April 2015 – Page 3 – College Admission at Loyola

Employee Appreciation Day

By Stephanie Rodriguez | April 18, 2015

Walking into my exam, last Thursday I realized that I needed my coffee fix. I am a coffee drinker, yes. Coffee is on deck 24/7, like almost every other fellow rambler! I decided to stop and get a coffee when I saw Brenda! I have known Brenda for a long time, like Rambler Room long time! She has always been so welcoming and friendly. When I saw her, I had to stop her and congratulate her for Employee Appreciation Day. I only knew about it because I heard another worker talking about it.

The coffee shops were decorated with balloons and the employers were wearing beads. I thought it was a very nice gesture, and I hope they were thanked by all of their hard work! Brenda and I talked for a while about the new shop and how much Loyola has changed. We were both reminiscing about the Mertz dining hall and Rambler room. These memories made me feel so sad that I was graduating! It has been a long time coming and Loyola became my home. It is so difficult to wrap my head around the fact that I will never step foot as an undergraduate, again.

Brenda congratulated me for graduating and asked me what my future plans were. She told me that she was excited for me and that she hopes to see me again, some day! I think I will. The friends that you make at Loyola become lifetime friends. I never realized how true this was: you meet your best friends in college.

Thank you for the friendships, Loyola!

French Market Exploration

By Samantha Eddmeiri | April 18, 2015

This weekend, I had the privilege of going to the Chicago French Market with my friends! I had heard of this, and often times wanted to visit, but just now got the chance. (Funny, seeing as I should be overloaded and busy with homework and not pushing off my responsibilities, oops.) It’s a lovely array of shops, located a two different train rides away from the Lake Shore campus.

To get there, take the red line heading towards 95th/Dan Ryan all the way to State/Lake. From there, switch lines (you’ll need to get your U Pass out again) to go to the Pink Line, heading to Cermack. You’ll ride that until you get to the Clinton stop, walk down the stairs, and then the French Market is right there.

While you’re there, I would highly suggest getting food. (Obviously). Go hungry, as there are many options. While I was there, I purchased 10 macaroons and a croissant from Vanille, a lovely pastry shop. ($22) While this seems pricey, it’s worth it if you enjoy macaroons. They are amazing.
Next, I went to a taco stand (odd, I know, being in a french market) and bought a bottle of Jarritos pineapple soda, a side of Spanish rice, a chicken taco, and a quesadilla (that came with guacamole) for lunch. ($12) I had leftovers of the quesadilla, guacamole, and rice, so I took them home as leftovers.
For dessert (as if I really needed it), I went and got black dog gelato. I’d heard of this before, but never got the chance to try it. It is amazing. A cone came with one flavor in it, and it cost me $3.50 exactly. My friend got a small cup, which allows for two flavors, and cost her about $4.50.

The French Market is definitely one of Chicago’s treasures, and is a good place for an outing. My suggestion is you plan on spending some money there if you want to purchase goodies, as my entire trip cost me around $40. (This was in large part due to the macaroons, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try them from the French Market. I won’t buy them every time I go, but they are a nice treat. One of them is about $2, so I could have easily spent under $40.) You may also want to block out about an hour and a half of travel time, as you will probably have to wait for trains. However, my friends and I took an uber back, and it ended up costing abut $28, taking about 25-30 minutes. (The price was also heightened because it occurred during a surge, where the price was 1.6 times higher than it normally would have been.)

While this was an expensive outing for me, it does not have to be. Go with a few friends and split the uber cost or take the el both ways, and avoid dropping $20 on delicious french cookies and it will not be as expensive as a trip as it was for me.

Some useful Information for Dorm Packing

By Therese Bennett | April 18, 2015

Hello everyone! The school year is almost over, and they next time most students will be back at Loyola will be for the Fall 2015 semester. For all those who are coming in as freshman, or for anyone who will be living in a dorm, I thought I would tell you about some things you can share with your roommate so as to make your packing less stressful.

These are the things that can be shared for freshman dorming!

Microwave
Vacuum (totally optional, but most people find having one a good idea)
Cleaning supplies (including glass cleaner, wood cleaner, and all purpose wipes)
TV
Floor length mirror
Iron
Ironing board
Mini fridge
Shower curtain (optional because they give you a white one)
Shower rug (optional as well, mostly for dorms that do not have communal bathrooms)

These are things that can be shared for on campus housing after freshman year (in addition to the ones above)!

