Category: Chicago Livin’

Friendsgiving Season

Friendsgiving Season

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Students are heading home for the holidays, but before we do that, many of us indulge in a little trend called Friendsgiving!

If you’ve never heard of it, it’s basically Thanksgiving – but with your friends, instead of your family. Although in a lot of cases your friends ARE your family, some people go home and some stay, some are from the same suburbs and some are from further away. It’s not uncommon to see students walking to and fro with tupperwares, pots and pans, and other things on the nights of the weekend before Thanksgiving break. They’re all going to Friendsgivings!

Most people celebrate Friendsgiving by doing a potluck-style dinner, and everyone brings one aspect of a meal. It can be Thanksgiving-type meal: mashed potatoes, corn bread, turkey, more turkey, perhaps some green beans and so on, but it doesn’t have to be.

This year I was delighted to find myself celebrating not one big Friendsgiving but two! One of them was with my friends I made during my time in Beijing (although not all of them, given that many are at schools around the country… or still in Beijing), and the other was my friends from Rome and freshman/sophomore year, since a lot of them came to Rome or knew people from Rome. I didn’t host either of them, but was all too happy to take corn hotdish (aka corn stuff) to the first and mashed potatoes to the other. Both easy and delicious!

Not only that, but the university and clubs also like to put on Thanksgiving-style events. My sorority, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., does our annual Unity Feast, where donating food to a food shelf nets you all you can eat from us, catered by Boston Market, which is a resturant that specializes in American comfort food. The Vegan society does Vegan Thanksgiving from a local restaurant called Chicago Diner where everything is Thanksgiving food but vegan, and so on.

(This plate is not from the Vegan Thanksgiving but from my Beijing Friendsgiving, in case you were concerned about the meat there.)

I wasn’t able to make it out to the Vegan Thanksgiving myself, but my friends both Vegan and not went and said they had a great time! Even if you don’t celebrate this holiday, Thanksgiving is a great time at Loyola because of the sudden wealth of food events that pop up, and how the usual annual giving tradition and consideration of those less fortunate than us recurs. Loyola year-round thinks about the poor and those with less oppportunity, but it’s when Chicago starts to get cold and windier that we too really buckle down on our philanthropic efforts.

 

Happy holidays, everyone!

 

Helping Global Neighbors

Helping Global Neighbors

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Last week I went to the Kristallnacht memorial, but this week Loyola was hosting a presentation about something a little more recent. The Yemeni civil war is on its fourth year, but the American government has a chance to do something about the destruction it is creating.

Loyola’s Peace Studies and International Studies program hosted Hassan El-Tayyab, the Jordanian-American Policy and Organizational Director at Chicago Area Peace Action.

 

He talked passionately and at length about the war in Yemen, starting with presenting two short videos to give us a background on the topic. One of them gave a brief overview of the politics and current state of the fighting affairs, while the other was a passionate plea to the U.S. Senators by children in Yemen, affected by the civil war. You can watch that heartbreaking video here and learn more about what’s going on from that website.

After detailing the conflict, as well as sharing his family connection to the suffering and war crimes happening in the Middle East, Hassan moved to talk about his organization, Chicago Area Peace Action, and what could be done.

I learned that CAPA is working to pass two bills, one in the House of Representatives and another in the Senate, that would get U.S. involvement in Yemen recognized by Congress and then ended through the War Powers Act of 1973. Although many Congresspeople from both sides of the aisle have supported these bills, others have not done anything one way or the other, including Senator Tammy Duckworth – so, he shared, CAPA was taking action and had a rally scheduled outside of her office.

Loyola itself also has a local chapter of CAPA on campus, and our student organization has actions planned and a focus on raising awareness of what can be done to stop what the United Nations recognizes as the “worst man made humanitarian conflict in recent history.”

Overall, I was really glad I went to this event, and that Loyola allowed for this kind of awareness-raising event. Even as someone who reads the news daily, I think it’s very valuable to pay special attention to disasters like this and that we stay informed of the way our fellow humans are experiencing our planet at the same time we sit there and eat cookies and drink lemonade, in a building of a university we are being educated at, without fear of a missile or other government-sponsored attack raining down at us at any time.

