Category: Rambler Network

Fall Semester Final’s Breakfast

Fall Semester Final’s Breakfast

12313888_776020952527606_3681374193583185984_n

 

Finals are approaching faster than it may seem, and as nerve wracking that sounds, the bright side is that winter break is almost here! You should be preparing for finals because you’re going to have a lot of reviewing to do, depending on how many exams you have, whether they’re cumulative or not, and the level of easiness or difficulty of the content.

You should also know when your finals are scheduled, and if you don’t, here is the link: http://www.luc.edu/academics/schedules/spring/exam_schedule.shtml

NOTE: Make sure this matches up to your syllabus, and if it does not, bring this up to your professor.

Now enough of the scary stuff, FINALS BREAKFAST IS ALMOST HERE.

Finals breakfast takes place at the end of each semester, the Tuesday of every finals week! The fun part of it is that its at 9PM instead of the morning, so take a break from the stress and get together with friends. Take advantage of the free food, after all, food makes everyone happy.

I wish everyone the best of luck on finals! Do the best you can, make sure you have tons of caffeine, and be optimistic. You won’t have to deal with this again until August 29th!

Remember: Finals Breakfast Fall 2016: Tuesday December 13th, 2016 9PM-10:30PM in the Gentile Arena!

Christmas at LUC

Christmas at LUC

thumb_IMG_3942_1024

There are endless ways to enjoy the holidays on campus and around Chicago! Grabs your coats, scarves and gloves and join us the Loyola alumni, staff, and students in some holiday fun!

Damen Student Center tree lighting
Dec. 1, 5 p.m.
Start the Christmas season at Loyola with the annual tree lighting celebration in the Damen Student Center.

Caroling at Cloud Gate
Fridays through Dec. 16
Bundle up and get ready to belt out some holiday classics during Caroling at Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. This festive series is part concert, part sing-along at the world-famous Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as “The Bean.” 201 E. Randolph St.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights
Dec. 2-4, 9-23, 26-31; Jan. 1
Head to the Lincoln Park Zoo for a fun, free, family-oriented holiday celebration, featuring luminous displays and holiday activities throughout the grounds. 2200 N. Stockton Drive.

Polar Palooza
Dec. 3, 12 – 8 p.m.
Dec. 4, 12 – 6 p.m.

Polar Palooza, the annual two-day outdoor winter festival for Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods, is back and co-hosted by Loyola University Chicago, the Rogers Park Business Alliance, the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, and Alderman Joe Moore of the 49th Ward. Enjoy food from local restaurants, live music, synthetic skating, a meet-and-greet with Santa, and—on Sunday—a visit from a live reindeer. New attractions this year include a beer garden, holiday movies at The New 400 Movie Theater, and a merry-go-round. 6601 N. Sheridan Road.

Loyola Gives
Operated in conjunction with the Catholic Charities: Sponsor-A-Family program, Loyola Gives sponsors families by raising funds and purchasing needed items and gifts for the holidays.
• Gift drop-off
Water Tower Campus: Dec. 6., Baumhart Hall, Terry Student Center Lobby
Health Sciences Campus: Dec. 7., Cuneo Center, Room 270
Lake Shore Campus: Dec. 8., Damen Student Center, Atrium

Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec. 8, 5:15 – 6 p.m.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day for those who follow the Catholic tradition. Come celebrate Mass at Madonna della Strada Chapel.

Joyola!
Dec. 8, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Joyola! returns this season for a grandiose evening of holiday celebration showcasing a mix of sacred and secular works. The night will feature performances by the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Women’s Chorus, University Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Jazz Ensemble. Mundelein Center. 1020 W. Sheridan Road.

Desserts in December
Dec. 9, 5 – 7 p.m.
Need a break from studying or just a few sweets in your life? Students, faculty, and staff are invited to Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs’s annual event for holiday treats. Damen Student Center, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM, Multipurpose Room.

Advent Vespers
Dec. 10, 5 p.m.
Join Mundelein alumnae and friends to celebrate this Advent-Christmas season. We will begin the evening with our tradition of Advent Vespers followed by a reception, and then we will enjoy Lessons and Carols, the Christmas mystery presented in song and scripture. Piper Hall.

