Tag: Water Tower Campus

Grateful for this City, Grateful for this School

Grateful for this City, Grateful for this School

Thanksgiving is quite obviously a time to give thanks. I could go on and on about all the things I am grateful for, but I wanted to give a little extra thanks to the city and school I’ve come to know and love over the past year.

CHICAGO, Thank you for:

  1. The skyline. It always brings a smile to my face and usually a jaw drop. Whether I catch a glimpse from the Lake Shore path during the day or when it’s all lit up at night, I’m certainly grateful for the view.
  2. Free things to do. Zoos, concerts, parades, or tours, Chicago knows how to keep college kids happy, and we are all thankful to be able to enjoy the city without having to spend money.
  3. Lake Michigan. Whoever decided to build a city on the shores of Lake Michigan has all my gratitude. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of running on Lake Shore Path or driving on Lake Shore Drive.
  4. The food. This is one city that knows how to eat—deep dish, popcorn, hotdogs, plus cuisine from nearly every nation—I won’t get bored of all the options Chicago offers.
  5. The parks. I love getting to spend time wandering through Chicago’s parks, especially along the lake or downtown. They don’t qualify as full blown state parks, but a little controlled nature still works for me.

LOYOLA, Thank you for:

  1. My professors. Even in classes as large as 200 students I have felt cared for by my professors. All of them have their quirks, but always teach me more than the required material.
  2. U-Passes. Including CTA all access U-Passes in our tuition is something all of us are definitely grateful for. Our campuses put us in the perfect position to explore the city and not having to buy tickets every time we use public transit is a huge blessing.
  3. Lake Michigan. Well, I had to put this one on the thankful list twice because I could not be happier that our Lake Shore Campus bumps right into the lake shore. Our location makes for the most beautiful sunrises and calming study spots on the north-side of the city.
  4. The students. At first I was a little intimidated by a student body of 10,000 undergrad, but I have come to really love it. I’m glad to go to school with a diverse range of students who all come from different places and are interested in different things. But amidst all these people, I have found people I really click with. I know some of these are friendships I will cherish for a long time.
  5. Two campuses. I love having both a city campus and a “typical college campus”. Coming to the city I didn’t want my school to just be skyscrapers on a city block. Loyola provides more than what I was looking for–a spread out campus on the lake and some pretty cool skyscrapers downtown, and I couldn’t be happier.

 

When My Grandma Comes to Visit

When My Grandma Comes to Visit

My grandma lived in Chicago for part of her childhood before moving to rural Illinois. The phrase, “You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl,” describes her perfectly. So when she comes to visit me in Chicago you better bet that means we do as many city activities as we can.

Right before Thanksgiving break, my grandma and my cousin Claire hopped on the Amtrak train to squeeze in some Chicago fun before the end of the semester.

I met them a little before 5 o’clock at our hotel downtown. Grandma spoiled us a little bit–we stayed at The Allerton Hotel on Michigan Avenue. After checking in, we wandered down Michigan Ave toward the river in search of a dinner spot. We settled on The Purple Pig, a restaurant I’ve walked past several times, but never had the chance to try. A Mediterranean style restaurant, with a cozy atmosphere and dishes meant to share, I would definitely recommend it. The three of us enjoyed butternut squash, fried asparagus, Italian sausage, a chocolate mousse tart, and gelato with espresso poured over top. Not a bad trade-off from the dining halls.

We then, of course, had time for a little shopping because you basically have to when you stay on the Magnificent Mile. Luckily for Claire and I, Grandma played Santa–we’ll see our purchases again underneath the Christmas tree. After our shopping trip we made our way back to the hotel and called it a night.

Luckily my classes on Tuesday are on Loyola’s Water Tower Campus, so my commute to class was much shorter than usual. So after joining Claire and my grandma for breakfast, I only had to walk a few blocks to my first two classes. On my lunch break I met them at the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is just across Michigan Ave from the Water Tower Campus. One of my cousins works there and was able to get us tickets for the David Bowie exhibit. Before going to the museum I knew of David Bowie, but not much else. Now I could tell you quite a bit about him. The short version? He is one interesting guy.

