Best of News 2024-25

The goal of the News Section here at The Phoenix is always to prioritize covering issues and events most important to our primary audience, our fellow students, since at the end of the day we are a student newspaper which is probably as hyper-local as you can get. To this end, we work to ensure we localize any larger or national issues and find a way to tie them back to Rogers Park.

This year, we didn’t have to work very hard to bring national issues to campus. Universities across the country have become central to national conversations surrounding diversity efforts, immigration and student activism as the new presidential administration has begun following through on a number of campaign promises.

Never ones to shy away from the big topics, the News Section tackled these issues head on with regular coverage of student protests, new university protest regulations, faculty union efforts, community responses to increased ICE activity and threats to Loyola’s federal funding. News even had results from the 2024 election on newsstands around campus before not only other Chicago-area student newspapers but national print papers.

We know many people choose to tune out when the headlines turn sour, so we thank you for your courage to keep reading. For everyone who contributed to or even just interacted with News, we’re also very grateful to you because there would be no news for us to cover without our fellow students and no one to cover it without student journalists. So have a great summer and know The Phoenix will be waiting for you when you get back to campus in the fall.

Political Partying: The Debate Viewing Event

Originally published Sept. 18.

Cuneo 210 was packed with all the seats filled, some students sat on the floor or in window sills craning their necks to view the two candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. 

The Sept. 10 presidential debate watch party was hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Tandy Shermer and Dr. Megan Sholar in Cuneo Hall.

Students both vying for extra credit or attending with friends flocked to Cuneo 210 after 8 p.m. and listened intently as the two candidates faced off. One would say something and the room would erupt in general discontent or excitement, then fade to silence or muted chatter as eyes returned to the screen. 

Read more here.

Loyola Releases Campus Plan Detailing Next Decade of Development

Originally published Sept. 4.

Loyola publicly released the long-awaited Campus Plan Wednesday afternoon in the Sept. 4 edition of Loyola News. The Campus Plan is Loyola’s guide for the next decade of development including demolitions, new construction and renovations of university properties.

Patrick Brawley, university architect and assistant vice president for campus planning, said the included recommendations aren’t definitive, but there is a “high probability” they will materialize in the future.

For example, Brawley said the need for a new science building is clear but there are still multiple factors determining the specific location the new building would occupy.

The official release follows the launch of the Neighborhood Input phase of the university’s campus planning process, which was marked by two virtual town hall meetings and the release of an interactive website for collecting community input, The Phoenix reported.

Read more here.

Water Tower Campus Celebrates Sister Jean’s 105th Birthday

Originally published Sept. 4.

Starting at 4:00 p.m., new and returning students filled the streets around the Water Tower Campus for the WTC Block Party where a line quickly formed for a picture with the guest of honor – Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt.

After opening performances from the band “Maggie Says,” President Mark C. Reed brought Schmidt on stage and introduced her to the crowd. He thanked her for everything she’s done in her ministry and during her time at Loyola and asked present students, alumni, faculty and staff to join him in singing her Happy Birthday.

Schmidt said there was no better way to celebrate her birthday than with students at the Block Party. 

“Hopefully we will give them plenty of space to mature spiritually, intellectually, academically and socially,” Schmidt said. “I see that happening already,”

The Graduate, Professional and Adult Student Life unit hosted the event Aug. 29 as one of the closing Welcome Week events and celebrated Schmidt’s 105th birthday.

Read more here.

Bruno’s ‘The Wizard’ Asks for Aid From Community

Originally published Nov. 6.

After 33 years of serving Rogers Park at local liquor store and dive bar Bruno’s Lounge, Mike Rubenstein — better known by students as “The Wizard” for his long beard and hair — is enlisting community support for an ongoing heart condition through donations. 

For over three decades, Rubenstein has been employed as a store clerk and stockman at Bruno’s on North Sheridan Road. Raised on The South Side by immigrant parents, Rubenstein said he acquired the job in 1991 by  chance encounter — receiving the job offer after making a quick stop at the store for cigarettes. Rubenstein said he later accepted the job after a week of pondering. 

“I vowed to myself whatever jobs I got, I’m not quitting Bruno’s,” Rubenstein said. “They treat me too well — like family. They couldn’t treat me any better.”

Rubenstein said he’s worked six different jobs while maintaining employment at Bruno’s. He said the flexibility, fair treatment and friendly customers contribute to his willingness to stay after so long. 

Read more here.

Did Barstool Lose Its Legs?

Originally published Dec. 4.

In the midst of the Ramblers men’s basketball team’s, thus far, undefeated season in the Atlantic 10 conference, the social media account @barstoolblers has gone silent. 

Barstool Sports is a sports blog which began as a free newspaper in Boston in 2003, according to Forbes. In addition to the blog, Barstool has accounts on social media sites like Instagram, TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, including numerous “unaffiliated” university accounts.

In April, the last full month the account operated under previous management, the managers never went more than three days without posting.

The Instagram account last posted Oct. 11, nearly one month prior to the first Ramblers men’s basketball game of the season Nov. 7 against Detroit Mercy, who fell to Loyola 87-65. The last TikTok post was May 3.

