Month: October 2016

Guru Gang Loyola

Guru Gang Loyola

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Being a college student comes with a lot of amazing opportunities and possibilities. I have the opportunity this semester to be a Style Guru with the website CollegeFashionista. It’s kind of like an internship, and kind of like hands on learning experience with fashion blogging on a platform other than a personal blog. So what do I do exactly?

I write monthly posts on fashion or beauty looks from around Loyola’s campus. I take photos and put together posts that reflect the style vibe of our awesome student body. I’m not the only Style Guru at Loyola though, I know many other Guru’s on campus who are excited to have this opportunity as well.

This isn’t just an all about me blog either. Most of the posts that Style Guru’s write are on people other than themselves at their university. This makes for an authentic look at what it means to be a fashionable college student in America.

I found this website through the internet, much like we find everything else today. So maybe writing about fashion isn’t your thing, there are tons of other cool internships and writing jobs that you can find through the internet in whatever field you’re interested in, all you have to do is look.

I have learned so much already from being a Style Guru.I  have had the opportunity to be featured on the websites October Mood board as well as receiving free products from beauty retailer Ulta to review for Collegefashionista. Check out their website if you’re a fashionable Loyola student, or take sometime to browse the web for other amazing opportunities for college students like you!

Personal Reflection of My Time at LUC

Personal Reflection of My Time at LUC

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It has been a while since I last reflected on my overall experience of my time at Loyola. There’s a lot to say about how I have changed as a student and person- I have been more mature, more experienced, and more knowledgeable in all realms.

It is funny how I always think of myself as a freshman. People always think I look younger than I really am and I still take core classes that some freshman take now. As a person working in Undergrad Admissions and partaking in a lot of their events, I surround myself around a lot of prospective students and their younger siblings as well.  But really, guys, I am a junior! Even I am beyond belief how time flies and I have less than 3.5 more semesters before graduating.

Loyola has taught me many lessons and have opened many doors for me.

Right from the first year, I learned how to commute and take public transportation for the first time. Even though I was born and raised in Chicago, I did not have to rely on the CTA to get around, so having the UPass allowed me to do some exploration and adventure around like a tourist.

Commuter Proud Keychain - UPDATED

After 2 years, I have finally believed in the power of coffee. Funny as it is, I was not a coffee fan, but as commuting extracted the energy out of me, I was easily exhausted and sometimes sleepy during class. Coffee is the solution to my problems. Not Redbull. Not 5-Hour Energy drinks. Not even Monster. Traditional coffee works the best. I am alert and can focus in class thus I can do better on quizzes and exams and get better grades. Still, coffee isn’t a favorite of mine; I just drink it because it helps me when I need it.

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I always knew, but through class assignments throughout the semesters, writing in general has been an enjoyable and easy thing more me to do. As I have mentioned in past blog posts, I am a very introvert person and to compensate for not being so social, I express myself and open up through writing. This blogging position has helped me a lot, as well. I become more aware of my grammar and practice speaking my mind out more frequently than the average person would do.

Because of Loyola, I have built many strong friendships and relationships with friends and faculty and staff. I have found people who have supported me since my freshman year and ever since, they have been my “homebase” in the LUC social setting. There are teachers who have gotten to know me better on a more personal level and have helped motivate me and support me through the challenges I have faced.

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LUC has piano rooms and because of those, I have regained my talent of piano playing. If I have free time, I will go to one of the piano rooms and start jamming to favorite tunes that pop up in my head. I now currently have expanded my music interest and am currently taking Applied Cello lessons at Loyola!

To say in the least, Loyola has done a lot for me. Surprisingly, there’s not much from academics that have stood out to me, but it is more personal things that Loyola has indirectly played a part in that has impacted me greatly. For everyone, this can be different; IT SHOULD BE DIFFERENT! 🙂

People generally say that college is about finding identity. I vouch for that, now! It is spontaneous, so do not force things to happen; things will come through time as you build up experiences. Don’t try so hard!

Again, I am a junior, so I still have another 3.5 semesters to go, and who knows what will happen then. But for now, let’s end on a good note that LUC has done great things for me and that things are generally going well! 😀

A Home for Everyone

A Home for Everyone

As a sophomore here at Loyola, I’ve seen a lot of potential students being walked through our Lake Shore campus, as have many students within there time here. Now that I’m a tour guide myself, I feel like I’ve become a more crucial part of this major step in the potential students’ lives.

Having done my first actual tour guide today with a group of high school students, I’ve been able to personally witness not only how eager the students seemed to be, but also how passionate I’ve become about this school. On the tour I was able to highlight a lot of great features about the school, including how eco-friendly we are, the plethora of our student groups and activities, as well as how we try to make a home for all faiths and backgrounds, and that’s something that I personally connect with. The fact that Loyola can offer a huge amount of resources as a university and can make every student make this campus their own home, is astounding and very admirable.

