Month: November 2018

Life’s a Beach!

Life’s a Beach!

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Even if you’re from Chicago, when you think of the city, you might not think about beaches much – or at all.

I always find I surprise people when I mention that there’s a beach at the end of my street. It’s a real beach, no exaggeration – sandy shores, a pier, a lifeguard chair that’s usually empty, and picnic tables further back for families to gather around.

Coming from Minnesota, I’m no stranger to lakeside beaches. But I totally understand everybody’s surprise. I mean, Lake Michigan is a lake, sure, but it’s a Great Lake!

Up in Duluth, Minnesota, where Lake Superior meets the land, there’s no beach… just huge rocks filling the shore. In fact, Loyola is surrounded by beaches.

To the north of campus is three separate beaches within a five minute walk – Hartigan, Albion, and Loyola Park – but there are even more the further up you go. One summer, when I had my bicycle and worked here, I would always stop at the beach that was halfway between Loyola and Northwestern’s campus for a break.

This picture is the beach at the end of my block. Of course, nowadays it is a lot less pleasant to visit than it was in the summer, but it’s still beautiful… but I don’t put my feet in so much. Plus, it’s much emptier now!

I love going to the beach at sunset and sunrise (if I’m ever up that early) because the lake is just gorgeous. Sure, I see it from campus, inside the IC or walking around, but there’s something about being close enough to touch it. There are no beaches on-campus.

South of campus too is more beaches! The Lakefront Trail, a pathway stretching from Loyola down to Navy Pier that you can walk, run, or bike down, is pretty much all beach. In the summer and spring, it’s the best place to hang out with your friends, getting out and enjoying the fresh air without having to take public transportation or go too far away.

If you come tour Loyola, there’s no doubt the tour guide will take you lakeside, where, as we say, it’s Cooler By the Lake, but if you have some free time walk north just one block and you’ll find yourself a beach! Going to Loyola is not just the campus itself, but the Chicago that surrounds it.

Supporting the Arts!

Supporting the Arts!

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Although some of our most populated majors at Loyola are science-based, like nursing or biology, and we have a very good business school, Loyola is still a liberal arts school seeking to educate and allow a space for the creative arts. That’s why we have a Fine Arts Program, and that Fine Arts Program puts on lots of showcases for the various disciplines that make up ‘the Fine Arts.’ Last week, I attended the student orchestra’s showcase, just for fun!

Actually, there were three orchestras – the symphony, the percussion, and the wind instruments, each taking their turn. They were all quite good – I played the oboe and clarinet in high school, so to see a symphony was quite fun. Beyond the sound of Beethoven, I love watching the bows go up and down. Wind instruments don’t really move like that as an unintentional visual show to accompany the music.

I wish I could include a video for you, but the file is wayyy too large. Attending the orchestra does come for the price of a ticket, unlike the basketball game happening the same night, but there was a student discount and I can go to many, many basketball games, if I so choose. It was really nice to see other students at the orchestra, there to support their friends, sitting amongst the parents and family members who came to Mundelein Theater.

Out of all of them, I think my favorite piece played with a version of “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” but the percussion played a song called “Guac is Extra” which made me laugh.

In addition to the orchestra, Loyola also has an exhibition space for student artists who make visual media like sculptures, drawings, and photographs, and lots of theatrical performances throughout the year. I have a close friend who was the costume manager for a recent production called Violet, despite not being too deep into the theater world herself. That’s what’s fun about our theater program – you don’t have to be a theater major or minor to join! There are extracurricular band groups, a cappella singing groups, and so on, so you don’t have to take a class or dedicate more time than you can.

If you ever come visit and you see that something in the Fine Arts going on, stop by! They’re usually open to the public, free or at a cost. I know I for sure am looking forward to the annual Joyola production, a holiday-themed performance from singing and instrumental groups alike.

Such a ‘Bler: The Write Place | Ireland’s Poetry Open Mic

Such a ‘Bler: The Write Place | Ireland’s Poetry Open Mic

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As of last semester, I am a Creative Writing Minor, and it’s been a while since I’ve read my poetry aloud. Since coming to Loyola, I’ve been in search for a space for poetry, spoken poetry to be specific. Diminuendo Literary & Arts Magazine and MeToo Monologues have filled parts of this desire, but not even Department of Programming’s (DOP) open mic nights has fully satisfied my need for creative expression. I’ve even been thinking of starting my own spoken poetry club.