Lessons and Carols
Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11, 3 p.m.
Loyola’s most popular holiday event returns. In the tradition of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, the world-renowned Christmas Eve worship service at King’s College Chapel, this service features a series of lessons juxtaposed with liturgical music performed by the University’s choral ensembles. Madonna della Strada Chapel.

Finals Breakfast
Dec. 13, 9 p.m.
This free late-night breakfast for students is a Finals Week tradition at Loyola. Finals Breakfast provides students a chance to take a study break, refuel, and catch up with friends before the last stretch of exams. Faculty and staff serve students meals to provide support and boost morale during this stressful time of the semester. Gentile Arena.

Breakfast with Santa
Dec. 17, 9 a.m.
Hosted by GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade), this event features a morning of crafts and activities to celebrate the holidays. A continental breakfast will be provided and Santa will be ready for pictures. Please bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Family Matters of Rogers Park. Damen Student Center, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM, Multipurpose Room.

Christkindlmarket Chicago
Through Dec. 24
Each year, people from all over the world visit the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. The unique shopping experience—paired with traditional German food, drinks, and entertainment—makes the market a must-see for the holidays. 50 W. Washington St.

Winter WonderFest
Through Jan. 8
For the 16th year in a row, families from near and far will flock to Navy Pier and bask in seasonal bliss without bundling up. The PNC Bank Winter WonderFest returns with more than 24 rides and attractions and 170,000 square feet of indoor entertainment for all ages. 600 E. Grand Ave.

Christmas Around the World & Holidays of Light
Through Jan. 8
This holiday staple at the Museum of Science and Industry features international Christmas decorations—and even indoor “snow.” Guests can celebrate festive traditions from around the globe with a forest of beautifully adorned trees, each one decorated by local volunteers from Chicago’s diverse communities. 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
Through Jan. 8
Tis the season to celebrate everyone’s favorite “Peanuts” pals as they dig past the commercialized gimmicks of presents and decorations to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. Through a pageant and a spindly tree, Charlie Brown and friends bring the holiday spirit back to life for families once again. Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.

Ice skating at Millennium Park
Through March 5
The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park kicks off the winter season with skating and special programming. Admission is free and open to the public, with skate rentals available for $12. Michigan Avenue between Washington Street and Madison Street.

LUC MSA Sisters’ Retreat 2016

LUC MSA Sisters’ Retreat 2016

Retreat_Packages

It has been a quite stressful couple of weeks as I wrap up midterms, exams, papers, and my first semester of Sophomore year. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I try to find something that I look forward to; it makes the wait worthwhile and makes me want to work twice as hard to get through the weeks. Something I have been looking forward to since last year is the LUC Muslim Students’ Association Sisters’ Retreat 2016. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to attend last year, so I made a promise to myself to go this year and thought I would share a bit information of what it is about.

The MSA Sisters’ Retreat is an opportunity for members to not only get closer to the Creator, but to also strengthen the ties of sisterhood on campus. The retreat is a weekend long combination of activities and spiritual talks and this will help serve to meet this purpose of strengthening the bonds amongst the sisters at Loyola.

The weekend retreat takes place from Friday, November 18, 2016 at 5:15 PM to Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 4:00 PM. It takes place at the LUREC – Retreat and Ecology Campus and is restricted to women only.

I will also be sharing my experience via Loyola University Chicago’s Undergraduate Admissions’ Office Instagram story – Please follow @luc.admission on Instagram and join us as we venture out to strengthen our bonds with Allah as well as each other!

Loyola’s Multicultural Greek Council

Loyola’s Multicultural Greek Council

11659270_10205400488835307_6232942685550123464_n

It seems like every American knows about sororities and fraternities, and the not-always-positive image of them that exists because of movies like Neighbors and Legally Blonde. People see them as white, full of, well, the type of people whose appropriate adjectives I can’t type in my position as an employee for my school. Of course, most of it is untrue and illogical. There are always exceptions, but Greek life as a whole has been changing over the past twenty years for the better and better.

maxresdefault

So, you might be aware of those sort of stereotypical sororities and fraternities, but did you know there is also many, many Greek-letter organizations that are not historically white? Alpha Phi Alpha was created in 1906, the first black fraternity in America. From then on, Greek organizations have been created and oriented more multi-culturally. They’re all similar to Panhellenic groups, but with a few differences that span across them all.