The more I talk about Loyola, the more I feel welcome here. From fraternities and sororities, to worship spaces for all faiths, to various Division-1 and intramural sports, to choir and theater, and everything in between, I have yet to meet an individual who hasn’t been able to find a group of like-minded people that share similar interests and undoubtedly welcome them into their social circle.

Even those who are afraid of figuring out how to get involved in various groups or clubs, incoming freshmen can be a part of a Learning Community, ranging from various topics such as a STEM majors, Leadership, Faith, as well as an International Learning Community where students can live with students from around the country as well as around the globe, and visit and view various festivals and neighborhoods around Chicago such as the Turkish Festival, the International Film Festival, or just visiting places such as Ukrainian Village or Chinatown, and experiencing the global cultures that Chicago has to offer.

Lu Wolf, LUC’s loveable mascot.

I’m very proud to say that I’ve been able to call Loyola home, and I know all of my friends feel the same exact way. I can proudly say I’m a Rambler, and I’m very much excited to see more incoming students faces, as well as profess how proud I am to say that I go to LUC.

#GoBlers!

Loyola’s Peer Advisors

Loyola’s Peer Advisors

We help you with your college transition, point you to the different resources that you can avail of, aid in putting together your Four Year Plan; we are Loyola’s Peer Advisers. Located in the Office of First and Second Year Advising in the Sullivan Center; freshmen students are all assigned to an Academic Adviser and a student adviser (aka Peer Adviser). As a Peer Adviser, we help the Academic Adviser with different tasks that include: taking attendance, putting together presentations, facilitating class activities, and most importantly we provide our students with a student’s perspective of Loyola life and college life. In addition, it is part of our mission:

“We are the Loyola University Chicago Peer Advisers, committed to serving the university community as well as bridging the relationship between first year students and their greater Chicago classroom. We are focused on promoting social justice, directing students to the multiple resources available to them on campus (namely their academic adviser), and allowing them to flourish and grow in a college environment. Our goal is to allow students to be more informed and confident global citizens and promote Loyola’s mission in “seeing God in all things”.  

Besides helping students academically, we work to uphold Loyola’s mission to “educate the whole person”. We educate you in finding your place at Loyola whether it be finding a club/organization that share your interests; involvement that students can be a part of both inter-campus to the greater Chicago classroom; and directing students to resources that might be helpful for their needs i.e. Tutoring Center, Writing Center, and Services with Students with Disabilities.

Being a Peer Adviser has many perks: this is a paid position, you get to register first for classes (which means you get to pick the professors and times you want to fit in time for your UNIV classes), and you get to see the rewards of your hard work.

For more information on First and Second Year Advising: http://luc.edu/fsya/about/

If you want to get to know the Peer Advisers: http://luc.edu/fsya/about/peeradvisors/

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PSA Formal? Count Me In!

PSA Formal? Count Me In!

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On Friday, November 4th, 2016 at 6:00 P.M at Kasbeer Hall, The Pakistani Students’ Association at Loyola University Chicago cordially invites you to the PSA Formal 2016. Enjoy a night of celebration filled with Pakistani culture such as wonderful dinner, dancing, and clothing.

The music will be provided courtesy of DJ Isaac – so bring your dancing shoes and dance the night away!

Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.

Dress to impress; traditional clothing is highly encouraged!

 

All attendees must have a ticket to gain entrance:

Loyola Students: Tickets are FREE! Students must present a student ID to pick up their FREE ticket.

Non-Loyola Students: $7.00 per ticket

Payment options: Cash, QuickPay, and Venmo

NOTE: Tickets will be sold on a fire come first serve basis.

 

Currently, tickets are being sold from October 24-November 3rd from 12:00-4:00pm on the second floor in Damen (Be sure to look for a sign that says ‘PSA Formal’)

**All profits to benefit the digital literacy prgram developed in association with elementary schools of rural Pakistan.

 

Address: Kasbeer Hall- 25 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611

Date: Friday, November 4th, 2016

Time: 6:00-10:30 p.m

 

 

This event is sponsored by SAF.

 

Achieving College Excellence

Achieving College Excellence

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Achieving College Excellence...what a wonderful, fancy. and scholarly title for a blog post, right? Hopefully I got your attention! For this week, I am directing my focus to all of you first-generation, low-income, and/or minority prospective LUC students.

Achieving College Excellence, or ACE, is an amazing nationally recognized and funded TRIO program that puts emphasis and attention to students who need additional help to catch up with other students who may be more fortunate and/or more able to get by with their lives.