Furniture (such as futon, and some chairs. Check and make sure furniture is not already included. A friend lived in Santa Clara and he had furniture, but when I lived in Fordham we had to bring our own.)
Area rug for the living space
Plates and utensils
Pots and pans
Toilet paper/paper towels/ napkins (you can alternate!)
Toaster
Drying rack for dishes
Soap (for the bathroom and to wash the dishes)

Make sure to communicate with your roommate ahead of time so that you both will not bring the same thing! Also, double check to see what your dorm already provides especially pertaining to furniture and kitchen appliances!

Cubs Fans Among Top Ten Most Loyal MLB Fans

By | April 18, 2015

According to sports writer John Belaska, if fans want to show how much they love their favorite team, they do so by going to the games. In order to figure out how loyal a fan base is, Belaska calculated the average attendance per 2013 home game for each MLB team. Wrigley Field, the second oldest baseball stadium in the United States and home to the Chicago Cubs since 1916, can pack in 41,019 fans on any given day. Last year, the Cubs averaged 32,625 fans in attendance per game. This means on average Wrigley Field was 79.54 percent full every time the Cubs played a home game, ranking it tenth among America’s top ten most loyal MLB fans.

Today, I felt like a true Cubs fan as I cheered on the home team at my first-ever major sports event in Chicago: a Cubs game against the San Diego Padres. The game was highlighted by several other ‘first’ moments as well. In the tenth inning, Jorge Soler made a outstanding catch of Matt Kemp’s drive to right field. I’ve seen my share of rough rugby games, but that was the first time I’ve seen a human being run and slam himself into a wall, and in spite of how masochistic that may sound on paper, I know any real Cubs fan would say it was for a very worthy and glorious purpose.

Up until the sixth inning, the Padres were leading, but with a home run, which I had never seen in real life before, the Cubs caught up quickly. We ended up beating the Padres 7-6 after eleven innings. Additionally, this was a milestone game for third-baseman Kris Bryant—if he ever becomes a Hall of Famer I will be able to say I watched the first hit and RBI of his MLB career. It was a landmark game in other ways, too. Despite having given up a homerun to Kemp in the first inning, Kyle Hendricks struck out fourteen batters in a row after that. Even as a rookie spectator, I know that can’t be an easy feat. What’s more, the wind was blowing at 19 miles per hour at Wrigley today. The Cubs’ Miguel Montero, when asked to comment on his two home runs, displayed a confident sense of humor, the kind that is reserved for winners. “When I hit it, it goes, regardless of the wind,” he said with a grin.

Before this afternoon’s game, I had been to only one other Major League Baseball game. Although I do not see myself becoming a baseball connoisseur—if ever asked to summarize a baseball game, I’d probably have to refer to the Chicago Tribune’s game recap, as I did for this post—I definitely enjoy the palpable excitement of a live game. Next on my sports bucket list is a Bulls game and a Blackhawks game. Of all the spectator sports, basketball is my favorite. I look forward to taking advantage of the specially priced tickets, sponsored by the Department of Programming, that are sold at the Damen Information desk.

One of My Favorite Trips Yet: Milano & Lago Maggiore

By | April 18, 2015

Although we are down to our final weeks abroad our Italian adventures still aren’t over. This past weekend I joined a group of 28 students from the John Felice Rome Center as we went on the last study trip of the semester to Northern Italy. This trip was a dream come true for our Student Life Assistant Jessica who studied in Milano in high school and has since wanted to take a group of students back to her favorite part of Italy. And she set us up with one of my favorite weekend trips of the semester.

We set out for Termini Station bright and early Friday morning and boarded a high speed train for Milano. We checked into our hotel first then set out for downtown. We made our way across the city center to eat lunch on the steps of the Duomo. This epic cathedral makes for a pretty nice picnic backdrop. We picnic-ed like true Italians and enjoyed panzerotti, these incredible “mini calzones” with a crust that tastes more like a doughnut and is filled with tomato sauce and cheese. Now that we were refueled we had a chance to tour the inside of the Duomo. This gothic style cathedral was very Notre Dame esq and is one of the only churches of this style in Italy. We got to climb up to the roof which allowed for beautiful views of the city and of the countless spires that make this building so intricate.

That afternoon we passed through the oldest mall in Europe, toured La Scala Opera House, and then either went shopping or on a church crawl. (I opted for the churches). After meeting back up with our group at the Duomo we all went out for dinner together for some tasty Milanese cuisine.