After a quick lunch at the museum, I went to my last class of the day. When class was over Claire and my grandma met me in a cab headed for Union Station, to hop back on the train and head home for Thanksgiving break. In about 24 hours we managed to pack in quite a bit, but that’s just how it goes when my grandma comes to visit.

Loyola is Exactly What I Was Looking For

Loyola is Exactly What I Was Looking For

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When I started my college search I had one thing on my mind—Chicago. I grew up in a small town about three hours away from the city. Every time my family would come to the city for a visit my heart would start pumping fast and a smile would creep onto my face when I caught the first glimpse of the skyline. (Then again, that still happens to me today.) The problem with these visits to Chicago was just that—they were visits. We always had to leave the skyscrapers to come back to the corn fields.
My desire to do more than visit the city (and earn a degree) was the driving force behind my college search. Since I was looking for a school in the city I was nervous that all I would find were universities that consisted of a few tall buildings on a city block. I did not want to sacrifice the “college campus feel” or a quad for that matter. When Loyola University Chicago came up in my search I was pleasantly surprised.
I toured the university during spring break of my junior year. With my dad and my best friend in tow we started with a tour of the Water Tower Campus. I was blown away when I realized how many times I had been just steps away from the university on my many trips to Ghirardelli. Stepping onto Lake Shore Campus was a huge breath of fresh air. It was a real college campus, with a real quad, within the city limits! After that I was sold—so sold that Loyola was the only school I applied to.
Loyola was the best of both worlds for me, the city and campus all in one. But of course before I completely committed to this University I had to consider more than just location. Coming in without having a major I wanted to make sure the school I chose had plenty of options for me. Loyola’s School of Communications peaked my interest and someday soon I will be happy to choose a major within this school.
Now that I’m here I know I made the right choice. I’ve loved the opportunities I’ve gotten to become involved with campus ministry, do volunteer work in the community, and take classes from some truly inspiring professors. I’m so happy that I get to call Loyola home.

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

It’s that time of year when applications are complete and the waiting game for decisions and acceptance letters begins! Here are a few tips on what you should be doing with this admission process down-time:

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.

Ebony Ball: Our Shades of Beauty

Ebony Ball: Our Shades of Beauty

This year’s Ebony Ball was held at Regents Hall in the Lewis Towers.
Photo by: Antoinette Isama

One of the last events for Loyola University Chicago‘s Black History Month celebrations was Ebony Ball.

On Friday, Feb. 22, the Black Cultural Center hosted this formal for the first time at Regents Hall in the Lewis Towers on our campus downtown.

As vice president, I had to oversee the planning and facilitate tasks to prepare for this fun night!

With the theme “Our Shades of Beauty,” we sought to show the beauty of diversity by shedding light on how one should not be ashamed of the color of their skin.

Our social chair, Marlena Ortiz, had the great idea of embossing images on to pieces of wood that are examples of our different shades of beauty.

With the help of our other executive board members, each centerpiece and accent piece were crafted and painted by hand.

There was great music from a student DJ from Northwestern University and I would also consider this year’s Ebony Ball as the most successful – especially with how diverse the turnout came to be.

The students that attended had a great time! I hope that with events like these, my organization can bring the Loyola community closer together.

Fall Break!

Fall Break!

Fall break has arrived and I am welcoming it with open arms and open books.

I kicked it off with a trip to the movies with a friend to see “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”. It was a truly wonderful movie with great acting. I read the book when I was in junior high, and as much as people have said that you should read the book before seeing it, I’m really glad that I didn’t remember a thing from the book. It was like a brand new experience, one that left me with a lot of food for thought.

Now that I have started fall break, the time has come to spend four straight days catching up on sleep and homework, and I’m actually fine with that. Tomorrow I will do neither, though, because I’m rising early to go to work. I’m excited for that  for several reasons.

