Category: Rambler Network

Pre-Christmas at Loyola!

Pre-Christmas at Loyola!

The Damen Student Center had its Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony! This year’s event was held on Thursday, November 29th, at 5 p.m. in the Damen Student Center Atrium. The tree was officially blessed by our partners in Campus Ministry and was officially lit at approximately 5:10 p.m.

Damen Student Center provided a chocolate fountains (and all the trimmings), gingerbread house making, a synthetic ice skating rink (skates provided), and pictures with Santa Claus! There was also plenty of hot chocolate that was served with yummy marshmallows and chocolate!

Here is a link with all the pictures, and if you missed it this year, be sure to stick around for next year! It is open to the community as well!

https://loyolachicago.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000JzTp1C2sMdA/G0000bU32tDdfm3k/Annual-Damen-Christmas-Tree-Lighting-Ceremony

Keeping in the ‘Loop’

Keeping in the ‘Loop’

Loyola students share a lot of things – common values, attendance at Loyola (shock, I know), dread at the incoming presence of finals week, to name a few – but we also all like to be kept updated on what is happening in the Loyola community. That’s why we have the Loyola Phoenix, our student-run newspaper!

With sections such as Arts and Entertainment, Current News, Sports, and Opinion, as well as podcasts and ‘Closer Look’, a column dedicated to tackling issues students are concerned about, the Phoenix covers lots of topics and is published in print every Wednesday, with online articles being updated often. Sometimes the articles create controversy and stir, like an article they wrote about their copies going missing (the general thought was: why is this a big deal?) and other times they echo student sentiment, such as the ones regarding student safety or lack thereof. It also strives for a social media presence so students don’t have to seek it out but they can pop up on newsfeeds to increase readership.

When our men’s basketball team was doing great in the Final Four, our  sports writers were all over it. They show a fantastic amount of dedication to sports and to Loyola as a whole by going out and supporting games and matches of all types of sports, even if I don’t really understand what they’ve written because I’m not a sports girl. If you want to see what was covered and written during the spring, you can search for the previous articles on the website!

Everyone on the team is a student, from the graphic designer to the top editor. Although personally I’m not always impressed by the quality of the writing (you don’t have to be a journalism major to write with them) I still appreciate what they are doing. They don’t just write about Loyola things as well! They have features on things to do around Chicago and the Arts and Entertainment section has reviews of new movies and artists of all kinds. It’s really neat to connect with Chicago and culture in this way, and they’re more than a student-run newsletter but a real newspaper this way.

So if you want to get a feel for student life at Loyola (beyond these blogs, of course) I’d totally advise you to follow this link and see their website.

A Winning Weekend

A Winning Weekend

 

What a weekend it has been! From Nick Jonas performing a burnin’ performance, to Loyola making it to the sweet sixteen, to Loyola’s Pakistani Students’ Association holding an amazing event, to Hannibal Buress getting kicked off of stage! It all happened this weekend, and it couldn’t have been better.

Nick Jonas came to Loyola and fans were in so much excitement. Nick Jonas performed old classics to new ones and the crowd went wild, singing along to every lyric.

The next day, comedian Hannibal Burress was kicked off the stage here at Loyola University after joking about priests molesting kids. Before getting kicked off, the comedian shared an email he received asking him to refrain from cursing– topics including sexual assault. After an extended 15 minute break, Buress was allowed to return to the stage and continue his set. Students expressed how they were “shocked how he can say this at a university performance even after told not to.”

In addition, Loyola University’s Pakistani Student Association held an event called “Explore Pakistan” on Saturday evening. Over 200 students attended and enjoyed the celebration of Pakistani culture. Pakistani food, music, and colorful decorations done by Afrin Designs captured the bursts of colors and blooming of Spring time. All proceeds went towards Doctor’s Hospital in Pakistan. The event had live food stations, performers, dinner, and dances. “It was truly an unforgettable night.”