My biggest takeaway, though, was that there is always something we as individuals can do. Even if it’s just signing a petition or writing a blog post, the speaker was very clear that even the smallest action, even just a small group of people, can affect global change – and save lives, if the bills can be passed in the new Congress.

Local Fave Restaurant: Nha Hong Vietnam

Local Fave Restaurant: Nha Hong Vietnam

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You know how I’m always thinking about food?

Well, I’ve got another restaurant recommendation for you all! This one is not so local, but it’s near and dear to my heart.

Nha Hong Vietnam is a local restaurant in the Argyle neighborhood of Chicago – only about 15 minutes by the L – and about a five minute walk from there. Argyle is known as Little Vietnam, but Nha Hong has got to be my favorite restaurant in the whole area.

This past weekend I went there with my roommate (don’t tell her I’ve posted this pic) and it was, as ever, so good. I haven’t been there in two years, because of being abroad, and I missed the taste of delicious and cheap pho!

(Admittedly, I do have another roommate who is Vietnamese who makes her own pho, but there’s something about the way they make it at Nha Hong and the atmosphere that makes it just fun, even though it does cost more money than free.)

The restaurant is family-run and whenever someone goes there and the grandfather of the family is not there, my groupchats get a flurry of worried messages about his health. It’s not very large of a space, so you either have to go there not at peak hours or be willing to wait, but it’s so worth it. They used to give you free ice cream after your meal too, but last time I went they didn’t, so I wonder if they stopped that… or they don’t do that in the wintertime!

Their cheapest dish is about $3, and I swear they must have over 200 items on their menu. If I didn’t go there specifically for the pho, I’d no doubt be overwhelmed! Pho runs you about $8, which is a lovely price for a big bowl of warmth, happiness, and a full stomach.

If you have a hankering for Vietnamese food or find yourself by the Argyle stop, go to them! Campus has lots of good restaurants nearby, more of which I promise I’ll write about, but I just have to recommend Nha Hong. Check out their yelp page here. Yum!
A Series of Firsts: My First Cubs Game

A Series of Firsts: My First Cubs Game

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My friends and I at the Loyola Night Cubs Game, after the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sept. 27, 2018.

There is nothing like going to Wrigley Field with a couple of friends and a hot dog in hand. Or so I had been told. I had grown up with my mom trying to convince my sister and I to watch the World Series and get into baseball and root for the Pittsburgh Pirates and such (she was a huge ). But I really never acquired the taste for the sport. I had never been to a baseball game ever, and there really weren’t any ways that I could play baseball on my own back home. So, during my first year at Loyola, I chose not to go to a Cubs game, even while knowing that they had won the World Series a year before.

Don’t get me wrong: I like sports. It’s just I am not that kind of person to watch a full game in one sitting. Also, I barely know the rules of baseball, I still don’t understand what the 9 innings are, and I really have not had the time to look at Cubs tickets. But when a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to the Loyola Night Cubs game with her, I didn’t hesitate to say “Where do we get that cute cap they said we are getting?”.

To be honest, the game was an experience even before game night. I was so excited to finally be going to a baseball game (the irony) and couldn’t think of anything else but the game for days. I had already looked online for the different menus and knew what I wanted to order. And I told almost everyone I knew to come with me so that I could share this experience with others. I was making a show out of it. And I was right to be excited.

The moment we got off the Addison Red Line Stop, I couldn’t help but be contaged with the energy gloating in the air. Everyone was wearing their Cubs gear, having fun, enjoying their time with their friends. It was surreal, to say the least. When the First Pitch took place, I couldn’t believe that I was finally going to watch my first game. As the innings went by, the excitement started to bubble down, and it transformed into concentration. I started to get the idea of what the game rules were and I recognized that the Pirates weren’t that bad of a team. Yet, I still hoped for the Cubs to win, knowing that it would make my experience a little better. The fact that the game was a Loyola Night made it even more exciting. There were people all around wearing their Loyola Cubs cap, and we all sang along to Coach Moses singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” And when the Cubs finally won the game, we all cheered for the team and tried to get our caps signed by the players (and gracefully failed in our attempts).