Read more here.

Loyola Students Amongst The Thousands Who Braved The Chicago Cold to Protest Trump’s Inauguration

Originally published Jan. 22.

Despite freezing temperatures, thousands of protesters rallied against President Donald Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20 and stood in solidarity against policies they said threaten marginalized communities.

The coalition of over 2,500 people and 80 different organizations gathered for a rally in The Loop’s Federal Plaza to oppose Trump’s agenda at 11 a.m., according to lead organizer for the Arab American Action Network, Muhammed Sankari. A procession through the downtown  financial district, ending at the Trump International Hotel & Tower at 401 N. Wabash Ave., followed at 12 p.m.

Faayani Aboma Mijana, press secretary for the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said the organizations who made up the coalition marched for issues such as Black people’s rights, Palestinian rights, immigrants’ rights and labor rights.

“We came together to raise demands from our respective areas of the movement to march,” Aboma Mijana said. “For the last three months we’ve been fighting for this day.”

Read more here.

Rogers Park Supporting Immigrant Community Amid ICE Arrests

Originally published Jan. 29.

As President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan picks up in Chicago, Loyola and Rogers Park are responding to the ongoing increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city.

Over 100 people have been arrested in the Chicago area since the Trump administration’s crackdown began, according to Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling. Despite the arrests, Mayor Brandon Johnson reaffirmed Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city according to ABC7 Chicago. 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said she finds the situation concerning, as the 49th Ward maintains a strong community of immigrants — both documented and undocumented. The presence of many immigrant families is one of the things Hadden said makes Rogers Park great. 

Hadden said the threat of deportation is creating an atmosphere of fear, leaving many people afraid to take their kids to school, set up their businesses or simply step outside. 

Read more here.

Loyola Stands Strong on DEI Policies in Face of Federal Actions

Originally published Jan. 12.

Loyola’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is continuing to operate as normal in the face of a national trend toward removing DEI policies following an executive order from the Trump Administration targeting the initiatives. 

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 21 titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” which ended all DEI programs in the federal government and required the Attorney General recommend termination of similar programs in the private sector — including institutions like private universities — according to the White House website.

Several large companies, including Google, Meta and Amazon, have also begun rolling back their diversity programs in response to Trump’s executive order, The Associated Press reported.

Read more here.

Loyola Acquires Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Houses with Donation for Upkeep

Originally published Feb. 19.

The Emil Bach House, designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the adjacent Lang House were donated to Loyola Jan. 23 along with $1 million for the property’s upkeep. 

The two houses were donated to Loyola by TAWANI Property Management. The monetary donation came from the TAWANI Foundation, an investment firm founded by Jennifer Pritzker, a Loyola alum.

The Emil Bach House was built in 1915 and is located in Rogers Park, 1.5 miles from Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus. It was declared a Chicago Landmark in 1977, according to the Chicago Landmark website. 

Read more here.

‘The Bear’ Films on Water Tower Campus

Originally published Feb. 26.

The award-winning, Chicago-based drama “The Bear” spent a day filming on Loyola’s Water Tower Campus Feb. 25.

Production crew for the upcoming season filmed inside fine-dining restaurant Alpana, located at 831 N. State St. on the ground level of Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business, attracting a crowd of around 50 people — many of them students.

Actors Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Matty Matheson were spotted on site. A production assistant who requested to remain anonymous told The Phoenix Allen White wasn’t there to film and didn’t stay long.

Read more here.

Women’s Studies and Gender Studies Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Originally published March 26.

About 100 students, faculty members and friends gathered in Mundelein Center’s Palm Court March 20 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Women’s Studies and Gender Studies program at Loyola. 

The initiative was founded in 1979 and has since grown to include a major, minor and three graduate programs. Around 25 students major in WSGS while 75 to 80 students minor in it, along with 15 to 20 graduate students, according to Director Betsy Jones Hemenway.

Jones Hemenway and Associate Professor Héctor García Chávez co-hosted the event. Jones Hemenway began directing the program in 2007 and will retire in June, leaving the position to Classic Studies Associate Professor Leanna Boychenko.

Attendees mingled over drinks and appetizers before listening to short speeches from past and present WSGS professors and students. The mood was optimistic, but speakers acknowledged recent threats to the field of gender studies, including President Donald Trump’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Read more here.

Presidential Candidates Debate Next SGLC Term

Originally published April 2.

The second presidential debate for the Student Government of Loyola Chicago took place Thursday, March 27, the night before voting opened to the student body. The debate began at 7 p.m. in a packed Mundelein Center classroom.

Questions were provided by the moderators and audience members had the chance to submit questions for approval toward the end of the debate. Candidates discussed their plans for next year if elected and qualms they had with previous administrations. 

Third-year political science major Erin Tylutki, who’s currently serving as SGLC’s vice president, is running for president with running mate third-year political science major Haaziya Saiyed, who’s currently serving as the speaker of the senate. 