Students at the event were also in attendance at Loyola’s incredible win! Cheers ran across the entire campus as all students celebrated the win and making it to the sweet sixteen! Clayton Custer’s jumper took a friendly bounce off the rim and in with 3.6 seconds left, and 11th-seeded Loyola beat Tennessee 63-62 in a South Region second-round game Saturday night. The Ramblers (30-5), who won the Missouri Valley tournament, broke the school record for wins set by the 1963 NCAA championship team.

Loyola will play the Cincinnati-Nevada winner in the regional semifinals Thursday in Atlanta.

Loyola is headed to the round of 16 for the first time since 1985, when it lost to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown.

That was also the last time the Ramblers made the NCAA Tournament.

 

Explore Pakistan

Explore Pakistan

Loyola University Chicago’s Pakistani Students’ Association presents to you the third annual Explore Pakistan. With this year’s theme of “Jashn-e-Bahara,” we are celebrating the season of Spring, bursts of color, new blooms, and Pakistan. Join us in the celebration of Pakistani culture with Pakistani food, music, colorful decorations, and more!

This event will have live food stations, performers, dinner, and dancing.

All attendees must have a ticket to gain entrance.
Loyola Students: FREE tickets w/ID
Non-Loyola Students: $10 [Non-refundable]
Tickets will be sold on a first come first serve basis.

Dress to impress: Formal attire is required!

Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.
Open dance floor at 8:30 p.m.
Doors will close at 8:00 p.m.

All profits will be donated to Doctors Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to a PSA Executive Board member.

***Do not bring and/or come under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If any issues occur, Loyola University Campus safety will strictly and promptly escort you out and will take legal action if necessary***

This event is sponsored by SAF.

Did Someone Say…Games?

Did Someone Say…Games?

BE GAME FOR GAME NIGHT!!! Be sure to stop by Palm Court on February 7th 6pm to play Pakistani games and meet the E-board members. Food and drinks will be served!

Come enjoy a night full of fun and games! Meet our E-board members and challenge your friends to your favorite board and card games including Ludo and Carrom! Ludo and Carrom are very popular games played in the Pakistani culture, and if you’ve never played, you’re in for a treat, and a challenge! Stop by for PIZZA, drinks, and to learn about our upcoming events!

Games include:
Ludo
Carrom
Playing Cards
Twister
Uno
Taboo
Jenga
Cards against Humanity


WEDNESDAY February 7th at 6 PM
Mundelein Center, Palm Court
*This event is for Loyola Students only*

Be sure to check out the promotional videos for this event on Loyola Pakistani Students’ Association Facebook page!

 

Loyola University Supports the Dream Act

Loyola University Supports the Dream Act

In July, Senators Lindsey Graham (R–SC) and Richard Durbin (D–IL) introduced the Dream Act of 2017. If passed, this bipartisan legislation would:

  • Grant current DACA beneficiaries’ permanent resident status on a conditional basis and allow temporary protected status (TPS) beneficiaries, people without lawful immigration status, and people with final orders of removal the opportunity to apply for it.
  • Permit a conditional permanent resident (CPR) to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (sometimes referred to as getting a “green card”) if they go to college, have worked for a certain amount of time, or served in the U.S. military, in addition to meeting other requirements.
  • Provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship. A person would have to be a CPR for eight years before they could become eligible to apply for LPR status, and after about five years as an LPR, they could apply for U.S. citizenship.
  • Stay (stop) the removal proceedings of anyone who meets Dream Act requirements as well as young people over 5 years of age who are enrolled in elementary or secondary school.
  • Improve college affordability for undocumented youth and other immigrants by giving states the ability to provide access to in-state tuition or state financial aid programs like Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

This month, Loyola University Chicago encouraged students to send a message to their local U.S. Representative or Senator. These notes were pre-printed letters written on behalf of students who are directly affected by the fate of this program.

Over three days, 2,454 members of the Loyola community participated at the Lake Shore, Water Tower, and Health Sciences campuses. Most of them were students. In total, 7,362 letters were sent to 84 Senators and 297 U.S. Representatives—from a total of 43 states and territories.