Saturday morning we went back to the train station and on to our next destination, Lago Maggiore. This massive lake is nestled in the Italian alps and has got to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. We stayed in the lakeside town of Stressa in a hotel that was right on the water. Shortly after arriving we hopped on a ferry to Isola Pescatore where we ate lunch. Then our ferry took us to the next island over, Isola Bella. This island is literally named “Beautiful Island” and that couldn’t have been more true. This entire island is actually a villa and gardens where I could’ve spent the whole day just soaking up the sun in those incredible gardens. But we took the ferry back to Stressa and enjoyed our evening exploring the town.

Sunday morning I made a point of getting up extra early to watch the sunrise over the lake. It was beyond worth it and one of my favorite parts of the weekend. The rest of the morning our group took a hike through the woods on the hills surrounding the lake. We ended up walking about 6 miles over to the next town, but on the way we got some incredible views of the lake and the mountains in the distance. (Thankfully though we took a ferry back to Stressa). Before getting back on the train to start our journey for Roma we enjoyed a bittersweet last group meal at a restaurant in Stressa.

This trip definitely made me fall in love with Northern Italy, so I hope that someday I get the chance to go back and experience it all over again. And I most certainly could not have asked for a better last weekend trip.

Southside Market

By Stephanie Rodriguez | April 17, 2015

May 8th is quickly approaching and so are the final papers, presentations, research labs, and exams. As I was walking through Damen, I decided to stop at the smoothie stop. I figured why not? I am going to graduate soon, and I have not had the luxury to look at all the new buildings. I tried a sample of the smoothie, and it was delicious!

Then, I decided to visit my first dormitory as a freshman: Simpson. It brought back so many memories! It was bittersweet, as I saw all the new freshman walking into the dining hall. That used to be me. Time flies so fast that it is absolutely nerve-wrecking. However, I saw something that made me utterly upset!

The Southside market was gone. New offices have taken the place of the small, but efficient market. It was sad to realize that Loyola is everything that it used to be, but with newer buildings and people. Therefore, it is but it isn’t the same. Does that make sense?

It made me upset that new students will never know what the Rambler Room or the Southside market was. However, I understand that they are going to have many new memories with the new market on Sheridan Rd., Potbelly, and Damen. However, this is metaphorically what happens when you grow up right: everything around you seems to change.

RIP Southside: you were very convenient during finals week. ;(

Places On And Around Campus To Enjoy The Weather

By | April 17, 2015

With the weather finally warming up, many students are taking their studies outside to enjoy it! In this post, I will be discussing all of the places on campus best for enjoying the nice warm weather, whether it be for studying or just relaxing and having fun!

First, the most obvious place on campus to enjoy the nice weather would be one of the two quads! These green spaces are wonderful for studying, relaxing, playing games, tossing Frisbees, or maybe having a picnic! There is plenty of space on each quad for many people to stay comfortably. I passed by the east quad earlier and saw a lot of students taking advantage of this wonderful outdoor study/recreation area that Loyola offers to us!

Another great place to study or hang out outdoors is by the IC right next to the lake. Here, students can sit outside along the ledge overlooking the lake and study or relax for a bit! It is the perfect quiet and serene location for hard studying, without having to be cramped up indoors on a nice day!

If you’re looking to get off campus to enjoy the nice weather, I’d recommend checking out the beach area near Loyola! The sand is nice, and in the summertime the lake is warm and swimmable! The beach area is perfect for sitting in the sun, having a picnic, or going for a nice walk. If you walk down to the left while on the beach, you can reach the pier! The pier offers wonderful views of Loyola’s Lake Shore campus as well as the skyline of Chicago! The pier is definitely one of my favorite locations near Loyola, and I love going there to enjoy the nice weather!

Further on passed the pier is a little grassy area/park! Here people can jog, walk, ride bikes, hang out, picnic, pet dogs, and much more! I visited this area for the first time yesterday (my first time venturing passed the pier!) It was really nice!

Ultimately, there are wonderful places on and around campus perfect for enjoying the nice spring weather we’ve been having! So next time you have to study for a big test but it’s beautiful outside, try taking your studies out with you! You can take advantage of the lovely study/recreation spaces while following up on your studies and enjoying the weather!