First off, this is going to be the first Saturday that I work at my job ever, and I’ve been working there for over a year now, so I’m really happy about that. Second, it’ll be a fair, and I’ve never actually worked a fair before so it’ll be a little different from what I usually do at work.

Third and finally, which is kind of my favorite reason, I’ll be working downtown at the Water Tower Campus, as opposed to at Lake Shore Campus, so though I’ll be seeing my coworkers working, we’ll be in a different environment than I’ve ever seen them in. That may sound weird, but to me its really cool. Having this workday be different from my usual will be a nice change, and I know that it’ll make me appreciate my job even more because I’ll be seeing it from a new light.

Sunday will be the day when I finally get to catch up on my sleep. I plan on unplugging all phones and other electronics in the house, putting my sleep mask on, and knocking out for a good 12 hours. Yes, that does sound crazy, but so does going day after day to school on 5 hours of sleep. I want half a day of uninterrupted shut-eye so I can dream in peace.

Once I do wake up, it’s a complete homework day from there. There are several chapters and assignments that I need to catch up on, and I hope to get everything done by the time midnight rolls around. Time to break out my school rules and get crankin’!

1,794 Miles

1,794 Miles

As I’ve mentioned before, fall means travel season for Admission Counselors! So far I’ve spent a total of 9 days on the road and I’ve driven a total of 1,794 miles throughout Indiana! That’s an average of 199 miles per day, woah. While I love fall travel and the opportunity to meet with so many awesome perspective students, being on the road does make me miss Chicago.

I specifically miss the CTA or Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA is not only my regular form of transportation throughout the year, but also the 2nd largest public transportation system in the country. (Click here for more fun facts about the CTA!)

After living in the city for 5 years now, I definitely prefer taking one of the many CTA buses or trains instead of driving. It’s nice to be able to sit back and read my kindle or the RedEye, listen to music and watch the stops go by as I near my destination. By relying on the CTA, I never have to worry about navigating road construction, gas prices, car insurance, or finding parking in the city.

The CTA is a great option for Loyola students, as all full time students receive a U-Pass, which gives them unlimited use of all CTA transit during the semester. The red line, probably the most popular train route for LUC students, runs between Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus (the Loyola stop & the Chicago stop). The #147 (Outer Drive Express) bus route also runs between the two campuses on Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, also known as the “Magnificent Mile“..

The U-Pass is more than just an option for getting between classes, it’s a passport to the city! It will get you to Soldier Field to watch the Chicago Bears, U.S. Cellular Field to hopefully see the White Sox make it to the postseason, Millennium Park, Museum Campus, Chinatown, the House of Blues for a concert, or maybe just a random stop where you can do some exploring! It was definitely one of my favorite possessions as a Loyola student, and I think most students would agree with me.

If you’re up for a road trip yourself, I’d recommend planning a trip up to Loyola University Chicago on October 20th or November 17th for an Open House. They’re a great way to determine if Loyola is the right fit for you, and you can always hop on the CTA and do some exploring in the wonderful windy city!

My New Home for the Year

My New Home for the Year

This is the view from my bedroom!

This year I will be living in Baumhart Hall, which is located at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower campus. It is my first time living in this residence hall, so I am excited to see how different the dynamic will be from living on the Lake Shore campus for two years.

Baumhart Hall is apartment style housing, just like Fordham Hall on the Lake Shore campus. This allows me to cook for myself again with a fully furnished kitchen and dining area! I cannot wait to try more of my mother’s recipes this year! I am living with one other person this year in a double, but Baumhart houses quads and singles as well.

Living on Water Tower campus also allows me to take more classes required for my journalism major. The School of Communication is right across the street! It will save me ample travel time as well as give me more opportunities to get to know my professors down here better. I am still taking two courses at Lake Shore, so the shuttle service will be just as convenient, along with the train and the bus stops that are nearby.

My favorite grocery stores, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, are only a couple blocks away, along with Argo Tea and other ample eateries too. There are so many new places for me to explore while I am living down here by just walking around!

Living in this new environment will definitely help with my growth as a third year student at Loyola. I am excited and prepared to see what else is in store for me this year!