A fellow Rambler shared this thirst, and like the senior (and Ireland’s Pub employee) he is, organized a poetry open mic! He reached out to Diminuendo’s presidents, and well, we got tagged along.

I was excited, very excited. Not only because I was the Magazine’s AD/PR Chair and this was an amazing promotion opportunity with the added bonus of it being so close to this semester’s launch event but because it was a spoken poet’s dream. I was so ready to meet my fellow creative writers!!!!

The evening was lovely. Poetry, puns and paninis. Ireland’s Pub is right in the Damen Student Center. It is cozy and also occasionally hosts music events (really good ones from my experience). I even read some of my poems. I felt home.

It’s nice to see Loyola’s Creative Writing students taken on more presence on campus with this event and the newly established Creative Writing Club (more on this later!) I’m hungry for more.

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

 

Such a ‘Bler: My First Basketball Game (ever)

Such a ‘Bler: My First Basketball Game (ever)

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It’s embarrassing to confess as a sophomore that my first Loyola basketball game was last Friday. Sure, I watched the NCAA last year, but well, online or through a TV. Times never really aligned I guess, but after missing the first game of the season on Tuesday, I was determined.

Here’s what I’ve learnt:

  • If the game starts at 7pm, it starts at 6pm. The lines get pretty long quite quick so it’s best to come early, especially so you don’t have to wait out in this windy weather. I arrive at 5:30pm after class today and a quarter of the student seats were filled.
  • This was also my first live American sporting event, so I learnt that the national anthem is sung!
  • Sister Jean and her prayer before the game is a blessing (but we all know this already.)
  • ‘Blers are raised for good luck before a shot, especially if it’s a free throw.

  • The energy is addictive.
  • Sometimes there’s free stuff for the crowd (oOoOoOoOh)
  • I love the band and there are A LOT of chants, but you learn as they go – this is a lot of fun!

Fun fact: LU Wolf is actually a friend of mine from freshman year, but I’m not too sure it was in fact him that night. All LUs are friendly. Any guesses?

This was the scoreboard before things went crazy – we lost to a single slam dunk at 2 seconds to time. But the crowd was wild, and I was one happy Rambler.

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:
A Series of Firsts: My First Year at Loyola

A Series of Firsts: My First Year at Loyola

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Me with a giant LU Wolf on my first day of International Student Orientation. August 2017.

I came to Loyola more than a year ago, not knowing what was in store for me. I had visited campus only once before Orientation, and this would be my first time studying abroad and living on my own. But I was still very excited about meeting new people and starting my academic formation in a place I barely knew. I hoped to learn about places and events that were important in social and historic terms, how to navigate the world, and to get involved on campus as much as possible, while still maintaining a good GPA. I obviously did not know the many obstacles and difficulties that I would encounter, at least not until my mother left to go back to Guatemala and I faced my first day of college on my own.

To be honest, my First Year was not what I expected. I did not think I was academically prepared for the college-level courses, and I felt like my classes were too difficult for me. I was overwhelmed with the pressure to be social and be involved in as many student organizations and programs and possible. I struggled to balance both my academic and my personal life, and was stressed during most of my first semester. To top it all of, homesickness hit me very strongly, especially with events such as Family Weekend and Fall Break, in which I was reminded that I was indeed, far away from home.

But not everything was difficult and gloomy during my first year. After I went back home for Winter Break and came back for my first Spring Semester, my mindset about college had changed. I already knew how to move around the many social/academic spheres at Loyola decently, I knew a fair amount of people on campus, and I had come to be familiar with Chicago as a whole. This allowed me to focus more on my studies and extracurriculars, in order to finally choose my career path and find my purpose in life: to be of service to others and to search for justice. I had finally found my space at a place I can now call my second home, and I am very excited what it has in store for me.

