Loyola retains No. 99 rank on U.S. News college list

By Loyola University Dispatch Staff

Courtesy Loyola University Chicago.

Loyola University Chicago retained it’s rank as the 99th best college in the country in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, released Tuesday.

Loyola topped DePaul University, Illinois State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and other Illinois schools in the 2017 Best Colleges list by U.S. News & World Report.

Loyola broke through the top 100 last year, ranking No. 99.

The University of Chicago ranked No. 3, Northwestern University No. 12 and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign No. 44.

DePaul ranked No. 124 and the Illinois Institute of Technology No. 103.

The U.S. News rankings focus on academic excellence, with schools ranked on up to 15 measures of academic quality. Overall, the rankings emphasize student outcomes – including graduation and retention rates – which carry the most weight at 30 percent, according to a news release.

School profiles include specifics on academic life, financial aid, student body makeup and more. Students can research schools with the most Economic Diversity and Campus Ethnic Diversity, as well as the Most International Students,  according to the news release.

 

Clarke’s opens at Loyola

The new Clarke’s at Loyola.
Loyola University Chicago photo.

By Jake Mazanke

There’s another new dining option at  Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus, as Clarke’s Diner recently opened.

Clarke’s had its grand opening on July 8 in Granada Center at 6431 N. Sheridan Road. Clarke’s and might seem familiar to local customers. A Clarke’s Diner had previously been in business on Belmont Avenue but was shut down in April 2015.

“Business has been great so far and we are really trying to let the community know that we are out there,” said Clarke’s server, Audrey Michaelson. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the community because we [Clarke’s] is such a well-known brand.”

Although Clarke’s on Rogers Park is not yet open 24-hours a day just yet, the diner will begin its signature all day service when the restaurant becomes more established. According to Michaelson, extended service should begin by the time the fall semester begins.

For now, patrons can still utilize the diner’s breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

“We want to create a family friendly and homey atmosphere that you can only get at a diner,” Michaelson said. “It is a great place to relax and just enjoy a drink and a burger.”

All Loyola students get a 10 percent discount at Clarke’s if they show a student ID.

Loyola hosts leadership seminar

Lines of HOBY students wait in line to get lunch at Damen Dining Hall.                                 Photo Credit Jake Mazanke

By Jake Mazanke

Loyola University Chicago hosted the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY) World Leadership Congress July 23-30.

The program brings 405 students, from 16 different countries to the Lake Shore Campus for a week of leadership training and exercises that is largely based on community service.

HOBY was established in 1958 by Hugh O’Brien and since then has runs multiple conferences and seminars each year. Currently, HOBY has over 9,000 high school students that attend their seminars each year.

“We try to inspire young people to learn leadership skills doing activities that they are passionate about,” said HOBY Chief Executive Officer, Javier La Fianza. “We want them to take these skills to their schools, their community and the world and teach them that leadership is not in the title but rather, in doing something.”

During the week students traveled to Humboldt park to clean up and mulch the area. According to the Chicago Park District, it was the largest student service project ever in a Chicago Park.

HOBY students also participated in the Feeding Children Everywhere Initiative and packed 89,000 meals for the Chicago Public Schools free meal program.

“We just hope that HOBY inspires them to believe more, do more and act more than they previously thought possible,” said La Fianza.

Among the international students to attend the World Leadership Conference was a group of ten students from Turkey. Students entered the program only eight days after the failed military coup within their country.

HOBY Chief International Programs Officer, Cheryl Brennan is impressed with the determination of the students to attend the program even such an event.

“Can you imagine that?” said Brennan. “It is just amazing that this program is still important enough for them to come here.”

These students from Turkey will join the more than 40,000 alumni that have gone through the program. HOBY will hold similar seminars throughout the year for local and international students.

 

 

Loyola student robbed at gunpoint

By Loyola Student Dispatch Staff

A Loyola University Chicago student was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday evening while she was walking near the school’s Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.

The student was uninjured and police are searching for the suspect.

Here are the details from a Loyola Campus Safety alert:

Loyola Community,

The Department of Campus Safety is writing to notify you of a report of an armed robbery on Wednesday evening near the Lake Shore Campus.

