On Thursday, May 14, Mount Carmel juniors had a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk the streets of Chicago with their buddies as part of “Junior Caravan Day.” For some students it was their first time actually walking around downtown.

For junior Gabe Leblanc, this was the case. “I never walked through the city and noticed the beautiful buildings and . . . unique architecture.”

But while juniors got a chance to stroll the city streets instead of sitting in class, it was also a time to work together to find and take photos of various landmarks (such as the Water Tower, Holy Name Cathedral,  and Cloud Gate) as well as to capture random sights such as the statue of Msgr. Jack Egan, a Chicago Firehouse, and the plaque marking the original site of Fort Dearborn.

Groups also were challenged to sing the MC Fight Song to a Chicago Police Officer, to take a picture with an alumni or other celebrity, and to try some fresh fruit from the Farmer’s Market at City Hall.   The groups had only a paper map and a sheet with the names or pictures of landmarks to be found.

The junior class was split into 16 groups, and those that found the most items could win prizes.

For Leblanc, it was a day to remember, “and a great time to hang with my friends.”  For him, the most memorable part of the day was seeing “the cube of a million dollars in singles” (which many groups located in the Federal Building).

Mr. Caribee Collier’s group finished in 1st place, which made junior Lavelle Houston happy “because I won a free lunch.”  The 2nd place prize was free cookies, while members of the 3rd place group will be able to move to the front of the lunch line for the remainder of the school year.