Coming up to the end of semester, this is the fun time of year everyone looks forward to! (Please note my heavy sarcasm). Unfortunately, as is the case with every semester at any institution, a lot of things are due in the final week of classes. I personally have a research paper, an international studies presentation, a Spanish presentation (in Spanish, I should add!), a political science essay, a Spanish composition, a political science test, an Honors essay and a Spanish test all due within 100 hours of each other. That being said, I am a little sad to see this semester come to an end. I’ve really enjoyed this semester of classes. I’ll leave in two weeks nostalgic for the regimen of classes and learning, but eager to travel 10 000 miles home to see my family and friends again. But I’m sure that I’ll return next semester excited to continue this wonderful journey that is Loyola!

Last Wednesday Loyola’s Department of International Studies hosted the Consul of the Republic of Ireland, Aidan Cronin, who presented on the European economic crisis. This is one of a number of talks that Loyola hosts throughout the year, and it was a privilege to listen to such a senior member of the international community. Consul Cronin discussed the difficulty of acting within the European Union, given the significant sovereignty that each nation retained. However, he was also optimistic, both about the recovery of his native Ireland and for the reforms to the European Union, particularly standardized banking regulation. He also showed that he could laugh at himself after a Freudian slip, accidentally describing the only guns in Ireland being used to “shoot peasants.” It was a fantastic presentation, and I look forward to hearing from the other experts that Loyola can bring in. That is one of the great advantages of Loyola’s location in the City of Chicago, which is the hub of the Midwest for many nations’ diplomatic missions as well as attracting many dignitaries and businesspeople.

Also, this Thursday will be the final concert for the Fine and Performing Arts department, which I will be playing in (Yay! More things to do!). Despite the unfortunate timing, I really am looking forward to performing. Next semester, I am registered to take three one-credit-hour classes – Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Applied Lessons. I was amazed when I came to Loyola and found out that I could take music ensembles for credit. While a common practice in the US, it is virtually unheard of in Australia. I love the fact that something I would be taking anyway I get academic recognition for here! One of the requirements for ensembles is attending a concert of a similar ensemble and writing a review of it. Again, a great benefit of being in Chicago is being able to attend such a variety of events. I was able to see the legendary Kurt Elling, supported by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, performing the works of Cole Porter, and call it school work. Personally, I loved that. If you’d like, here is a review of that concert to find out more. I also am able to take advanced saxophone lessons from our Jazz Band director, Scott Burns. Scott has performed in so many places, and with so many people, that I can’t begin to describe it. If you would like, you can read about it here, and listen to excerpts from his CD here. I’m so privileged to have this opportunity, and Loyola’s music program, and its situation here in Chicago, makes that all possible.

That’s all from me for the moment. If you have any questions about Loyola life or the university, feel free to contact me!

Peace

James

As we are coming to the end of this semester, some think of joining doctoral programs immediately. I would like to share my experience with you the reflections of this program.

Doctoral program provides plenty of opportunity to learn. Doctoral seminars teach us the tools of the trade, the theories and methodologies that help us ask and answer interesting questions. Think of the doctoral program as the means to build a strong foundation. A professor has to always be learning, and this is easier to do with a strong foundation to build on.

Team learning: Learn from others

Research does not have to be a solitary activity. In the  Ph.D. program, we learn from our professors, especially from our dissertation advisor and committee members, and from fellow doctoral students. Our circle expands over time to include doctoral students and professors at other schools, as we start to submit papers and attend conferences. These are potential role models, mentors, and friends. We can learn from their experience, and get help and advice on research, teaching, careers, and reviewing. Our conversations can help sharpen our ideas and foster opportunities to work on joint projects. If nothing else, our friends and mentors help us better celebrate our success and cope with our disappointments.

The doctoral program provides a wealth of menu choices that should help you decide what area you would like to emphasize in your research. Start thinking about your research early. The sooner you start on your own research stream, the faster your progress. Be sure to pick a topic area you are truly interested in so that you can sustain your enthusiasm over the long haul.

Find the Right Balance: Success means different things to different people. We should aspire to do our best, but it helps us stay sane if we can be realistic about our abilities and our limitations so that we can “accept that which cannot be changed; the courage to change that which can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

It has been quite a while since I have written. My first blog post was written in October of 2012 when I was a brand new little freshman. Now I write to you half a year later, hoping that I am not such a new little freshman any more. My freshman year is coming towards an end and I am not entirely sure I can believe that it is almost over!  This year has been a whirlwind of adventures, emotions, struggles and laughs. I have been given so many opportunities to go out of my comfort zone and try something new but also to carry on what I did in high school.

In high school I was a student ambassador, this required me to give tours to potential students and families. I loved doing this and when I came to Loyola I wanted to do the same thing.  The opportunity to be a special tour guide, which requires me to give tours to young high school students, kind of just fell into my lap. I missed giving tours so I did not hesitate at all when this opportunity was given to me.