Multicultural Greek Organizations have traditions like stepping, strolling, calls, and reveal shows of new members that all contribute to the community of multiculturalism and pride in the organization. The Try Guys of Buzzfeed recently learned Stepping with UC’s Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter, and you can check it out right here. They also don’t have a combined Recruitment Weekend like Panhellenic and IFC organizations do, but rather usually hold free events over a course of two weeks.

photoofweek

Loyola has it’s own Multicultural Greek Council. None of them are exclusively for members of one race or ethnicity or another, but rather reflect why they were founded and seek to continue those values. And usually, they’re a lot smaller than the 150+ members in other sororities and fraternities.

We have Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc, as well as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Delta Phi Lambda is the only Asian-interest sorority on campus, while Lambda Theta Alpha is predominantly Latina. Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta are both historically African-American, but that doesn’t mean that if you aren’t, you can’t join!

As for fraternities, we’ve got Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc., which is a co-ed Latinx fraternity. Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi are historically African-American as well.

CNXKy4GUwAAp17k

I know what you’re thinking – that’s a lot of words and groups that mean nothing to you right now. Loyola has a policy that means you can’t join a sorority or fraternity your first semester freshman year, no matter which, so there’s no need to go comparing everyone on campus right now.

But this is my advice to you: keep your eyes open and your mind even more so. Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself ‘multi-cultural,’ you’re not excluded. You might just find a something new – whether it’s a whole new family, a changing experience, or a new favorite food.

(that’s something I love a lot about Loyola. All the groups are selling food 24/7. score for me, the churro-lover.)

12940869_194906107563141_730613109_n

Picking a College

Picking a College

crosspath-sign

Wow, a hefty topic. Crazy how big the decision is, too.

I don’t mean to scare you. But I do want to remind you that decisions are due May 1, and if you haven’t started thinking about what you want to do, well… Now is the time.

So that’s where I come in! As a student who made her own choice less than a year ago, I can tell you the tips and tricks I used, saw, and have learned about deciding where to go to start the Next Big Adventure!

Let’s get things straight from the get-go: whatever you do, it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can always transfer, or (though I don’t encourage it) drop out. You are not locked into a path that will define you for your whole life after this month ends. I know people who have transferred in their junior year of college, or transferred twice, or even chosen to leave Ivy League schools. Whatever you do, whatever you tell a college, you still have options.

And who knows? The person you are now might fit in perfectly at the school of your choice, but the person you might be in two years might say: this is no longer who I am, nor what I want. And that’s okay.

Now onto the key stuff: choosing a college.

A lot of people will tell you they just ‘clicked’ with a campus when they stepped onto it, and if that’s you, congratulations! Follow your heart.

A lot of people will get excellent scholarships and decide to attend a school solely based on that. Congratulations if that’s you! Very practical.

But sometimes people are strongly torn between two, three, or even four schools where all the factors seem the same.

College Pennants

Consider your life when you’re looking at colleges. Where is the college? How far is it away from home? Will you be okay being so far or so close to places you’re comfortable with? Do you like to explore and see new things in a city atmosphere, or will you just stay on campus or do outdoorsy things on a campus that is farther away from the urban jungle? Will you be able to be smart for the weather?

Would you be better at a large school, a medium, or a small? Are you undecided, or do you know what you want to pursue? I’d advise that either way, you attend a school that offers other things you’re interested in, just in case. Just trust me. Even the most stubborn people I know have gone on to change their major.

college-early-decisions

 

Now, if you’re sure you’ve considered everything, from financial aid to campus aesthetic, but you’re still torn, I’ve got ideas to help you.

  1. Grab your most no-nonsense friend, a friend that’ll tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it. Give them a coin. This one’s for if you’re torn between an even number of schools, because, well, coins have two sides. Have your friend assign one school to one side, another to the other. Have them flip it, and tell you the answer. Now, I’m not saying this to have chance decide for you. When they tell you the answer, listen to your heart. Are you sad? Glad? Disappointed? Whatever your initial reaction was, take note of that. Add that in to your considerations. (Any other arbitrary decision-making process can be substituted in, like picking petals or eenie-meenie-miney-mo.)
  2. Tour them like crazy. Even if you’ve been on the same tour five, six, seven times, do it again. Are you bored of the tour? Do you tire of seeing the campus, or would you rather break off and enjoy it on your own time, in your own path? Interact with the school as much as you can – after all, you might end up there for the next four years.
  3. Talk, talk, talk. Contact your admissions adviser. Contact whomever would be your First Year adviser. Leave a comment here and talk to me. Go on Facebook and talk to other potential students from the school. Talk to current students that you meet on your tours. Even if it’s about the weather, interacting with people can tip the scale.
  4. Write it out. Physically grab a piece of paper and divide it in half, or however many sections you need. Then use a pen and write out the pros of the school – and then the cons. If you find it’s very easy or too hard to write them, take note of that. Pay attention to what you’re thinking.