TRIO- the root TRI pertaining to the number 3- is what makes up this specific student body: (1) first-generation (2) low-income (3) minority. If you fit into any or all of these requirements, then you may qualify to become an ACE scholar. I, myself, am an ACE scholar, fitting in all 3 categories, and because of this group, I am proud to be all 3 of those things

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Why am I proud? Even though all 3 of these categories are, in a way, limiting my opportunities that I can do in my life, they give me something that others more fortunate don’t have.

EXPERIENCE. HUMILITY. SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Experience is one of the biggest things that make ACE scholars unique. We come from all different backgrounds- ethnicity, personal hardships, and so much more. Our lives are different, yet unique, compared to others who may be more fortunate; we have experiences that have molded us to be the people that we are, whether it is being first-generation and having parents who do not know English or being low-income and living a more simplistic, raw lifestyle. Experience separates us from those who are aware of this struggles and hardships from those who physically live it everyday.

Thus, people who have experienced these type of things surely have some humility in them. As ACE scholars, we can connect with one another better because we live similar lives. We do not complain nor boast about what kind of lifestyles we live; rather, we are here as a community to support one another and make sure we are on the right path to success as LUC students.

Self-discipline is one of the most challenging things, in my opinion, that is an outcome of being in ACE. The main goals of being in ACE, is to help students succeed in their academics and ultimately obtain a bachelor’s degree diploma. ACE provides several services and it is up the the student to take advantage of it for example, advising, tutoring, and fulfilling other ACE membership requirements. It may sometimes be hard to make sure everything is on track, especially when there is a lot to balance.

This fall semester is my first official year being in ACE and after 7 months of familiarity, I can only say great things about this group. I wish I knew about it and joined it my freshman year, so here I am writing to all of you who qualify for this group, to take advantage!


For more information, please visit the LUC ACE site:
http://www.luc.edu/ace/

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Taking a Stand

Taking a Stand

With Loyola being a Jesuit university, a quote from Saint Ignatius everyone hears at their graduation is “Go forth and set the world on fire”. However, that fight for making the world a better place and really “setting it on fire” can start well before students graduate from the university. Not only pushing students academically, but socially, Loyola tries to ensure that its students stand up against injustices that are unfair for people of all backgrounds. Besides students holding protests fighting for their beliefs, occasionally Loyola also gets involved in the fight for social and racial equality and supports certain social justice movements, as well as environmental movements..

The most recent stance that Loyola has taken with its students is the fight for undocumented workers and students, in light of recent events including the deportation and ban of undocumented immigrants in America, and with recent talks of a stronger border wall, a mock wall that Loyola has set up with chain link fence is run by students, who are volunteering to educate, as well as serving as members for conversation.

One major thing here at Loyola is how students of the university can make a proposition, and take a stand for injustices they see in the world. A couple years ago, students made the stand to have a biodeisel lab for our shuttles that run to and from our Lake Shore and our Water Tower campuses, and everyone working the lab are all students. We are the only university that is licensed to sell our biodeisel to other universities.

So even if you want to make a difference in the world, and have an idea but don’t know how to put it into action, it’s still possible to get involved and help “set the world on fire” in your time here at Loyola.

Taken from Bishop Canevin High School
Chicago Eats: Chicago’s Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago Eats: Chicago’s Deep Dish Pizza

With an inch loaded with gooey mozzarella cheese, packed with numerous toppings that can include veggies or all meat, and topped with a chunky tomato sauce; Chicago’s deep dish pizza is without rival (sorry New York). Within Chicago, numerous restaurants claim to have the best pizza in the Second City, however, I believe that the top three are: Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s, and Gino’s East. Regardless of which one you think is the tastiest, all of these pizza joints are definitely worth a try. Since these pizzas are huge, I would highly recommend bringing an appetite and friends to help you attempt to finish. Just a tip: These types of pizzas usually take a while to prepare, I suggest preordering ahead (at least 45 minutes to an hour advance, when it is just fresh out of the oven.)