As a Jesuit, Catholic institution, Loyola University Chicago firmly believes in the dignity of each person and in the promotion of social justice. The Loyola students and other undocumented immigrants who would benefit from the Dream Act were brought here as children and now represent a wealth of talent who are woven into the fabric of our communities. The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are among the many organizations who join Loyola in support.

Many Loyola Students have been affected, including Students Zarna Patel and Cristina Nunez. Patel has been able to pursue her dreams with her DACA status. She looks forward one day to starting her own nonprofit, promoting better health education and access to care for underserved communities, especially women and children. Nunez receives a Magis Scholarship from Loyola, a highly selective financial aid program for students with DACA status. She is a powerful advocate for social justice, seeking opportunities and justice on behalf of all undocumented people.

The most important and effective thing you can do is to contact your representatives in the U.S. House and Senate, and urge them to pass the Dream Act of 2017. Loyola University Chicago encourages everyone to contact their members of Congress and express their opinion on the legislation, whether you support or oppose it.

To do so, you can contact your congressperson or senator with the following links:

https://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep/

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

For more info on the Dream Act 2017, you can contact:

  • Loyola’s Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs department provides resources for Loyola’s undocumented students.
  • Please visit the Undocumented Student Resources, or contact Tim Love at tlove@LUC.edu.
  • For more information about Loyola’s advocacy for the Dream Act of 2017, please contact Phil Hale, Loyola’s vice president for government affairs at phale@LUC.edu.

 

Loyola’s Water Tower Campus

Loyola’s Water Tower Campus

A block and a half away from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, a few blocks from the Gold Coast neighborhood, and walking distance from the Oak Street Beach; you will find Loyola’s Water Tower Campus. Home to the Schools of Business, Education, Social Work, Law, Continuing & Professional Studies, Communications, and Loyola’s Arrupe College; Loyola’s other campus is one full of opportunities all in a central downtown location.

How to Get Here: 

Most students who live at the Lakeshore campus can take the Intercampus Shuttle Bus which runs typically every 15-20 minutes and gets you to either campus in around 25-30 minutes (depending on traffic). To use the shuttle service, be sure to use your guest pass or student ID card. Sometimes there is a delay on the shuttle or you cannot wait, you can also take the Red Line train from Loyola down to Chicago and State. This would roughly take 30-35 minutes. Of course, you can always take a Taxi or an Uber/Lyft.

Living Downtown:

Compared to Lakeshore campus, Water Tower has only one residence hall, Baumhart Hall. These rooms are often quads or triples. Luckily, there are also tons of apartments/condos that are situated close to campus for students to use.

Eating Downtown:

There are no dining halls at the Water Tower campus. However, LU’s deli, acts as a dining hall by providing sandwiches, plates, drinks, and more to students who have a meal plan. There are also places you can use your RamblerBucks: Epic Burger, Flaco’s Tacos, Potbelly, and Subway. In addition, being situated close to the Magnificent Mile allows students to have access to Water Tower Place (bunch of eateries, snacks, restaurants, cafes), Ghirardelli (for dessert), and small bake and pastry shops like Le Pain Quotedien.

Opportunities Downtown:

Being situated in Chicago gives students an advantage when it comes to finding jobs and internships. This is especially helpful for Communications and Business majors. Walking distance from campus are world renowned Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing, Finance, etc. agencies/corporations that offer internships/entry level jobs. Classes are also able to draw from real world application of their studies. For example, in my Consumer Behavior class we told to explore the psychological set up and intentional, sensory design of a store on Michigan Ave.

Events Downtown:

Every semester, the Water Tower campus holds a block party. Here students and faculty get a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company and of course free, tasty food. Caterers come to the campus with free sandwiches, salads, desserts, and coupons. There are also prizes you can win and you are able to enjoy some free musical entertainment. But seriously, who can turn down free, tasty food?

