March 2015 – Page 3 – College Admission at Loyola

Improvement

By | March 20, 2015

From the beginning of the spring semester, there have been things within the family that have significantly affected my academic performance. I was struggling to keep a focused mindset in my classes and I found myself lost in every aspect. After a month passed, I decided to go to my academic adviser for support and advice. After a couple of appointments with her, she was able to connect me with people who could help me out. Mentally, she recommended visiting the Wellness Center. Financially, she referred me to a financial associate (who was also a good and close friend of hers). Academically, I began attending tutoring sessions more often and made the ultimate decision, through the guidance of the Dean of Students, to drop one of my classes.

The point is, Loyola has many people specifically dedicated to help you in every way. They have dealt with many diverse situations and have enough experience to help guide students in the right direction. For me, most of the times it is hard to accept the fact that I need help from others; I am usually independent. But when family problems arise and it is abrupt, sometimes it is preferable to have others to support and have your back. I understand that there are many obstacles that I will have to face in the future, but as a dear friend once old me, I should take things a day at a time.

Slowly and surely, I know things will get better. With a positive outlook on things and motivation to succeed, I know I will have a bright and happy future.

Setting Up Shop: New Businesses come to Loyola!

By Therese Bennett | March 19, 2015

Hello again everyone! Hope your week is going well! Mine has been quite hectic because homework and papers just seem to be piling on with the end not in sight for some time. With all this homework though it is important to step back and let your mind rest and focus on other things, so that is what I am doing with this blog post! I wanted to talk about some new places that have opened/are opening up around campus.

Potbellys – Potbelly has just opened up right near the Loyola Red Line and CVS! A super affordable and super delicious sandwich shop, they have delicious hot sandwiches for anyone’s taste buds. My favorite is the “Wreck” because it is filled with salami, roast beef, ham, turkey, and swiss cheese with savory spices and toppings. It is just to die for. They also have amazing soups and the broccoli cheddar soup is so yummy! But what really takes the cake is their shakes. Rich and creamy, they are perfect for these warm weather days we have been having.
Pita Pit – Pita Pit just opened and it is also located right next to the Loyola Red Line. I have yet to go here, but apparently they serve delicious Mediterranean pitas made with super fresh ingredients. It is definitely something to shake up the eating options around Loyola because we are used to sandwiches, pizza, and burgers. Yay for healthier options! I can’t wait to try this place!
BMO Harris Bank – BMO Harris Bank is opening right next to Pita Pit. So, if you belong to this bank, this will be beneficial for you! Of course, this really is not all that exciting (food options are much better) but it is something new coming to Loyola so I thought I would give you a heads up!
Go Grocer – Go Grocer will be located right next to the Loyola Lake Shore bookstore. This grocery store specializes in healthy and organic products and it was founded by two Loyola alumni! Pretty cool! While of course the products will be slightly more expensive than the average student’s budget, it is still a great place for fresh produce because, of course, everyone is willing to pay a couple extra bucks for better quality food. I know I am!
Insomnia Cookies – Insomnia Cookies is opening up right next to Potbellys. Insomnia Cookies is a bakery that provides fresh baked brownies and cookies. They also serve milk and ice cream. Sounds like heaven! I have never been to an Insomnia Cookies before, but I hear they are amazing! Their popular cookie flavors are chocolate chunk, snickerdoodle, and deluxe s’more.

All these places look fantastic and I only wish that they were around when I was a freshman. Even though I am ready to graduate, I am not ready to miss out on all these really great businesses coming to Loyola. Man, you freshman got it good…..

Feeling Cultured

By | March 19, 2015

This past Sunday, I attended my first opera, Lyric Opera’s production of composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s “The Passenger.”

Attending the production fulfills a requirement for my Honors class and I’ll admit, going to see an opera is not something I would have otherwise thought to put on my weekend schedule. As it turns out, having “a virtually flawless performance” (Chicago Tribune) as my introduction to this musical genre sets a perfect example for how Loyola’s broad core curriculum enriches students’ education beyond the classroom. Obligating students like me, a computer science major, to unplug and enjoy the qualitative aspects of life offered by the dynamic city of Chicago, provides esoteric experiences that even the best apps and algorithms cannot replicate.

As critic John Von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune articulately puts it, “The Passenger” is at once a commemoration of Auschwitz and an allegory for postwar Germany’s coming to terms with its past.

The three-hour opera was performed in German, which meant I had to follow the subtitles. Though it sitting for three hours made me a little bit tired, I felt extremely cultured and fancy afterwards. This made me want to attend an opera in English where I would be able to focus my attention in the actors on stage instead of the subtitles.