Fortunately I have been allowed to give a few regular tours to potential students and already admitted students as well as my special tours. But regardless of what kind of tour it actually is being a tour guide makes me feel so much more a part of Loyola. I get to share my experiences of transitioning as an international student but also persuade students to also come and see how amazing Loyola is. Parents and students are always shocked when I introduce myself and tell them that I am originally from Hong Kong but that is exactly what I love. Loyola is versatile and international student friendly and being a tour guide has allowed me to further recognize this.

Hello everyone again! It’s already April, the Last month of my Academic experience at Loyola University Chicago both teaching and studying. I can’t believe that I spent already 8 months in this Amazing campus and city, Chicago!!

While thinking of my blog for this month, I decided to reflect on my experience teaching Arabic to American students and the Arabic Program at Loyola University Chicago.

First, I would like to start by thanking the Program director Dr.Sawsan Abbadi, who is doing great Efforts to lead the Arabic language and Culture program and get more students to take courses with enthusiasm and perseverance.

The Arabic program at Loyola serves students from diverse linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds. There are students who are heritage learners, whose parents are from Arabic speaking backgrounds along with others who are Americans interacting with the language for the first time. Thus, I am really happy to see diversity in the Arabic classrooms. Students feel so motivated and energetic to learn the language and open their visions to the Arab world and culture in general.

Learning Arabic has become a relevant choice for most of the people in the light of what is happening in the Middle East and North Africa. People are so interested to learn the language and hence understand people of the region while doing researches about them.

Culturally speaking, the Students in the Arabic program go beyond the classroom setting at Loyola Campus and expand their knowledge of the Arabic language and culture. For instance, they watch movies, chat with Native speakers of Arabic, mainly Arabic students or Families in the Chicago land area; they also do cultural portfolios and skits, where they demonstrate their speaking and acting skills in the target language.

As an instructor and tutor at Loyola University Chicago, I am so glad that most of students are motivated to learn and master the Arabic language in terms of all Language domains; this gives me more passion to help them and provide the assistance possible to achieve their dreams.

Learning Arabic is not a hard task as it may seem to some. The more you are motivated to take risks and get into it, the more you get involved and able to speak and interact in Arabic from the first month.

Should you need more information about the Arabic Language and culture Program at Loyola, Contact the Program director office at the Crown center, Department of Modern Languages, Lake Shore Campus.

  Good luck

Warm Greetings from Chicago!

Finally the spring is here, neither hot nor cold, just perfect!

This post comprises of the second and the final part of the interview with Dr. Wheeler,  the Dean of School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago.

On this podcast, he has throughly explained  and shared his viewpoints about the worth of social work practice. In addition, the Dean has elaborately explained the following questions:

1. How can Master of Social Work (MSW) correlate with other fields of study?

2. What are the core values that Social Workers should possess?

3. Why is critical thinking so important from the perspective of Social Workers?

4. Are there any particular dimensions that you would like to focus on your tenure as the Dean?

I hope that you will definitely enjoy this informative interview with Dr. Wheeler. Besides being the Dean of Social Work, Dr. Wheeler is one of my inspirations of my life and I have gained tremendous insights and knowledge while working with him.

Thank you and till then, be safe and take care.

Sincerely,

Biswas Pradhan

PS. Spread the SMILE.

Hello again!
I’m sure we’d all agree, Chicago is hardly a place where you run out of fun things to do, no matter what season of the year. One cold winter afternoon, when most people like to read a book by the fireplace, I felt like visiting the zoo. As someone who grew up watching wildlife documentaries by David Attenborough, my fascination with wildlife has never failed to lift my spirits and rejuvenate me to face the humdrum of my routine. And so, we drove down to the Brookfield zoo for what would become my most memorable trip to the zoo, ever!

Brookfield Zoo is easily approachable, whatever part of Chicago you’re traveling from and just about 2 miles from the Loyola Medical Center, Maywood. The zoo has a number of exhibits and my favorite has always been the Big Cats exhibit. This afternoon, we managed to capture the King of the Jungle in all his grandeur. We spent hours watching the lion and his lioness enjoy this lazy afternoon watching the snow from their cave. It seemed that with fewer visitors during winters, the animals were more in their element than I had ever seen them.

Brookfield Zoo is a beautiful place for any season, whether you feel like spending an afternoon enjoying nature or just love wildlife the way I do. It’s also a great place for an afternoon stroll and makes for a good drive for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
See you there!

Well, at least we had the sunshine going for us.

The women’s golf team flew to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, to play in the opening tournament of our spring season. After having a few months off golf, we were excited to finally be competing once again. Considering the fact that this was the team’s first competitive round since mid-October, our scores were commendable. We were grateful to have been invited to such a prestigious event (the largest collegiate women’s golf tournament, consisting of 36 teams) and had the opportunity to play such a beautiful course.

The team knew that the main focus of the trip was to squeeze in as much practice and as many rounds of golf as possible, but I can honestly say that I have never played as much golf within the span of nine days as we did during break. Prior to hopping on the plane, we were all imagining the luxury of being able to wear our sleeveless golf polos and skorts and get in a tan from the many hours being exposed to the sun… oh how wrong we were. For the most part of our trip, the temperature remained within the mid 30s to 50s and the blustering winds definitely did not make it any warmer. All in all, however, I did not mind having to wear all my winter gear… at least I was layering it up in fabulous Kiawah Island! On a side note, I must say that I will miss the sight of free-roaming alligators sunbathing just yards away from me as I hit my golf shots. It can help but chuckle at warning signs that say “DANGER: Alligators nearby”, since golfers see the alligators much more frequently than they come across these signs.