 

I chose Loyola because of a combination of good factors, from scholarship to location, even though I didn’t love it immediately. But now that I’m here, I can’t help but think that I could have avoided a lot of mental agony and decision-making stress by looking into myself and realizing why I kept it on my list of ‘to-consider’ was because it was really great, I was just being stubborn. I may be one of those people who make the most out of everything, but even still, I love Loyola and I’m glad I came here. I hope that, no matter where you end up going, you’ll love yours the same.

(And if you don’t, see above paragraph about how nothing is permanent, everything is permitted.)

654

Where to Work as a First-Year Student

Where to Work as a First-Year Student

Student Employment Website large 1800x735

Ooh, a job. For some of you, it might be a scary, new prospect that just a reminder of the incoming doom of life after school. For others, it’s something you’ve known for years. Whether you’re looking to get a job to help pay for this expensive (but worth it) school or just so you can get bopngrill every week, let me tell you about the state of jobs and Loyola, both on and off campus.

Even if you live just down the block from Loyola, things change when you get here. In the job quest, you might qualify for work-study – or you might not. Luckily, no matter your needs, Loyola is here to help! We have job fairs every single semester that host companies looking to hire college students and RamblerLink, a website that also connects prospective employers to potential employees.

Of course, there’s more than that, too. That’s mainly off-campus. Near-campus opportunities include working at The Coffee Shop, Subway, Insomnia Cookies, and so on, and so on. Businesses hire, and you don’t have to take the CTA to get to work! There’s also online freelance jobs perfect for students, like writing for The Odyssey.

It’s Chicago. There’s lots of job opportunities, if you’re willing to go out and get ’em! And if you’re not comfortable leaving the campus or your schedule won’t allow for a thirty-minute commute, then on-campus is for you!

Recruit

On-campus has a lot, a lot of opportunities. Unlike other schools, our dining halls are run entirely by Aramark employees, so you don’t have to resign yourself to working to feed your peers. Instead, you can work at the Undergraduate Admission Office, like me! Or you could become a Desk Attendant, an RA, a lab assistant, or a tutor. You can work at the Phonathon, or with Campus Reservations, or even Conference Services. There’s also Orientation Leaders, Welcome Week Leaders, College Coaches, and on and on and on. You could be a security guard at LUMA if you wanted to give that a try. If you can dream that Loyola has a need, then there’s a job.

So where will you work? There’s so many choices, it’s really up to you, your circumstances, and your need.  Trust me when I say that the job market isn’t something you have to worry about being too small here in Chicago and on campus. Happy hunting!

Moving Out!

Moving Out!

Move out day is almost upon us current students! I cannot believe how fast this year flew by! It feels like just yesterday I was moving everything into my dorm and now I’m moving it all out! In this post, I’ll discuss some ways to make move out day go smoothly and some tips for checking out!

The first thing students must do in the move-out checklist is to make an appointment to have an RA check you out of your room for good! These appointments can be any day of this week-finals week-and are in 20-minute time slots (but hardly take that long). Students must have everything out of their room by their checkout time, and must be ready to have an RA check the room. At the end of the appointment, the student will give their RA their key and no longer have access to their room. They are done for the summer!

Move out day will probably be chaotic, regardless of what day you are moving out. The craziest move out day this year will be this upcoming Saturday, which is when the majority of students are moving out. I live in Mertz, which has 19 floors, about 650 freshmen, and only three elevators. It’s going to be absolutely crazy! One way to avoid the chaos is to move out a lot of your stuff prior to your actual move out date-if you live close enough to campus. My roommate, for example, went home last weekend and took almost everything home already! My room is practically empty except for my stuff (which I can’t do anything about because I live out of state). Moving stuff out early will ease in your own personal move out process, and open up any elevators you may need for the other hundreds of people moving out at the same time! (Not all buildings have elevators, so every situation could be different!)