To be honest, despite all its lows, my First Year at Loyola was my best year so far. And it’s amazing to think that it’s been more than a year since I first started my life at Loyola. Time has flown so quickly, but at the same time, it is difficult for me to remember a time in which I wasn’t a Rambler. I have been to so many new places, which have taught me lessons about social injustices and how I might be of help to others throughout the rest of my time at Loyola. I have also met so many people, whether that be fellow students or professors and staff, who have come to play an important part in my everyday life and have grounding me and bringing support and guidance this past year. The amount of things I have learned so far has been more than I had expected, ranging from subjects like Sociology to Women’s & Gender Studies. But most importantly, I have grown so much as a person in these past three semesters.

Such a ‘Bler: It Finally Snowed!

Such a ‘Bler: It Finally Snowed!

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Disclaimer: The above photo was taken on the first snow day of 2017.

Perhaps the snow is one of my top favourite parts about going to a university in Chicago. I know from interactions that I am definitely one of the few who will confidently say this, and that I moved to Chicago mainly for its weather. But it honestly is a tasteful experience – having 4 seasons!

There’s also the excitement of never really knowing when the turning weather points of are: my case, despite it being the second year around. I woke up this morning RIGHT BEFORE the snow ended. So, from my dorm window, this was the only snapshot I got… Nevertheless, the same, if not higher level of excitement was present.

One of my closest friends on campus was nice enough to send me this beauty on her way to the Loyola Information Commons though.

Get excited Ramblers! THE WINTER WONDERLAND IS FINALLY UPON US!

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

Remembering the Kristallnacht at Loyola

Remembering the Kristallnacht at Loyola

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To be honest with you, one of my main hesitations about going to Loyola at first was that it’s a Jesuit university, and I’m not religious. But it’s been really great, these past four years, to see that Loyola is not just a Catholic university but one that thinks about the diversity of its students. I heard recently, although I don’t know if it’s true, that Loyola University Chicago is both the most diverse Jesuit institution and that a majority of our students are Hindu. Nevertheless, it’s the persistent idea.

The reason I’m writing about this is because I recently went to an event commemorating the Kristallnacht, the Night of Shattered Glass on November 9-10, 1938, in Germany and Austria.

Being a history major and that it was sponsored in part by the History department, I was reminded again and again to go – but I would have gone anyway. It was not a religious event, but it took into consideration the different religions and identities that Loyola students have even just to put on this kind of event. It’s like including the menorah in stereotypical holiday designs out there, next to Christmas trees and Santa hats and (although it seems like it’s getting rarer) saying “Joyous Kwanzaa” … Even though I don’t identify as a member of the group, I think inclusion is always good.

Dr. Elliot Lefkovitz was a really impressive speaker. It was heartbreaking to be there on the day that another mass murder was committed in the United States, and he read a letter from someone who had grown up in the Pittsburgh community where the Tree of Life Synagogue is, as well as a moving memorial of the lives lost. He especially emphasized that atrocities such as the Tree of Life killings and the Holocaust were killed themselves in abstractions: in learning that six million died in those short years of World War II rather than one plus one plus one plus one… and so on, and the same too at the level of eleven dead.

After speaking for a while, he played a short film he had made almost thirty years ago called ‘The Double Crossing’, interviews of refugees from Germany in 1939 who went to Cuba for safety but most were returned to the European mainland, over 200 of which were to die in the following years.

I was really amazed by it. I think one of the things that so drives me about history is the human experience of it all, and interviews like these, preserved memories of people who now have mostly passed away, are incredible. After the film ended, Dr. Lefkovitz read some quotes from Eli Weisel about the damage that indifference does in conclusion and answered some questions that had come up about the short film.

As always, I’m amazed by the variety of events you can find and go to at Loyola, and each one of them are exposure to unique things that I am so, so grateful I get to experience and learn about in my college years. When/if you tour here, you’re probably going to see posters for things you want to go to and clubs you want to join as well! When I applied to Northwestern University after touring it, my application letter was all about how I wanted to be involved in the different clubs and events I had seen on posters around the campus (although now of course! of course! I’m so glad I went here instead).

No matter where you end up, don’t be afraid to get out there and go to things. You’ll learn so much beyond the classroom!
A Series of Firsts: Who Am I?

A Series of Firsts: Who Am I?