Now, the Cubs’ chances to win this year’s World Series are null (Congrats to the Red Sox), but I am sure that when the season starts again, I’ll get someone to take me out to my second ball game.

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: 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!

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.”

Why am I at Loyola 4 years later?

Why am I at Loyola 4 years later?

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First and foremost, for those of you who don’t know me, I am Husna and I have been working in Loyola’s Undergraduate Admission’s Office since I was a Freshman so this is quite bittersweet, being my last year here. Just to get a little background, I am from Chicago, IL, I love to shop, travel, explore the beautiful city of Chicago, weight lift, and play soccer. Now you’re probably wondering why I decided to come to Loyola and not go out of state for college, but let me tell you… it was definitely the best decision I’ve made. I am also not just saying this because I go to Loyola, or else I would have not been here! I really wanted to go to Loyola all throughout high school and I don’t doubt that one bit till this day.

I love Loyola because the moment I had my first class, I felt so welcomed and comfortable in the environment I was learning in, which was one thing that was super important for me. The intimate class sizes make learning so powerful and that was definitely the moment I knew that I was the type of person who preferred small classes, where my professor knows who I am as a person and I know my professor as well. It is definitely a personal preference, but to my knowledge, a lot of other universities tend to have large lectures, which vary from about 200-300 students in one hall or even like 500-600 for the bigger core classes. Smaller classes are better for me because I like when the professor knows me and its a better chance of getting recommendation letters, more resources, easy participation points (so its not all dependent on exams sometimes) and asking questions in general helps with learning. In this way, if you are the type that is afraid to speak in big crowds, this would be a great chance for you to engage in an environment comfortable for you.

Also, Loyola is a popular school so a lot of students are from out of state, which I think is super cool to have friends from different states so you’re not stuck with the same people from high school intend on meeting new people. Not to mention, Loyola has made it to top universities many times throughout the years, so be sure to check out my older blog posts on that as well!

I don’t live on campus; I commute which is about 45 mins-1 hr, and it is honestly not that bad (to all my commuters). We get a Ventra card so I must say, it is quite tempting to go downtown all the time because of the Loyola campus on Michigan Ave, right by the Water Tower Place. It can be so much fun because not only do we have Ventra cards to take L, we have a shuttle service right on campus so we can go anytime and explore.

Most commonly known for is our lake, of course,  but that wasn’t my decision maker. It definitely is a plus because studying there is THE BEST. Our library is so peaceful and aesthetic, which also includes The Harry Potter Room, and besides the library, Loyola has so many cool places to study and chill.

Loyola has lot of programs, whether they are the pre-professional programs offered (such as pre-physical therapy, pre-medicine, pre-dental, pre-law, etc.) and it is very easy to be involved with the hundreds of organizations, clubs, sports, etc. which can build an overall great reputation. Our success rate for careers and graduate schools are really high, so it is evident that our education is of great importance and it definitely pays off within the 4 years.

As a senior (finally) reflecting on my four years at Loyola, I can say it proudly of how grateful I am to be a part of this institute. I’m majoring in Psychology right now with a minor in Exercise Science and not only are my classes so much fun, the professors are extremely helpful and caring.  I did get a scholarship which helped a lot, and became involved with the Muslim Student Association and Pakistani Student Association. Through this involvement, I met a lot of my friends and connections and it’s an unforgettable experience.

The last things I would like to mention is that we get an Easter break as well as a mid semester break (fall break) which not a lot of other schools have… so it definitely is a plus and bragging privilege (haha).  There are many on campus job opportunities that are offered if you are interested in working as well!

I hope my experience is able to help many of you, and if you do have any questions, please let me know at hafzal@luc.edu and I would be glad to give you some more feedback based on my experience at Loyola!