Tag: Damen

Employee Appreciation Day

Employee Appreciation Day

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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!

Southside Market

Southside Market

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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. ;(

 

2014 in Review for LUC

2014 in Review for LUC

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On the last day of 2014 it’s time to look back on the year and reflect. For Loyola University Chicago the year has seen all sorts of changes, high points, and tragedy–here’s a few:

  1. LUC is the 4th greenest university on Sierra Club’s list. Thanks to the Institute of Environmental Sustainability–run on geothermal energy, housing a biodiesel lab, greenhouse, and aquaponics system–and extensive recycling and composting programs, Loyola is proud of it’s sustainability efforts and eager to keep improving.
  2. Men’s Volleyball 2014 NCAA Champions. A first in the program’s history, the Ramblers defeated the Stanford Cardinals in 4 sets–a match hosted in Loyola’s Gentille Arena. This is the 2nd national championship title Loyola has won, the other being the 1963 Men’s Basketball title.
  3. November brought the installation of Madonna della Strada’s bells. For both the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Chapel and the 25th anniversary of the deaths of the Salvadoran martyrs, the bells rang. These bells completed the vision James Mertz, S.J. had when building the chapel in the 1930s.
  4. Opening of St. Ignatious Plaza, Halas Recreation Center, and the West Quad. Loyola’s campus saw some changes in the fall of 2014 with 3 new additions to campus. Students can now enjoy extra green space in the West Quad, an addition to Damen student center with a remolded Halas Recreation Center, more study space, and a new cafe. The south side of campus now boasts the St. Ignatious Plaza, a brick walkway with greenery and benches, closing off part of Kenmore Avenue and making campus safer for students.
  5. The tragic death of student Mutahir Rauf. Both students at Loyola, Mutahir was with his brother in Rogers Park when the two were robbed and Mutahir was fatally shot. The Loyola community came to together in remembrance of him at  a memorial service on December 9th and an interfaith prayer service on the 10th to pray for nonviolence.

The Loyola Community saw highs and lows throughout the year. Each event brought with it lessons to be learned–from eco-friendly practices to remembering our loved ones, 2014 was a year to be remembered and cherished. Looking forward to 2015, Loyola will yet again see challenges and success stories–here’s to making it count! Happy New Year’s Ramblers.

The View from My Office

The View from My Office

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I wanted to share the view from my office with you today. Take a look:

The view from the 11th floor of Mundelein Center. Click to enlarge.

This view actually means a lot to me.

First, it is a sign of the parallel between how far I have come and how far Loyola has come since I arrived here. It has actually been pretty fun to watch this school grow alongside me. Despite the annoyance that construction brings, it is pretty exciting to watch and it feels good to know that something better is always on its way.

When I was a Freshman, that green lawn (which is our East Quad between the Information Commons and Dumbach Hall) was a hole in the ground. The year before I got here the IC had just opened for the first year and the year I arrived they were re-doing the roads, sidewalks, and lawn around it. In the picture you can see a construction crane. They’re working on finishing up Cuneo Hall, which is standing on the stump of old Damen Hall. Loyola has grown a lot.

I remember looking out onto this view from my old boss’ old office. I was a Freshman and he was the Operations Manager of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. During the year I set up chairs and stands for ensembles and helped my boss with events. I finished my first year of college with a 4.0, a lot better than the GPA I had in high school. Now I have a new boss (Scott Heston, who rocks), a new office, a new set of jobs (Event Manager, Jr. Marketing Specialist, Blogger, and Media Analyst) and I’ll be graduating this May. I’ve grown a lot, too.

I like looking out on the lawn during a sunny day and seeing everybody looking so small in our beautiful campus in the city. Being so far above things and seeing this view is a great de-stresser. It helps keep things in perspective. I can see so many little people bustling about their daily lives. From eye level it feels as if you are in your own little world down there. But from up here I can see them next to the lake and with Chicago all around. It helps put things into context. The world is a lot bigger than your problems, and you’ve got plenty of places to go- plenty of things to do- that you haven’t yet.

When I leave work I’ll be back down there among them and on my way to class. I’m no different, but at least I am lucky enough to enjoy view from my office for a little while.