Fun End-Of-The-Year Activities

By | April 15, 2015

With the end of the year in sight, Loyola has planned many fun and exciting events for current students to participate in within these last few weeks! In this post, I will be talking about all of the events students can take advantage of to add a little fun to the end of the year stress!

One of the biggest events happening on campus within these next few weeks is ((dop))’s hosting of keynote speaker Laverne Cox from Orange Is The New Black to give a speech here on campus! The event is free to students with a student ID, and will be taking place April 23rd at 6P.M. in the Mundelein Auditorium! I believe this will be a huge event, and will be widely popular among the student population! Many students love the show, and she is an LGBT advocate so I presume her speech will be worth hearing! I personally got a ticket and am excited for this event!

Also on the 23rd, a Water Tower Block Party will be held on Loyola’s Water Tower Campus! This event happens twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. It will be from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. The event shuts down four city streets, and will include exciting things such as food, a live band, sunshine raffle, Henna, Caricatures, Photobooth, and much more! I personally have never been to this event before, but am excited to go this time!

Lastly, there is the Damen Ball that is held at the Museum of Science and Industry! This is mainly an event for seniors, as a last farewell from Loyola! There will be food, dancing, mingling, and some exhibits open! I think this sounds like a really fun evening, especially for graduating seniors! I can’t wait to go someday!

So, to get through the stress of finals and move-out, take advantage of some of these fun activities! It will make the end of the year that much more worthwhile, and it will be tons of fun!

Know the Way, Go the Way, and Show the Way.

By | April 15, 2015

Last Sunday, all the new student leaders at Loyola gathered in the Damen MPR for the LUC Common Leadership Training session. Students who were first time RAs, Peer Advisors, Welcome Week Leaders, Orientation Leaders, Student Government representatives, and Student Community Board Members were mixed up and split into 30 or so tables of seven to nine people. I attended the workshop as a Student Government of Loyola Chicago (SGLC) representative.

After introducing ourselves to everyone at the table, each of us reviewed the two sheets of paper given to participants prior to taking our respective seats. Printed on one sheet was the Student Promise, while on the other were some words of wisdom from past leaders—predecessors who had held the same position—along with several discussion topics. For me as an SGLC representative, two pieces of advice stood out as most memorable. The first was that, as student leaders we are challenged to live out the mission of the university in all that we do, meaning not only at senate meetings, but in all aspects of our lives. Easy to say, hard to do. The second piece of advice, which will be particularly challenging for me personally but that I really must learn how to do, is “how to say no.” There are so many events to attend and so many problems to fix! “Make self-care a priority. You can’t do it all.” That mantra is intended to remind each of us to take on a single objective at a time and know that people are here to support one another.

At Leadership Training, each student at the table was given two Post-It notes. Additionally, one paper puzzle piece was distributed for the whole table to share. On the first sticky note, we were instructed to write one way that we would ‘care for self’ during the following year, as we stepped into our leadership position. On the second, we listed the ways in which we would care for others through our respective roles. On the final puzzle piece, though we were told that each person could write one sentence on how he or she planned to ‘care for’ the Loyola Community, my table group decided to compose one sentence encompassing all of our individual goals.

The Common Leadership Training allowed us to meet and get to know our fellow student leaders on campus, while providing a structured setting in which to interact with one another, the objective being to discover our similarities. The connections that we established through this bonding and team-building session will push us to collaborate and collectively maximize our diverse array of skill sets in order to create a more interconnected and united student body for Loyola.

Freshman Year Almost Done

By | April 15, 2015

There is only less than 3 weeks left of the school year! The finish line is so close yet so far away; although we have less than a month of school left, we still have final papers, projects, and exams to complete. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and so time-consuming, but things have to be done sooner or later, to completion. It is essential that I, and the rest of the student body, not procrastinate and slack off on the quality of our studies. We have to be motivated!

How do we truly become motivated? For me, I think about the future consequences if I slack off and realize that doing so is not worth it at all- financially and personally. First there’s scholarship GPA requirements. time and effort spent on studying for exams and doing homework, and more. It would be a waste if I were to throw all my hard-work away because I didn’t give enough effort into each class. Another way to focus on academics is to restrict how much time is being spent on listening to music, hanging out, and social media (phone and laptop).

I know I may sound a little uptight and too strict on myself, but these things truly help me stay motivated to do well in school. I want to be able to say that my first year of college was successful and that I was well disciplined to keep a good mind-set on school.