A Loyola student reported to Campus Safety that she was approached near the intersection of Magnolia and Arthur, around 8:30 p.m., by a man who displayed a gun and demanded her iPhone. The offender fled the scene quickly and the student was not injured. The offender is described as a male, approximately 5’8”, and 18 to 22 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt with stripes.

If anyone has information regarding this incident, please call Campus Safety at 773.508.6039 or the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 or 312.744.8263.

Please also keep the following safety tips in mind:

• If a person threatens you with a weapon, follow his or her demands and run away as soon as it is safe to do so. Once in a safe place, immediately notify Campus Safety or the Chicago Police Department.
• Investigative follow-up will be dependent on the amount of detail a person can recall. It is important to remember as many identifying characteristics about the offender(s) as possible. This can include physical characteristics of the person, clothing, any weapons used, direction of flight, etc.
  

Sincerely,

Thomas K. Murray
Director of Campus Safety and Chief of Police

Uptown hosts CAPS Night

Children play in the park during CAPS Night Out. Photo by Jake Mazanke

By Jake Mazanke

Wednesday night marked the second week of CAPS Night Out, an event held simultaneously in Buttercup Park and at Swift School.

The event, hosted by the 48th Ward, the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Park District, began last summer at Swift School, on 5900 N Winthrop Avenue. After positive feedback from the community, the event expanded to Buttercup Park for this summer.

Last week, in its inaugural night, CAPS night out in Buttercup Park hosted more than 200 people.

“This event encourages community participation,” said PC-Gooden-Smiley, assistant to the  48th ward Alderman and organizer of the event. “We bring the police out for the night to interact with people from the neighborhood. It is something that brings people out in a positive way.”

CAPS night out looks to bring children of all ages into the park. They have food and games set up for kids to participate in.

Buttercup Park, located near the corner of Sheridan Road and Argyle Avenue, was built four years ago. It is a multidimensional park with a playground, basketball court and a small water park.

Golden-Smiley is involved with Buttercup park beyond CAPS Night Out. Along with working for the Alderman, she also the president of the Buttercup Park Advisory Council.

“The park is beautiful and challenging at the same time,” said Gooden-Smiley. “We hope to have this event to engage different groups and ethnicities in the community.”

Along with CAPS night out, Buttercup will host a variety of events that are open to the community. This Saturday, the park will host music and dancing as a part of Uptown Saturday Nights. The park also hosts movie night two Friday’s a month during the summer.

Loyola may get Target store

By Jake Mazanke

Loyola University Chicago students are setting their sights on a new department store: Target.

Talks are underway to build  a Target department store near Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus in Rogers Park.

Alderman Joe Moore , Ward 49, said in a recent news release that negotiations are ongoing between Chicago Housing Association and a contractor regarding property on the southwest corner of Sheridan Road and Devon Avenue.

The Chicago Housing Authority owns the property and a 22-story senior citizen housing unit along with a community room and an outdoor green space occupy the lot.

The proposal is to knock down the community room and green space to build another 120 unit apartment complex and a 35,000 square foot Target department store. The contracting company also plans to add a two story parking structure under the store.

If the proposal were to go through, the Target would be located within short walking distance from most Loyola dorms. The prospect of having a department store so close to campus excites many students.

“I don’t think Rogers Park has anything like what you can find in Target,” said Peter Schiable, rising junior and biology major at Loyola. “It’s not like Whole Foods or Devon Market because you can find home goods in there. It has everything a student needs.”

There are already two Target stores within a few miles of the Loyola Lake Shore Campus. One is located southwest of campus on 2112 W. Peterson Ave. The other is located near the Wilson red line station at 4466 North Broadway St.

Despite the proximity of the other Target stores, Schiable believes that having another Target in Rogers Park will only help students.

“I went to the Target off of Peterson just the other day and it took me, round-trip, like an hour or an hour and a half,” Schiable said. “It is just too far to go to the other Target stores. People never want to go there, they do it because they have to.”

 

 

Loyola warns of assaults

By Loyola Student Dispatch Staff

.

Loyola University Chicago Campus Safety is warning students, staff and faculty about two recent assaults that took place near the school’s Water Tower Campus.