All in all, move out on Saturday and Sunday will probably be a little chaotic. By moving some stuff out ahead of time, you will help yourself avoid a little chaos and have an easier transition! Also, checkout appointments are important! Make sure everything is gone by the time the RA comes, or there could be consequences. With these helpful tips in mind, move out should be a breeze! Good luck, Rambl

Spring on Campus

Spring on Campus

There is nothing better than Spring time on campus when all of the snow has melted away and the flowers begin to bloom. Even on a cloudy or rainy day, Loyola’s campus looks beautiful. Below I’m sharing some of my favorite photos of campus this season:

Photo Credit: Lindsy Fagerstrom
Tulips bloom near the Mundelein Center Fountain at Lake Shore Campus. Photo Credit: Lindsy Fagerstrom

 

Photo Credit: Lindsy Fagerstrom
View of Chicago’s historic Water Tower from Loyola’s Water Tower Campus. Photo Credit: Lindsy Fagerstrom

 

Photo Credit: @marcellobdm via Instagram
Taking in the view of the East Quad at the Lake Shore Campus. Photo Credit: @marcellobdm via Instagram

 

Photo Credit: @m1ggyy via Instagram
Enjoying the view of the Information Commons at the Lake Shore Campus. Photo Credit: @m1ggyy via Instagram

 

Photo Credit: @wheresjennau via Instagram
Trees being to bloom outside of Cudahy Hall at the Lake Shore Campus. Photo Credit: @wheresjennau via Instagram

 

Photo Credit: Christina Hernandez
The sun reflects over Lake Michigan at the Lake Shore Campus. Photo Credit: Christina Hernandez

 

If these photos haven’t sold you on Loyola, come visit campus for yourself! If you’re an admitted student who’s ready to commit to Loyola, submit your deposit now before May 1st!

 

 

Fun End-Of-The-Year Activities

Fun End-Of-The-Year Activities

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!

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend

 

5 Reasons Why You CANNOT Miss Loyola Weekend:

  1. EVERYONE you want to meet will be there. Are you looking to talk to a Chemistry professor, the Director of the Wellness Center, a Campus Ministry Chaplain, Directors of Loyola’s Interdisciplinary or Quinlan Honors Programs, the Dean of the School of Communication? We have faculty, staff, current students, and alumni from just about every department, major, minor and program on-campus. That’s a ton of awesome people from the Loyola Community who will be around all weekend to answer all of your questions.

  2. You get an ALL-ACCESS PASS. Literally. It’s the only weekend the entire year when you can tour all 5 first-year residence halls, the Nursing Simulation Lab, the Engineering Science lab, a Chemistry lab, the Fine Arts Annex, the Newhart Family Theatre, the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Campus Prayer Rooms, and Halas Recreation Center. This is, of course, in addition to our normal Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus tours that are offered the rest of the year.

  3. Get ALL of your questions answered. Are you wondering … How do I make the deposit? Where can I study abroad? How do I register for classes & orientation? What do I do with my AP scores? What do the dining hall menus look like? Well we’re here to answer those questions. The day is filled with presentations (on topics like Next Steps, Financial Aid, Study Abroad, Off-Campus Student Life, etc.) to get you answers for any of those questions floating around in your mind. It’s a one-stop-shop to get it all taken care of so you don’t have to schedule multiple appointments or call/email different departments at the University.

  4. Figure out what that FINANCIAL AID Package really means. Don’t worry, you are not alone with this one. Understanding your financial award and responsibility is a tricky task, which is why we want to help you out with that during Loyola Weekend. Financial Aid counselors will be giving presentation and available to meet with you to answer your specific questions. Trust me, going to the presentation will be a life-changing and worthwhile decision.

  5. Meet other future RAMBLERS! Each year hundreds of students come to campus this weekend to get their first chance to really see what life as a Rambler looks like. It’s a great way to confirm Loyola is the best fit for you and make some new friends for your upcoming collegiate years. And hey, maybe you’ll even meet your future roommate, teammate, classmate, or even your future best friend!

Now that you’re dying to go to Loyola Weekend,
click here for a full schedule & registration!