At Loyola’s School of Communications you can find Rambler Sports Locker which is Loyola’s version of ESPN with an update on sports, games, and events happening throughout the week. There is also WLUW 88.7 FM, Loyola’s radio station. Here, you can find talk shows, differing types of music, and more! Students are encouraged to apply to be able to become a DJ.

Rambler Experience: Loyola’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program

Rambler Experience: Loyola’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program

Do you enjoy appreciating different works of art that deal with bigger themes of divine right/absolutism, gender relations, or transgression of traditional social norms? Do you have fun reading and learning from classic epics like Homer’s Iliad/Odyssey or Virgil’s Aeneid? Or, do you enjoy watching operas like Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz or watching plays like The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht? 

If so, Loyola’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program might be for you! With a rigorous but enjoyable course load, the honors curriculum encourages students to think critically and analytically on various texts, plays/operas, and pieces of art. Like Loyola’s core curriculum, the honors curriculum encourages students to gain a holistic approach on a variety different topics. Each semester offers a different selection of seminar style courses letting professors have freedom with the course.

Here’s the breakdown (with some helpful tips built in): 

  1. Freshman Year: All honors students who decide to live on campus live in Campion Hall with other honors program students. For your first year you take a year-long class on Western Traditions: Antiquity to Middle Ages and Middle Ages to Modernity, with both a lecture portion (with all of your honors peers in auditorium style lecture) and a discussion portion (which is a smaller group of 20 students setting). Each member of the honors faculty helps discuss a book/section of their speciality. For example, one professor from the political science department may talk about Thucydides and The History of the Peloponnesian War while another professor from the philosophy department might discuss on The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.
  2. Sophomore-Senior Year: After taking the first year seminar style class, you take courses in a variety of disciplines: The US Experience, Area Studies (Asia, Middle East, Europe, Latin America), Science & Society, and a Moral Capstone. Unlike the first year seminar, the topics in each of these smaller seminars can vary widely each semester. For example, I am taking a course in Southeast Asian Culture, Ethnography, Film, and Literature as part of my area studies requirement. Some of classmates have taken a class in Chinese Epics in Translation or Political Number Theory, just to name a few.
  3. The Benefits of Honors: One of the biggest perks of the honors program is having priority registration. When you register for classes each semester you are guaranteed to register on the first day before the rest of the student body gets to. Additionally, being in the honors program helps to open more opportunities for their students: with internships, alumni connections, etc. Also, if you do not start with the honors program your freshman year, you can qualify to join the second semester of your freshman year or join your sophomore year, whichever you feel most comfortable doing.
  4. Do you have more questions? Be sure to check out the Honors Program website for more information that explain the application process, sample syllabi, and other information that you and your parents might find useful! (http://www.luc.edu/honors/)

the-thinker

Rambler Success: What to do Before Graduation

Rambler Success: What to do Before Graduation

“What’s next?” is the question that many recent college graduates have on their minds. There are many routes that one can take after receiving their diploma. Some decide to enter the work force, and hopefully pay down that college debt. Others, go onto graduate school to grab a master’s degree. There are also those who want to take a mental/physical break and travel for a bit. Whatever, your calling, it is always a good idea to have experience up your sleeve. This is where where these resources come into play.

Resumes: Resumes are textual photographs that tell your prospective employer your education, skills, work experiences, and a sprinkle of personal facts about you. Whether you have a ton of experience or you are still trying to find your niche, it is important for one put together their resume. Do you need help putting together what’s important and what would be better to be left out? You are on luck, on campus we have a service called the Career Development Center (in the Sullivan Center) where you can go to help you in your resume writing process. In addition they provide information on how to write a proper cover letter, how to interview well, and other business needs/questions that you might have.

LinkedIn: Often referred to as the Facebook for professionals, LinkedIn is a social networking site where jobs opportunities, employers, etc. go to connect and establish professional relationships with each other. Here, you can find people from business professionals (CEOs and Managers) to salespeople, professors, marketers, and more. As a tip, I would recommend connecting with your professors, friends, coworkers, and Loyola alums. They might just help you out on your job search.