The staging of the production was innovative and, recalling my brief stint, back in eighth grade, as a lighting technician for the middle school musical, I found the sets quite impressive. At floor level was a lower deck, representing the concentration camp where the main character, Liese, worked as a camp guard, while an elevated upper deck depicted Liese and her husband as they sailed to Brazil after WWII. On the ship, she thinks she recognizes a woman who was a former inmate at Auschwitz. The opera goes back as forth between the levels, a metaphorical architecture portraying Heaven and Hell.

I enjoyed an insightful and enjoyable maiden voyage to the Civic Opera House. I look forward to many more assignments like this one.

Image from: http://newimages.bwwstatic.com/upload10/663963/houstongrandopera-thepassenger-orchestrarehearsal-photographerlynnlane-59.jpg

Spring Break Part 1: Paris and London

By | March 18, 2015

With Europe at our finger tips, the students of the John Felice Rome Center spread across the continent and beyond during our 10 day spring break. Students had the option to join JFRC staff on a study trip to the Balkans or Greece and Turkey or embark on individual journeys. I opted to map my own route. I used my European connections to my advantage, having the opportunity to stay with family friends in London and Ireland.

My friend Jordan and I spent our first weekend in Paris, where we met two friends that are studying in Madrid. We stayed in the St. Germain neighborhood which allowed us to walk to all the major sights of the city. We made our way to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. And might’ve accidentally stopped for crepes twice–when in Paris, right? That night we made our way to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The “City of Light” is magical from that high up and certainly lived up to its nickname.

Saturday we aimed to see as much of the city as we possibly could. The Louvre was our 1st stop which helped us beat the crowds and allowed us to get nice and close to the tiny portrait of Mona Lisa and other iconic artwork throughout the museum. Then we walked along the river until we reached the island of the Seine river that Notre Dame calls home. The rest of our afternoon involved a stroll though the Latin Quarter (plus macaroons), lounging in Luxembourg Gardens (plus crepes), and a visit to the Musee D’Orsay (no snacks here, but involved an impressionist feast for the eyes). Our super touristy day ended with full stomachs and happy hearts.

Sunday brought us on a journey to the Palace of Versailles. Where, after our tour of the palace, we got to soak up the sun by the lake before returning to Paris for a double crepe dinner (that brings the crepe count to 6 in 3 days). Although I could’ve stayed in Paris for the next month, it was time for us to head off to city #2 and experience London for a few days.

We kicked off our visit to London by eating lunch at a Mexican restaurant (one type of cuisine Rome just doesn’t have) then taking a lap around part of the city center. We passed by the London Tower, crossed over the Tower Bridge, stopped for tea and brownies at the Borough Market, took a bow by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and made it back over to the tube by way of the Millennium Bridge. Since we stayed with a family friend of mine she gave us a pub recommendation near her flat. Eating shepard’s pie and “bangers and mash” was the 1st time we felt like true Londoners.

Tuesday brought us on a walking tour of the city center past Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, and a pit stop in the British Museum. Since we packed seeing the majority of the city into one day our evening tickets to see Les Miserables gave us the perfect excuse to sit for 3 hours. After such a full day on Tuesday we decided to take things a little slower on Wednesday and took a day trip to Oxford. We wandered around the town and the campus for most of the day gaping at the beautiful architecture before enjoying yet another dinner of pub-style food.

Both of us absolutely loved our time in Paris and London, but our spring break adventure continued in Ireland that weekend.

St. Patrick’s Day In Downtown Chicago

By | March 18, 2015

St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in the city of Chicago! Being from out of town, I had no idea just how crazy this city gets to celebrate the day of the Irish! My friends and I had plans to go downtown this past Saturday to the St. Patrick’s Day parade all year, but when we finally got there, I was not expecting just how large and amazing this holiday is celebrated in Chicago!

The morning of the parade, we got up extra early, decked ourselves out in all green, and headed downtown. The first thing I noticed was how crazy the CTA was that morning! My car on the L was completely full of college kids all dressed in green and heading to the parade. It was probably the most eventful and entertaining L ride I’ve ever taken to date! Once we finally made it into the heart of the city, I was in awe of just the sheer number of people everywhere you look wearing green! The city was painted in a sea of green. Soon, we found a good place to watch the parade near Columbus Street, although with all of the people surrounding us, I really couldn’t see anything. I could hear the bagpipes though, which was exciting!

We decided to leave the parade a little early to get a good glimpse of the river that had been dyed green earlier that day. When we finally arrived at the edge of the river, I was amazed at how neon green the water was! It was truly an amazing sight!

