Tag: Invisible Conflicts

Mele Kalikimaka

Mele Kalikimaka

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If you have ever been to Hawaii, you know that Hawaiians have a unique culture all their own. The spirit of “Aloha” (which means affection, peace, compassion, and mercy) greets you when you board a plane to the islands and holds on to you long after.

At Loyola, we recently took some inspiration from the warmth of Hawaiian culture to wish a very “Merry Christmas” to those in need. Earlier this month, Loyola students took the IC Plunge for the sixth year in a row. A benefit designed to provide awareness for students in northern Uganda, the IC Plunge is dedicated to Invisible Conflicts, an organization that seeks to bring attention to domestic and worldwide social justice issues that have been largely ignored by the media. Funds raised from the IC Plunge go toward schooling for children who have been displaced by wars in northern Uganda.

December 3 was a cool Saturday, just under 50 degrees, and the water in Lake Michigan this time of year is roughly 40 degrees. And while 50 degrees in Chicago in December is considered warm, it is a far stretch from the balmy Hawaiian island temps. Still, the spirit of Aloha was visibly present as Loyola students put on their best tropical weather gear to try to bring some awareness to the issues facing school-aged students in Uganda. Take a look.

The IC Plunge is just one of the many ways that members of the Loyola Community get involved and make a difference. See how you can make an impact.

We wish you the best this Holiday season!

Benefit Show at the Heartland Cafe

Benefit Show at the Heartland Cafe

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This weekend was pretty awesome. With my band Mapmaker I got to play a benefit concert for children of Invisible Conflicts at the Heartland Cafe. It’s a great cause and you can read about it at the Invisible Conflicts website. The show was trying to raise money for educational materials.

The best part of the whole night wasn’t the show, but the letter that was circulating around from one of the children. I took a picture of it, it was dark so I’ll try to update with a better photo later:

But the point was that this child from a completely different continent had named my band by name in his thank-you letter. I was so touched. This is the kind of gratification everybody wants from doing service, and so few are lucky enough to get it.

The show went really well and all the other bands kicked butt too. A lot of friends from Loyola were there, but there was a good number of Alumni and community members as well. I can’t wait for my next show!