Jobs on Campus: Want to feel what it is like to adult and have a job? Through Loyola’s job search engine, RamblerLink, you can find jobs that will allow you to find jobs both on or off campus. You can also find some job opportunities from pamphlets and flyers around the school. Whether you want to be a Peer Advisor, a person who works at the Undergraduate Admissions office, or an assistant for the Financial Aid office; there is always something that you can get involved in. These jobs will help you branch out your network and give you the work experience you need.

Job Fairs: Throughout the school year, Loyola brings in employers from around the Chicagoland area. Most Loyola schools have their own: School of Communication, Business, Social Work, etc. It is during these fairs where you get the opportunity to talk to prospective employers to talk about internship availabilities to entry level positions. All you need to bring are your resumes, business casual attire, your student ID, and a confident smile on your face. Who knows? You might just be offered an internship or a job! If not, just keep pushing through.

Image converted using ifftoany

Why I chose the Rambler Life

Why I chose the Rambler Life

I guess I should say the Rambler life chose me… but it was definitely the best decision I’ve made. I am also not just saying this because I go to Loyola, or else I would have not been here! I really wanted to go to Loyola all throughout high school and I don’t doubt that one bit till this day.

I love Loyola because the moment I had my first class, I felt so welcomed and comfortable in the environment I was learning in, which was one thing that was super important for me. The intimate class sizes make learning so powerful and that was definitely the moment I knew that I was the type of person who preferred small classes, where my professor knows who I am as a person and I know my professor as well. It is definitely a personal preference, but to my knowledge, a lot of other universities tend to have large lectures, which vary from about 200-300 students in one hall or even like 500-600 for the bigger core classes. Smaller classes are better for me because I like when the professor knows me and its a better chance of getting recommendation letters, more resources, easy participation points (so its not all dependent on exams sometimes) and asking questions in general helps with learning. In this way, if you are the type that is afraid to speak in big crowds, this would be a great chance for you to engage in an environment comfortable for you.

Also, Loyola is a popular school so a lot of students are from out of state, which I think is super cool to have friends from different states so you’re not stuck with the same people from high school intend on meeting new people. Not to mention, Loyola has made it to top universities many times throughout the years, so be sure to check out my older blog posts on that as well!

I don’t live on campus; I commute which is about 45 mins-1 hr, and it is honestly not that bad (to all my commuters). We get a Ventra card so I must say, it is quite tempting to go downtown all the time because of the Loyola campus on Michigan Ave, right by the Water Tower Place. It can be so much fun because not only do we have Ventra cards to take L, we have a shuttle service right on campus so we can go anytime and explore.

Most commonly known for is our lake, of course,  but that wasn’t my decision maker. It definitely is a plus because studying there is THE BEST. Our library is so peaceful and aesthetic, which also includes The Harry Potter Room, and besides the library, Loyola has so many cool places to study and chill.

Loyola has lot of programs, whether they are the pre-professional programs offered (such as pre-physical therapy, pre-medicine, pre-dental, pre-law, etc.) and it is very easy to be involved with the hundreds of organizations, clubs, sports, etc. which can build an overall great reputation. Our success rate for careers and graduate schools are really high, so it is evident that our education is of great importance and it definitely pays off within the 4 years.

As a second year student reflecting on my two years at Loyola, I can say it proudly of how grateful I am to be a part of this institute. I’m majoring in Psychology right now with a minor in Exercise Science and not only are my classes so much fun, the professors are extremely helpful and caring.  I did get a scholarship which helped a lot, and became involved with the Muslim Student Association and Pakistani Student Association. Through this involvement, I met a lot of my friends and connections and it’s an unforgettable experience.

The last things I would like to mention is that we get an Easter break as well as a mid semester break which not a lot of other schools  have that so it definitely is a plus and bragging right (haha).  There are many on campus job opportunities that are offered if you are interested in working as well!

I hope my experience is able to help many of you, and if you do have any questions, please let me know at hafzal@luc.edu and I would be glad to give you some more feedback based on my experience at Loyola!