  1. Giordano’s: With a location both near the Loyola Lakeshore Campus and the Water Tower Campus, this restaurant is conveniently located and fairly priced, making it the perfect place for friends to hang out and relax. If you are a meat lover, look no further: an option for you would be the “meat and more meat” pizza stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, bacon, salami and on top more crispy and crunchy bacon pieces. If you are vegetarian, no fears! The stuffed vegetarian pizza is equally as tasty with a range of veggies: spinach, green peppers, grilled onions, olives, mushrooms, and broccoli. For more pizza combinations and suggestions go on: https://giordanos.com/menu/gold-coast-magnificent-mile/#stuffed-deep-dish (for more information).
  2. Lou Malnati’s: Two words: Buttered Crust! Of all of Chicago’s pizza restaurants, Lou Malnati’s delivers buttery, crispy crust goodness. With a comfortable price and atmosphere, the restaurant is truly welcoming to students. Two pizzas I would suggest for you to try would be the Malnati Chicago Classic and the The Lou. In the Chicago Classic, lean sausage is packed into extra gooey cheese, with its signature delectable butter crust. On The Lou pizza, the restaurant’s signature dish, vegetarian delight is an understatement. With spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and a blend of three creamy cheeses of mozzarella, Romano, and cheddar and finished off with a buttery garlic crust, this pizza is a hit! With locations near DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and one near the Water Tower campus, the restaurant is just as easily accessible. https://www.loumalnatis.com/our-menu#chicago___river_north__full_service_restaurant__amp__bar_
  3. Gino’s East: With a thick ‘level’ of melted cheese at the bottom of chunky tomato sauce, how can you go wrong? Like its competitors, this joint has a meat lover’s pizza with its Meaty Legend dubbed the “carnivore’s dream” and rightly so: pounds of pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian Bacon, and of course crispy bacon. Unique to Gino’s is an especially “hot” dish with the The Chicago Fire. Within this baked goodness, spicy Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, red onions, and or course jalapenos. With locations near Lakeview and the Water Tower campus, this restaurant allows you to explore vibrant neighborhoods that you may have otherwise bypass. For more information: http://www.ginoseast.com/deep-dish-pizza    

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Chicago Fashion Week

Chicago Fashion Week

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Chicago is full of hidden gems and amazing hole in the wall spots for anything you can imagine, sometimes it just takes a minute to find them. As a fashion blogger and someone who has a keen personal interest in the industry, I always felt like I was missing out by not being in NYC or LA. Finally I realized that I wasn’t missing out on anything but what was right in front of me. Chicago might not have the commercialized industry that New York has, but what we have might just be better. A raw and unique industry built by the patchwork of designers and models who populate Chicago’s fashion industry.

This past Saturday I had the chance to attend an fashion show hosted by a FashionBar Chicago, a fashion PR firm in the city. This event was part of a larger program, Chicago Fashion Week, which is aimed at bringing together the designers and talented fashion students of Chicago to help make the city a fashion capital.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I found this event through Fashion Bar Chicago’s website and convinced a friend of mine to tag along with me. The fashion show was held at the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue, and hosted five designers who would show their collections. The location was iconic, a place you would remember if you’ve ever been to Chicago’s magnificent mile and a place where everyone wants to take a pic for instagram (which of course I did).

Once inside, we took our seats and chatted with other guests while we waited for the first show. It was a simple and intimate venue, which lent well to the nature of Chicago fashion. I consider myself an avid people watcher, and this was prime location. It was incredible to watch everyone as they settled into their seats, each sporting their own unique style.

Every designer had a vivid and uniquely personal line and served as a great reminder that you don’t need to fly to Paris to experience fashion. This experience reminded me just why I love Chicago. This city has everything, every time I think that I’m missing something, I’m surprised to find it hiding around the corner waiting to be discovered. Living in Chicago you can’t be afraid do go and seek out the things that you like. Even if at first you don’t see what you’re looking for, you might be surprised at the amazing things you’ll find in this city!

Come on! Feel the Illinoise!

Come on! Feel the Illinoise!

As a Rambler, we have the city of Chicago at our fingertips. Our U-Passes can take us anywhere our hearts desire. But with a city so large, how do you have fun without breaking your budget? As a DJ for 88.7 WLUW, Loyola’s radio station located at the Water Tower Campus, the job has opened up my eyes to a plethora of new music, from both Chicago natives, and bands that constantly stop in Chicago as they tour around America.

Before working at WLUW, I only knew of a couple local bands that played shows in the city, because of my own searches and talking to people at Loyola. But since then, working at WLUW, I’ve had my eyes opened up to so many new bands, who play shows that never cost more than $25. Seeing local bands like Twin Peaks (Who’re Rogers Park natives) to up-and-coming artists like Hoops, who make their homes at great venues all around the city.

But even if you don’t know some great underground artists, checking out WLUW while doing your homework or hanging out with your friends is a great way for you to listen to a whole different world of music without feeling the pressure of actively searching for that new music. Don’t have an FM radio like a lot of people? You can still tune in at wluw.org and listen through the mp3 stream. From there, so many doors open up as you see cheap shows all across Chicago, seeing a different side of Chicago, one that you might find a community in.

Don’t wanna stray too far away from campus? Once a month the ((dop)) puts on an Open Mic Night for Ramblers to share their talent, giving you the chance of meeting some skilled students with their own musical project.

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If music is a passion of your’s like it is mine, getting involved in Chicago’s active music scene is entirely at your fingertips, and there are resources here at Loyola to help!