Damen Student Center

The Top 3 Greatest Things about Damen Student Center

By | April 5, 2013

This Wednesday, our new Damen Student Center was unveiled! There was a ribbon cutting at 9 am, and throughout the day there were dance performances, free samples from the new food court, games and prizes. It was a much anticipated day, as the process has been ongoing since its announcement when I was a freshman. The reveal was definitely worth the wait! Here’s a list of the top 3 BEST things about Damen Student Center!

1. The new food court: In the old student center, CFSU, there was Rambler Room, a food court that had grilled foods, Mexican and sandwiches. In the updated food court, there’s a brand new sandwich, soup & salad and pastry station (think of Panera). There’s also a pizza station, a burger station, many”grab and go” foods and snack foods. Besides the new food court, there is a new dining hall, Damen Dining.

2. The cinema: Damen Student Center has it’s own movie theater! This movie theater will be the new place for the free weekly movie showings Loyola so generously offers. Currently, Loyola shows newer movies (Django is next week’s film) in Crown Center or Galvin Auditorium.

3. The pub-style sports lounge: In the basement of Damen, there is a pub-style sport lounge. There’s a few big screen TV’s down there with a couple pool tables and some other games too. It’s a really cool atmosphere, as it feels like you are at a sports bar or restaurant. I definitely think this will be a huge hit, as the few times I’ve been there since Wednesday, it’s been packed!

I’m so happy the new student center was revealed when I still have a year left here at Loyola. It is absolutely amazing, so I will be sure to get a lot of use out of it!

By | March 11, 2013

If you haven’t heard, Loyola’s new student union (the Damen Student Center) is opening up this April. Although construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the interior building, I had the opportunity to tour the facility last week. It’s a truly incredible space. Our current student union (CSFU) has served it purpose on campus for some time, but the new student union blows what we have now out of the water. The space is going to be a beautiful focal point of campus, featuring a new theater space, a sports lounge and two new dining opportunities. Since I’m a VIP and a pretty cool guy, I took a bunch of pictures to show off. They’re below with explanations of what you’re seeing.

The View Inside After Entering From North Entrance

A Finer Look At The Union’s Glass Ceiling

The student center sits flush with the Gentile Center. This arch way serves as the southern entrance.

The Space Between Halas and The Damen Student Center

This big glass wall in between our student gym, Halas, and the student center is going to house the university’s two story rock wall. Pretty exciting.

The New Theater Space. Seats 100-Something People

View From 2nd Floor Windows Facing North West

The Student Center Is Pretty Close To The El, But Is Pretty Quiet.

The photo above is a view of Ireland’s Sports Lounge (named after the 1963 Men’s b-ball head coach George Ireland). It’s a space for students to gather for various events. The space will be open for students to use on their own daily (they’ll be pool tables to use), but will occasionally host sports-center viewing events.

I know it doesn’t look like much now, but those rectangles in the wall are going to house TVs. They’ll be a couple of this stations in the basement of the student union. The TVs will have satellite, but students will also be able to rent video game consoles from the front desk to play at these stations.

Above is a photos of the new dining hall in the student center. It’ll replace Lake Shore Dining (RIP). It’s a beautiful space that is located on the first floor. The photos below are of the dinning area that face towards Sheridan Rd and the Loyola El stop.

There you have it. A small preview of what students will get to use come April. That’s all you get to see for now. I can’t wait until students (current/prospective) get to check it out for themselves!

Looking Forward To Spring

By | March 4, 2013

Well, it’s been a minute since I last wrote. This has been due in large part to what admission counselors call “reading season.” This is the time of year we read the numerous applications that students filled out in the Fall. Much like the “holiday season,” this time of year is stressful, fun, busy and rewarding. I can’t count how many applications I’ve read, but I’m through the busiest part.

With the Fall over and Winter on it’s way out, there are some excited things happening at Loyola this Spring.

Since reading season is just about over, our office is finalizing our plans for Loyola Weekend. Loyola Weekend is our annual Spring open house and one of the best chances for admitted to students to check out the University before May 1 (the deposit deadline). We’ll have a great deal going on the weekend of April 6th: tours of campus, tours of residence halls, a mini department fair and a student organization showcase. Use the Loyola Weekend link above to check your customized schedule.

When (or if) you attend Loyola Weekend you’ll get to see our new student union! The student union, or the Damen Student Center, will be complete April 1st and pretty beautiful. Our office is getting a preview tour of the space next week. I’m very excited to see what exactly the student union is going to house and the physical space. It’ll be a big upgrade from what I had available as a student. I plan on taking a number of photos and maybe some videos to post after we return.

Each Spring also welcomes Loyola’s annual concert/comedian pairing known as Colossus. During this Friday and Saturday in March Loyola traditionally brings a band and comedian to preform, on campus, for students. We’ve had some great acts preform over the last couple of years (Jim Gaffigan, Donald Glover, Flo-Rida and The Black Eyed Peas to name a few), but I’m pretty pumped for who’s preforming this year: Karmin/Matt Nathanson and Aziz Ansari! I’ve been the last couple of years and I think I’ll make it out again in March. Tickets for the show are sold together for $7 and separately for $5, what a steal!

If these three events weren’t enough to get you excited about Spring, the clocks are going to spring forward soon! That means another hour of glorious day light is on the way. Which means, Summer is approaching.

Check back Tuesday for my photos of the new student center!