who are embarking on seminary training for the first
time. Whether you are a masters student or a
doctoral student, please allow these few reflections
to help you make the transition into the comedic
maze of seminary training. I describe seminary
training as comedic because I want to remind you
of the old adage Sometimes you have to laugh to
keep from crying.
Angela, why are you talking about crying? I am
beginning seminary, what do I have to cry about!?
In actuality, you probably will not cry. But there will
be times when you will question your decision to be
here and if you have made the right choice by
beginning seminary. So, when these thoughts
occur, please refer to my following tips to help you
stay on track during your time at CTS.
Tip No. 1: You cannot read everything. Now do
not think I am telling you not to read. I am advising
you all to learn the art of speed reading. Speed
reading does not mean that you read every single
word of every single article or book
assigned. Your reading list for
your classes will be way too
long. However, you must
learn the art of speed
reading so you can
ascertain what the authors
main points are and how the
author argues to her
conclusion. This is essential
in seminary.
Tip No. 2: Expect to be
challenged. When I
entered seminary, I
was a good Baptist girl
from the South who
thought everyone
read the Bible the
same way I did.
One week in
seminary knocks those thoughts right out of your
head. As an academic institution, we are charged
to challenge the preconceived notions that you may
hold dear and force you to ask new questions. You
may have thought you knew all the answers to
every question about faith, theology, ethics and
scripture reading. However, you will learn in
seminary that the more questions you ask, the more
questions you generate. Be ready for that.
Tip No. 3: Please remain active. You will be
tempted to stay in your apartment or library in order
to try to read everything on your syllabus. Get
outside sometimes! Know that when you step away
from your work and engage your body (through
exercise, a walk, tennis, riding your bike), your brain
still thinks about your academic work in the
background. You need that time of refreshment
and rejuvenation so you can come back to your
academic work with a fresh perspective.
Tip No. 4: If you are a PhD student, scratch
everything I just said! No, I am joking (only a little
bit, though). For the PhD students that are
beginning their programs, please, please, please,
think about and make notes for your Program of
Study. Ask yourself why you are studying at CTS
and begin to formulate your Program of Study now.
We PhD students have a habit of taking way too
long to complete our degrees. Please keep Tips
No. 1, 2 and 3 in your view but remember that you
must keep moving along in order to complete your
degrees (and get the really cool PhD hat).
Angela N. Parker is a fifth-year PhD student in
Bible, Culture, and Hermeneutics with a New
Testament focus. Parker attempts to read
the sacred texts through a
womanist/postcolonial lens in order to
provide liberation and
transformative interpretations.

CTS ORIENTATION NEWSLETTER JULY 2014 PAGE 4
773.896.2400 1407 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 ctschicago.edu
BIKING HYDE PARK AND WOODLAWN
Chicago is renowned for being one of the nations
most bike-friendly large cities. Bicycling is not only
great for the environment, but it is a good way to get
some exercise and its cheaper than driving!
City biking can seem intimidating for those unused
to riding so close to cars, but with some basic
knowledge, practice, and good common sense, you
can learn the urban bicycling skills that will keep
you riding for a long time.
CTS has bike racks at both
entrances, and there are many
bike racks across the
University of Chicagos
campus and throughout Hyde
Park. In addition, if youre
commuting on bike, our LEED-
gold certified building provides
showers as part of our
commitment to being
environmentally conscious.
Of all the streets in Hyde Park, only 55th St. has
dedicated bike lanes, but the traffic speeds
throughout the neighborhood are usually pretty
slow, so its really easy for a cyclist to ride in the
regular car lanes. If you dont have a bike or if you
need some repairs, the neighborhoods around CTS
have multiple options for bike shops, including one
right behind CTS.
If you plan on traveling
beyond your school to see the
rest of Chicago, the city has a
bike share program called
Divvy, so thats a great option
for some weekend fun. A
good way to see the city is the
18-mile-long Lakefront Trail, a
beautiful scenic trek along
Chicagos coastline. What are
you waiting for? Get out and
ride! (But dont forget your
helmet.)

CLASSES TO TAKE
Many of you have already registered for classes
great! If you need to make changes to your course
registration, you can still do so via the Student
Portal. For those of you who havent registered yet,
you may be wondering what to take. Heres what
you can expect to register for in the fall.
MDiv students should plan on taking Introduction to
Pastoral Care/Introduction to Pastoral Theology
(Mondays at 9:00 a.m. and online), History of
Christian Thought (Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and
online) and Interpreting the Hebrew Bible
(Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and online). MA and MARL
students should take the latter two classes.
STM students planning to graduate in spring 2015
should take the Masters Writing Seminar and at
least three electives (four if youre not planning to
take an elective course in the J anuary term).
Others should choose electives that fit their
interests.
DMin students will automatically be registered for
the Orientation Seminar which meets August 25
29, and will register for their fall electives during that
week. PhD students will register after speaking to
their faculty advisor in August, but should plan to
take Contemporary Hermeneutical Strategies on
Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.
A full load is 4 courses per semester for masters
students and 3 courses for PhD students, so full-
time students will take electives in addition to your
required classes.
For future terms, all students will meet with their
advisors before registering in order to plan out their
semesters in detail.