.

Here is the Campus Safety alert:

.

Loyola Community,
.
The Department of Campus Safety is writing to notify you of two criminal incidents that occurred yesterday, June 29, on and near the Water Tower Campus.At approximately 8:15 p.m., a Loyola student was approached on campus near the Corboy Law Center by three boys between the ages of 8–12 selling candy out of large boxes. After asking the student a few questions, two of the boys surrounded and groped her. The victim then chased the offenders away from the scene.

Separately, at 1:45 p.m. at the 100 block of East Delaware Place, a Loyola staff member was grabbed from behind by an offender who made threatening, sexual statements before the victim could free herself. The offender is described as male, approximately 5’8,” 150 pounds, with a clean-shaven face and dark complexion. He was last seen wearing green hospital scrubs and a t-shirt.

Investigations for both incidents are ongoing. If anyone has information, please call Campus Safety at 773.508.6039 or the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 or 312.744.8263.

Please also keep the following safety tips in mind:

• Always stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings. Refrain from using headphones or talking on the phone, as this minimizes your ability to hear an approaching threat.
• Be wary of unsolicited strangers. If someone approaches you on the street, keep moving and try to avoid additional contact.
• If you see something you believe to be suspicious, immediately contact Campus Safety at 773.508.6039 or the Chicago Police Department via 9-1-1 or 312.744.8263.
• Investigative follow-up will be dependent on the amount of detail a person can recall. It is important to remember as many identifying characteristics about the offender(s) as possible. This can include physical characteristics of the person, their clothing, any weapons used, direction of flight, etc.

Sincerely,

Thomas K. Murray
Chief of Police and Director of Campus Safety

Loyola vigil honors Orlando victims

Damen Theatre before the vigil began. Photo by Jake Mazanke

By Jake Mazanke

Loyola University Chicago hosted a vigil honoring the victims of the Orlando shooting.

Loyola Campus Ministry partnered with ‌the Department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs to organize the vigil, which was hosted in the Damen Student Center Cinema. The service included general prayer, readings from the Bible and the Quran as well as an El Salvadorian, Jesuit memorial reading.

“It was not only appropriate, but essential for us to come together today and buy into making a better world,” said Susan Haarman, the faith and justice leader for campus ministry. “We hope that by coming together we can find empathy, compassion and hope to stop the hate.”

The vigil was in response to the shootings at Pulse nightclub in Orlando during the early morning of June 13. There were 49 people killed in the shooting and 53 more that were injured. It was the most violent mass shooting in the history of the United States.

The vigil was not only a time to come together and grieve but also a call to action.

“We recognize that prayer is good and important but it must include a call to action,” said Oliver Goodrich, faith and formation campus minister. “If folks have an opinion on gun control, you have to talk to legislatures.”

Campus Ministry and the Loyola Wellness Center are offering support for all students coping with the shooting.

 

 

Missing Rogers Park woman found

By Jake Mazanke

An 18-year-old woman, who had been reported as missing from her Rogers Park home for eight days, has been located.

Darnesha Smith

Darnesha Smith, of the 6200 block of N. Francisco Ave., had been reported missing by Chicago Police since June 7.

According to a Chicago Police Department press release, she was located on June 15.

No further details were provided.

 

Lockdown lifted at Loyola’s Maywood Medical Center

By Loyola Student Dispatch Staff

A Tuesday morning lockdown has been lifted at Loyola University Chicago’s Medical Center in Maywood after it was determined that a suspicious package posed no danger.

Here is the up date from Loyola Campus safety:

Loyola Community,

Local law enforcement officials have lifted the lockdown at the Medical Center and Health Sciences Campus after completing an investigation of a suspicious package found in a stairwell of Parking Deck A.

Activities on the Medical Center and Health Sciences Campus may resume as normal.

Even though no threat was determined, as per standard protocol, law enforcement officials will remain on the Medical Center and Health Sciences Campus with dogs to continue a complete search of the area.

Thank you to everyone for remaining calm and vigilant throughout this situation in Maywood. 

Sincerely,

Thomas K. Murray
Chief of Police and Director of Campus Safety