Sneak Peak: Shakespearean Theater
Take a look at the new theater in Mundelein! It will be open very soon, in the beginning of October. Looks great right??!
The View from My Office
I wanted to share the view from my office with you today. Take a look:
This view actually means a lot to me.
First, it is a sign of the parallel between how far I have come and how far Loyola has come since I arrived here. It has actually been pretty fun to watch this school grow alongside me. Despite the annoyance that construction brings, it is pretty exciting to watch and it feels good to know that something better is always on its way.
When I was a Freshman, that green lawn (which is our East Quad between the Information Commons and Dumbach Hall) was a hole in the ground. The year before I got here the IC had just opened for the first year and the year I arrived they were re-doing the roads, sidewalks, and lawn around it. In the picture you can see a construction crane. They’re working on finishing up Cuneo Hall, which is standing on the stump of old Damen Hall. Loyola has grown a lot.
I remember looking out onto this view from my old boss’ old office. I was a Freshman and he was the Operations Manager of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. During the year I set up chairs and stands for ensembles and helped my boss with events. I finished my first year of college with a 4.0, a lot better than the GPA I had in high school. Now I have a new boss (Scott Heston, who rocks), a new office, a new set of jobs (Event Manager, Jr. Marketing Specialist, Blogger, and Media Analyst) and I’ll be graduating this May. I’ve grown a lot, too.
I like looking out on the lawn during a sunny day and seeing everybody looking so small in our beautiful campus in the city. Being so far above things and seeing this view is a great de-stresser. It helps keep things in perspective. I can see so many little people bustling about their daily lives. From eye level it feels as if you are in your own little world down there. But from up here I can see them next to the lake and with Chicago all around. It helps put things into context. The world is a lot bigger than your problems, and you’ve got plenty of places to go- plenty of things to do- that you haven’t yet.
When I leave work I’ll be back down there among them and on my way to class. I’m no different, but at least I am lucky enough to enjoy view from my office for a little while.
Mundelein Auditorium Construction
Typically I do not have much to complain about, but the writing of this blog was timed just after a phone call from the head of Housekeeping at Loyola.
He needs legs to support some platforms that he is setting up in the Information Commons. He called me to ask if I knew where they were, since he and I both do a lot of work with those platforms and legs.
Here is a look into how this phone call came to be:
Until recently all the extra equipment for events has been stored in the backstage area of Mundelein Auditorium, where I work and where the Department of Fine and Performing Arts holds its large ensemble rehearsals. This all changed when the construction crews that are doing the “ReImagine” campaign needed to use the backstage area to work on ceiling above the auditorium for some Mundelein renovations.
Everything has been moved to various locations- locations about which I have not been informed. Now I have to send out requests every time I need to have another platform or some legs or railings or anything else I may need that used to be easily accessible for classes backstage. In addition, there is a fake wall up where the curtain to the backstage area used to be, and the side entrances remain locked except for hardhat access.
From what I understand- which admittedly is not much- the Facilities department seems to be in charge of relocating and storing this equipment. But problems arise because departments are not used to having to collaborate so much just go get simple tasks done.
Facilities knows where things are, but when I make requests they dispatch the Grounds crew to move them. Grounds crew’s job isn’t to keep track of everything, so they often do not know where things are- and I do not have the contact information for anybody on Grounds crew.
Housekeeping does a lot of the physical setups for events around campus, but they do not get informed when Facilities directs Grounds to move equipment.
So this resulted in me having to talk to Housekeeping in the middle of my mid-afternoon nap(!) explaining that I do not know where the legs are, and I do not know who he can turn to for answers. I feel bad, but I guess problems like this are what happen when you have such massive construction plans.
Supposedly this will all be over in 1 semester. When I graduate.
I know, my life is hard.
Still, I am tempered by the fact that I enjoy frequent use of the Information Commons that was constructed through the inconvenience of those who came before me. I guess we all have sacrifices to make. I hope he gets his legs.
5 of the Best Unlikely Places to Study
As a nursing major, I study a lot. It’s vital for me to have plenty of different options of places to study at, or I get sick of my surroundings and can’t focus. Here are a few of my favorite (and less commonly used) study spots:
5. Millennium Park – This is not the place to go when it’s rainy or cold out, but Millennium Park is just a quick train ride away. It’s huge, so you have plenty of options for places to sprawl out and work. And there’s the added bonus of great people watching and great restaurants downtown when you need a study break.
4. The Mundelein Greenhouse – Located in Mundelein, Loyola’s center for the Fine and Performing Arts, the greenhouse is awesome if you want some quiet studying, but don’t want the crowds of the library and Information Commons (IC) or you don’t want to go to far from your dorm. Because of the panoramic view, I recommend going there in the early hours of the night or when it’s storming or snowing.
3. The beach – We’re lucky enough to have a beach within a few blocks of campus, so why not take advantage of it? If the weather is mild and you have homework that doesn’t require a computer, nothing is more pleasant than reading on a beach towel while getting some sun and watching Lake Michigan.
2. A coffee or tea shop…downtown – Most students know just how awesome it is to study in the multitude of great coffee shops that surround our campus (The Daily Cup, Metropolis, etc), so if you want to go to a place that isn’t swarming with students, I recommend going downtown. Personally, I highly recommend Argo Tea off of the Lake stop of the Red Line.
1. The Field Museum – It’s a bit of a hike (you take the Red Line to Roosevelt and then walk about 15 minutes), but when I have a particularly bad case of cabin fever, this is my favorite spot to go. I know it seems a bit out there, but the Field is notorious for discount or free days, and there is something about reading your Nietzche, Anatomy/Physiology or other college reading on the couches in the World of Mammals section that makes you feel very much like a boss.