Free

Free

If there is one thing a college student likes to hear, it is the word “free“.  Free is great, especially for penny-pinching, savings-savvy college students looking to get through the year by tapping into free meals offered all over campus.  Thus I have create a list of things going on at Welcome Week at WTC this August, highlighting the “free“.

August 22: Pizza Wars is a popular Loyola event where Loyola students have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Chicago-style pizza.  Pizzerias participating include Giodano’s, Connie’s, Go Roma, Pizzeria Uno and Pizano’s.  Pizza is free and good times are guaranteed.

August 23: Trolley Tours is a free chance to see the beautiful city of Chicago while on a historically popular trolley. Learn information about Chicago you never knew, and then use it to impress your friends and family next time they are here for a visit.

August 26: “The Avengers,” the summer blockbuster hit, will be screened in the Lawson Center parking lot for all Loyola students.  This begs only one question: Who wouldn’t want to see a free outdoor movie while enjoying free Garrett’s Popcorn?

August 27: Trailblazer Reception is a great opportunity for incoming Loyola transfer students to come enjoy the WTC campus while meeting staff and faculty from Loyola.  This is a great way for transfer students to meet other students here at Loyola while enjoying free food and drinks.

August 30: Block Party is the grand finale of the WTC welcome week events.  Hosted at Rush and Pearson (next to Corboy, Terry Student Center and the Communication School), the block party features many fun activities, such as free henna tattoos, Michael Jackson Experience on Wii and free caricature paintings.  Plenty of free food and local treats will also be provided.  What Loyola student does not like free food?

Like I said before, there are many enjoyable events that WTC plans at no expense to Loyola students.  I certainly hope students will come down here and appreciate all of the great opportunities to engage the Water Tower Campus and their free enjoyment.  But if not, it’s just more free food for me.

Welcome Week Activites

Welcome Week Activites

The first few my internship has provided me with ample opportunity for learning and appreciating.  Tasked with working in with Water Tower Campus Life, I have a great opportunity to learn about all of the perks to living at the Water Tower Campus.  In an effort to bring to light all of the great opportunities the Water Tower Campus offers, I will talk about the programs planned for next year as well as the many perks to living downtown.

Welcome Week, as almost all Loyola Students can attest to, is a great opportunity to learn about all Loyola does for its students. Traditionally, Welcome Week is full of games, scavenger hunts, free food from local venders, prizes and raffles, free merchandise, and escapades around the city.

What isn’t quite as well known around Loyola is the Welcome Week Activities hosted at the Water Tower Campus, the other main Loyola campus located minutes from the Magnificent Mile.  As someone who has traditionally fallen into this less-informed category of students, I want to make sure all Loyola students know that this Welcome Week invitation extends to everyone on the Lake Shore Campus.  Furthermore, this is an opportunity for continued free food and merchandise, things Loyola students hardly ever pass up.  Here is just a brief list of the activities going on at Water Tower Campus this year for Welcome Week:

Pizza Wars: 8.22- 7PM
A chance to taste many different local Chicago pizzas.  Some Pizzerias partaking in the on the list include Connie’s, Pizano’s, Giordano’s, Pizzeria Uno, Go Roma and More!
Trolley Tours: 8.23- 2PM and 4PM
Take a tour around the scenic and historic Chicago downtown area.  Some locations on the list include the Willis Tower, the John Hancock Building and of course
Outdoor Movie 8.26- 7:30PM
Located in the Lawson parking Lot (Pearson and State), WTCL will be screening The Avengers.
Trail Blazer Reception: 8.27- 4PM
A reception for all transfer and commuter students as a welcome into this Loyola community
Labre Ministries: 8.28-  6PM
Part of living in Chicago at a Jesuit school is giving back to the community.  Join Labre Ministry as they feed and interact with the homeless around the Chicago area.
Block Party: 8.30- 11-2PM
Exactly what it sounds like.  A block party in the middle of downtown Chicago to celebrate the onset of a new academic year.