Putting aside all the incredibly intense yet fun hours we spent on the golf course, the team also had an amazing time together off the golf course. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in one of the homes on the island, and so we were able to plenty of family-bonding activities such as movie nights, cooking meals, and hours of bonding. I definitely feel that our team has grown even closer to each other as a result of this trip. As the team left South Carolina back to Chicago, we felt excited about our performance leading into conference championships in April. Here’s to a season of hard work, great memories, and hopefully a conference title!

Surely by now you would be asking, what does all of this has to do with my experience here at Loyola, as an international student.  Well, one of the interesting classes I’m taking this semester is about sustainability.  This has made me think a lot about the fine balance that exists in nature, and how through our actions we risk seriously compromising it.

In this class, we have discussed about many of the day to day issues in our everyday life which are having an effect on the planet.  Have you ever thought about what happens to your rubbish when you throw it away?  Or where the water you’re drinking comes from, and that this is a finite resource too?  And have you ever thought how much energy we consume and the pollution this creates?

When speaking of such a subject there’s a risk of becoming overly pessimistic and thinking that there is no hope for a sustainable future.  Yet what I like in this class, is that for every issue we discuss we also look at positive initiatives which are taking place and which are changing the way many people behave, in favor of a more eco-friendly living.

In this class I have come to realize that concern for the environment and the world’s resources is not just an ecological issue, but also a justice issue.  The more careless we are with the natural resources we have, the less these can be used by future generations.  Hence if we are not careful future generations will have to suffer the consequences of our actions.

This class was definitely an eye opener for me, and I promised myself that I will be less wasteful and more careful of how my actions are affecting the planet.  Yet Loyola not only provides such classes which enlargen your vision in such fields, but is also taking steps to become a more sustainable university, itself.  Soon the university will be inaugurating an institute and dorm which were designed with this in mind.

This new building has been designed to use energy efficiently, reducing drastically wastage.  Geothermal energy will be also used.  As the name implies this energy is obtained from the constant hot temperature beneath the earth’s surface.  The café will serve fresh food grown in the greenhouse by students, and the residents will live in a sustainable manner.

Seeing that Loyola is taking such a position on the forefront of sustainability, makes me proud of being a student of this University.  A University which is not interested in achieving mainly profits, but most of all interested in the serving of the community by advancing new ways of thinking and living, and I am proud to be part of all of this.

I am your friend, Hua. During the Midterm weeks, I have been so busy and stressful with my courses. However, there is one course I took this semester that was really helpful for me.  I want to introduce to you—-Career and Life Planning Seminar.This course was so popular that I tried my best to enroll in it.

“ Who am I?” “What should I do with my life?” Do you ask yourself these kinds of questions? Do you still seek a major now? Or are you afraid of how to find a job in this competitive society? If you answer yes for some of the questions, you should definitely take this course. You may not be able to have all clear answers on these questions; however, this course can give you a new idea and a right way to think about yourself. In the beginning to seek an answer, you will combine self-knowledge (gained through a variety of assessments, in-class activities, and personal reflection exercises) with information about human development, the world of work and the global community. I am so glad I took this course because it allows me to focus on myself and get rid of the stress from my other academic courses. There are not a lot of assignments, but every homework you do is a chance for you to know yourself better.

I did not decide my major before I took this course, then this course give me a way to search my interests and skills. Also I took a professional MBTI interest test to make sure which specific areas I enjoyed. All these things made me more confident on my major choice.

Here is the link for this course:

http://www.luc.edu/career/cpsy224.shtml

By the way, how do you feel Chicago’s weather? With time going on, the weather become warmer and warmer, it is time for you to get out of the dorms and welcome the spring! Do you see the lovely clouds on the heaven? Do you walk along with the splendid lake? Enjoy your study and enjoy the small scenery around you.

But what is social work? In a simple and a precise answer, it is a helping profession. lawyers, doctors, accountants and all other professions may argue that their professions, too, are helping professions, so it would be wise to elaborate. The IFSW, the global federation of national social work organizations representing 90 countries and over 750,000 social workers, defines social work as a profession that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance wellbeing. Using theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.

Social Work is not a new profession on the global scene and neither is it here in Uganda. Living in a developing country that is bedeviled by all kinds of social problems, the relevance of this profession cannot be overestimated. One only needs to watch the news each evening to be aware that social injustice and disrespect for human that are so rampart throughout the world, especially in developing countries. For today’s challenges it is not enough just to take short – term action but rather to make a lifetime commitment to positive social change. There is so much work to do, work that we have left to self-seeking politicians and people without the knowledge or skills to understand or even handle human beings in their different capacities: In my humble opinion, I believe that we as social workers should be taking the lead in providing solutions to the social challenges of the world, beginning in our own countries.