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LU Wolf and I in front of the West Quad. October 2017. Go ‘Blers!

Hello, everybody! My name is Francesca Marchese González, and I am an international student from Guatemala. I am one of the new bloggers for Undergraduate Admissions Office, and I am really excited to share a little bit about my Loyola experience with you! Before getting into the logistics of this post, I’ll tell you a little bit about me and how I came to be at Loyola.

Like I said, I am an international student from Guatemala, and I am also Italian. I was born and raised in Guatemala, but my family and I really LOVE traveling, so we have been to different places in Europe, North America, and South America together. My favorite food is pasta, and a fun fact about me is that I know 3 and a half languages.

This is my second year studying at Loyola, and I’m trying to major in Global & International Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies, with a Minor in French Language and Literature. I am planning to study abroad in the future, whether that be at the Rome Center or in a French-speaking country. On-campus, I am part of a couple of organizations, like Womxn in Leadership Loyola and LUCES. I am also part of Global Engagement Programs, as the Chai & Chat facilitator. These are all spaces in which different perspectives are shared, in which learning is promoted and where we can all strive to be the best version of ourselves. And I feel like these organizations and programs have enhanced my experience at Loyola. I am an avid believer in that different perspectives have to be shared in order to get the bigger picture of something, so that if a single perspective is not the most popular, it still plays an important role in understand a community, like that which we have here at Loyola. And that’s what I am going to try to do through my posts: share with you a different perspective of Loyola.

Loyola Opens Up 2018-2019 Basketball Season With a Win

Loyola Opens Up 2018-2019 Basketball Season With a Win

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What a memorable Final Four run we had that captured the nation’s attention a few months ago. Now, Loyola is back at it again with its 2018-2019 season!

The Ramblers opened up with a home game at Gentile Arena against UMKC on Tuesday night! Loyola commemorated the Final Four Season to make the opening game as special as the sentiments were during the heat last semester! Loyola raised its Final Four banner, which joined the team’s 1963 national championship banner and others in the stadium rafters.

“The pregame banner for me was emotional,” Townes said. “Just seeing that banner go up and thinking about last year and what we’ve done to get that banner raised in this arena with all these fans here, the community of Chicago, it meant a lot. I almost started tearing up a little. Me and [Custer] were talking about we wanted to tear up.”

Loyola came off of a 32-6 season that saw them win the Missouri Valley Conference by four games before taking the country by storm with a memorable run in March.

Ramblers Donte Ingram and guard Ben Richardson will not be in season but much of the team’s core is back for another potential run.

Reigning MVC Conference Player of the Year Clayton Custer is back at point guard for Loyola and the senior is flanked by returning double-figure scorers like senior guard Marques Townes and sophomore center Cameron Krutwig. Loyola is also expecting some role players from last season to make a leap, as expectations are high for sophomore Lucas Williamson entering the season.

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Loyola’s 99-year-old team chaplain who became an international celebrity during the team’s NCAA tournament run, attended the game and delivered a short speech and the pregame prayer, asking God “to remind the referees to call plays as they see them.”She told the crowd, “We all want the same thing tonight, so go Ramblers!”

Fortunately, Loyola took the win! With a lead of 76 to 45 against UMKC! 

“It’s who we are,” Moser said. “You have this shared vision of what you are. The guys believe that together we can be higher than we are individually. When you’re together defensively, when you’re together offensively, you can go a lot higher than you can individually. It’s at the core of our culture.”

EcoChallenge: Loyola Takes the Top

EcoChallenge: Loyola Takes the Top

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During the month of October, EcoChallenge takes place, which is a 21-day sustainability engagement program. The challenge takes place October 3 – October 24, 2018. Participants track and share their progress online in a robust platform and earn points for taking action. The combination of collective action, camaraderie, and friendly competition makes change a little easier — and a lot more fun.

During this challenge that took place and ended a few weeks ago, Loyola was on top! Loyola ranked #1 in Illinois and in the top 60 overall!

EcoChallenge provides tools and inspiration to turn intention into action, and gives participants a fun and social way to think about and act on proven solutions that make a difference for you, your community, and the planet. Over 100 actions within nine Challenge categories provide participants with diverse options to take action.

Lets give it to Loyola!