With the amount of events and people dressed in green I saw on Saturday, there is no doubt that Chicago takes this holiday very seriously, regardless of if anyone is actually Irish or not! Since I am Irish, it was extremely fun to actually celebrate this holiday in a big city with millions of other people with fun green activities. I would definitely attend the parade every year, even if I couldn’t see anything. Next year, we will just try for a better spot! If you haven’t attended this big event, I definitely recommend attending next year. You will not regret it. It’s an amazing and super fun experience to do with friends!

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias at Loyola!

By Stephanie Rodriguez | March 17, 2015

Saturday night was epic. I mean I’m a girl that always cracks up jokes, even when I’m the only laughing time after time. So for me to see Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias live was beyond perfect! I am so glad that my boyfriend talked me into buying tickets! After a crappy week of feeling super sick it was nice to feel better and laugh my tears out!

Before the show started there were already many, many people lined up at the entrance of the doors. It was worth the cold wait, as we were not too far behind! We were able to get floor seat, but TO MY LUCK I sat next to a tall person (I’m only 4’11). Even though, I couldn’t get a direct view of Fluffy, I was still able to see him perform via the screens.

His friend and the famous “Maaaaaartin” kicked off the show! Following him were two other comedians until Fluffy came out. I cannot express how funny he was! At one point my boyfriend was in tears. Unfortunately, we were refrained from taking pictures and/or videos.

My favorite part was when one student “booed” Fluffy when he stated that hybrids were a good example of doing “good to nature.” Fluffy just said “Oh, really?” and went through an entire joke to shut him up. He picked on him for the rest of the night. Actually, I do not think that he ever got to the hybrid joke because he trailed off saying other ones.

He truly is a stand up comedian because he would just start talking about anything and everything. His jokes were effortlessly! Fluffy went an hour past what he said he was going to perform. At one point he was so fed up with the time he unplugged the timer!

He ended the show with old, classic jokes. He did say that he didn’t like to repeat old material, but everyone was chanting out that they wanted the old jokes! He sighed and said: “Fine, y’all better still laugh, though!” Once he started it seemed like a unified chorus. Everyone knew what he was going to say, and it was so funny!

I am so happy that Loyola brought him to Colossus 2015! The DOP staff at Loyola did a great job; it was such an organized event. I had SO much fun! I cannot wait to see him again.

“Frankie, where’s ma?”

Flying Home, Flying Cheap

By Samantha Eddmeiri | March 17, 2015

As a college student, it’s a well known fact that a lot of us don’t have a bunch of extra spending money. While this doesn’t really stop us from going downtown, just a few block away from our Water Tower campus, and doing a little retail-therapy down on Michigan Ave, it stops us from being able to drop everything and return home for a weekend.
It’s well understood that we can take a train or even a Megabus home, but sometimes the 10 hours sitting in a bus for only a short while isn’t worth it. With travel time, you’ve nearly wasted an entire day! They are the cheaper options however, for those who live out of state or even on the other end of Illinois.
It’s not always doable, but finding flights home is generally the quicker option. Depending on where you’re from, or where you would like to go, there may be an opportunity for you to get home fairly cheap while flying.
While I was taking one of those retail therapy sessions down on Michigan avenue, (guilty as charged) my cashier was talking to me about a recent trip he’d taken to NYC for only $60–ROUND TRIP. Immediately curious as to what kind of genie he had to bribe for that kind of deal, he informed me of Spirit Air — an airline that will take you from one major city to another for what is generally fairly cheap. This works best if you’re flexible with your arrival and departure dates, but if it’s a big price difference, you can always talk to professors about missing class that day and getting the notes elsewhere. While it will not work for everyone, as not everyone is located in the airports that they work with, it could nevertheless provide a good travel option for breaks or vacations.
It’s easy to travel home if you know how to do it, and cheap but reliable airlines are always a good option.

Safe Travels!

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | March 16, 2015

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend:

EVERYONE you want to meet will be there. Are you looking to talk to a Chemistry professor, the Director of the Wellness Center, a Campus Ministry Chaplain, Directors of Loyola’s Interdisciplinary or Quinlan Honors Programs, the Dean of the School of Communication? We have faculty, staff, current students, and alumni from just about every department, major, minor and program on-campus. That’s a ton of awesome people from the Loyola Community who will be around all weekend to answer all of your questions.
You get an ALL-ACCESS PASS. Literally. It’s the only weekend the entire year when you can tour all 5 first-year residence halls, the Nursing Simulation Lab, the Engineering Science lab, a Chemistry lab, the Fine Arts Annex, the Newhart Family Theatre, the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Campus Prayer Rooms, and Halas Recreation Center. This is, of course, in addition to our normal Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus tours that are offered the rest of the year.
Get ALL of your questions answered. Are you wondering … How do I make the deposit? Where can I study abroad? How do I register for classes & orientation? What do I do with my AP scores? What do the dining hall menus look like? Well we’re here to answer those questions. The day is filled with presentations (on topics like Next Steps, Financial Aid, Study Abroad, Off-Campus Student Life, etc.) to get you answers for any of those questions floating around in your mind. It’s a one-stop-shop to get it all taken care of so you don’t have to schedule multiple appointments or call/email different departments at the University.
Figure out what that FINANCIAL AID Package really means. Don’t worry, you are not alone with this one. Understanding your financial award and responsibility is a tricky task, which is why we want to help you out with that during Loyola Weekend. Financial Aid counselors will be giving presentation and available to meet with you to answer your specific questions. Trust me, going to the presentation will be a life-changing and worthwhile decision.
Meet other future RAMBLERS! Each year hundreds of students come to campus this weekend to get their first chance to really see what life as a Rambler looks like. It’s a great way to confirm Loyola is the best fit for you and make some new friends for your upcoming collegiate years. And hey, maybe you’ll even meet your future roommate, teammate, classmate, or even your future best friend!

Now that you’re dying to go to Loyola Weekend,
click here for a full schedule & registration!

Dream Goals

By | March 15, 2015

There are so many things I want to do in my life. Everyone has their own dreams and aspirations. Sometimes there can be occurrences when those hopes and dreams might seem merely impossible to accomplish. After trying so hard to get to a certain point, at times I find myself lost and surrendered. BUT, I have not given up entirely yet on my goals. I always pick myself up and try to get through the hardship and challenges because I know that it will all pay off in the end.

Firstly, I want to be a doctor (neonatologist to be exact). If I cannot handle the pressures and schooling, I still want to work in the medical field, just not as a doctor. I do not know what position I want to take, but nonetheless, I want to help patients in any way I can.

Secondly, I want a family (not now, but in the future). Just by knowing I want to be a neonatologist, you can tell that I love kids. My kids will live a happier life and I want them to enjoy all the things I could not enjoy as a kid myself (like living on campus, going to summer camps, sleepovers, etc).

Third, I want to build, open, and run a elementary school in Vietnam for underprivileged children and adults (who never got a proper education). As a Vietnamese, I know a lot of things about these people; they live at the poverty level and all the money they make goes to educating their children. In this country, education is more/less the most important aspect that the people praise. I know of a couple of families who are going through this and I wish I could do something for them now, but I can’t do enough to make a difference.

Fourth, I want to travel the world. Many people travel in the typical tourist-like fashion and enjoy themselves in luxury. For me, I want to travel to the places that do not get much attention, especially health-wise. If I can, I want to help treat or diagnose people who have illnesses and do not have the means to healthcare. Besides that, I want to meet the real people of the places I visit, free from all the modern, touristy places. From there, I get to understand the culture and lifestyle so much better.

Fifth, I want to find lifelong friends. I want to find those that enjoy everything about me and vise versa. It is simply amazing when you and others can talk for hours and hours about any topic at all and still have fun.

I know that I’m a picky person and I know there is a lot of “I” and “wants” in this blog post, but generally speaking, the things I would like to have is not so materialistic or centered strictly to me. Rather, my life revolves around others with their well-being, their health, and emotions.

Here’s a quick video that shows a good picture of what I mean (there are English subtitles):

Supporting Special Olympics

By Stephanie Rodriguez | March 15, 2015

I absolutely love the placing of Damen. It was my lifesaver during winter when I needed to catch the L. Its placement is perfect, and it allowed me to stop for a coffee during those chilly, chilly days! I do have to admit that sometimes I try to avoid all of the people by the desk, who are trying to stop you, for the merely reason that we can all be a little socially awkward.

Sometimes the guy handing out stuff is way too cute, but I am having one of those bad hair days, didn’t do my nails, raccoon and baggy eyes day. So, yes, forgive me, but I will avoid eye contact and walk past you. However, on most occasions, I still take the time to talk and receive whatever they are handing out! This past week, I am so glad that I did just that.

They used a medal to catch my attention and it did because it definitely made me stop. ASA is hosting a Ladybug Olympics to support Special Olympics. I thought this was very thoughtful and original. I enjoy seeing how active the sororities are with their philanthropies! I wish I had a team to participate, so if anyone is up for it, I would love to be part of a team! The event is on March 20th at 4:30 P.M. It is a volleyball tournament with games, prizes and food! If you want to make a team email: gchan@luc.edu for info.