Their platform is based around the acronym ENGAGE — Equity, Network, Go Green, Accessibility, Graduate and Experience, The Phoenix reported. 

Read more here.

This Library Shares Plants, Not Books

Originally published Feb. 26.

While miniature libraries are a common sight throughout Rogers Park and beyond, the structure protruding from the frozen ground in front of one West Ridge home is not quite the same.

Sitting on a post jutting out of the lawn, this box is designed to share plants, not books.

Software engineer Abraham Herrera’s pandemic project was creating what he’s dubbed the Plant Post — a little library but with the alternate goal of sharing plants, including leftover seeds, cuttings, propagations, ornamental and vegetable plants. Now, he’s trying to propagate his idea and the instructions for building it.

Herrera made the initial frame for what would eventually be the first model of the Plant Post in 2021. After moving to the area two years ago, he found he finally had an outdoor space where it would fit, and it was time to dust off the old project, finish construction and install it in front of the house.

Read more here.

So Called ‘Poop Bandit’ Terrorizes San Francisco Hall

Originally published Sept. 25.

Since the start of September, stained clothes and brown sticky hand prints have terrorized residents of San Francisco Hall — with a supposed “poop bandit,” “nutella bandit” or “poop villain” causing mischief within the dorm.

First-year political science student Abby Margolin said she did her first load of laundry on campus in one of the sixth floor San Francisco washers Sept. 2. The load included a mix of both Margolin and her roommate’s light-colored clothes and blankets. 

When the two went to retrieve their laundry, Margolin said they found brown stains on their items. Unsure of what the stains were, Margolin said she messaged a San Francisco Hall Snapchat group and warned her peers about the machine. 

“We were just flabbergasted,” Margolin said. “We threw everything away because we were absolutely disgusted.”

Read more here.

Loyola Jesuit Alum Directs Emergency Migrant Shelters Following Israeli Ground Incursion in Lebanon

Originally published Oct. 23.

Across the globe in Beirut, Lebanon, Loyola alumnus and Jesuit in formation Michael Petro S.J. is using his talent for language and passion for ministry to direct the Jesuit Refugee Services’ emergency efforts to mitigate the displacement caused by Israel’s ground incursion of Lebanon.

The fighting in Lebanon escalated early Sept. 24 when Israeli ground forces crossed into southern parts of the country following weeks of intense Israeli airstrikes, including one which resulted in the death of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, The Associated Press reported. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel shortly after the start of the war in Gaza last October.

Previously, the JRS program based in Beirut operated as a parish and a migrant center serving displaced people and minority refugees from all over the world. When the bombing in the south intensified, migrants and refugees started showing up, Petro said. 

“Every week right at mass, the pastor says, ‘Welcome home, right?’” Petro said. “Tells people that this church, this migrant center, is their home. And when the trouble started, people went to their home.” 

Read more here.

Community Standards Handbook Tightens Rules For Student Demonstrations

Originally published Sept. 4.

The Loyola University Chicago Community Standards, a document detailing the Student Code of Conduct, was recently updated by the Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conflict Resolution Team, making notable changes to where, when and how Loyola students can protest and hold public demonstrations on campus. 

Under the new rules published Aug. 22, students are only permitted to protest between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and only on the West Quad, which was designated a “free speech zone” by the handbook. 

In a prior edition of the Community Standards, which was published Jan. 1, students were permitted to hold demonstrations within the normal operation hours of the facility or space in which the demonstration occurred. The Jan. 1 version asked students to protest outdoors with the exception of Damen Student Center and the Terry Student Center.

Read more here.

The Pro-Life League Comes To Loyola, Prompts Counter Protests

Originally published Dec. 4.

Content Warning: Abortion

Members of the Pro-Life Action League staged a protest Nov. 22 outside the Mundelein Center where they were met by counter-protestors.

The Chicago based anti-abortion group, founded in 1980 by Joe Scheidler, promotes an anti-abortion message primarily through public protest.

Pro-Life League Director of Communication Matt Yonke helped coordinate the protest and said he hoped to change peoples minds about abortion.

“We’re here with a very simple message that you see on these signs — that every one of these children is a life that’s been missed,” Yonke said.

He held aloft a sign displaying a detailed image of an aborted fetus with the caption, “She’ll never learn to walk.”

Read more here.

Pope Francis Addresses U.S. Deportation Orders

Originally published Feb. 19.

Pope Francis wrote a letter to American bishops Feb. 10 denouncing the deportation initiatives being carried out by the Trump administration. 

Citing biblical and historical examples, Francis reminded bishops of the importance of caring for every person, citing the journey from slavery to freedom the Israelites underwent in the Book of Exodus and the status of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as immigrants in Egypt after Jesus’ birth. 

“[This] invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm not only our faith in a God who is always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee, but also the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person,” Francis wrote. 

The Rev. Jerry Overbeck, a chaplain and professor, said he appreciated Francis having the courage to speak up about a topic which is raising alarm for a lot of people right now. 

Read more here.

Non-Tenure Track Teachers Push for Stability and Better Pay in New Contract

Originally published March 19.

The College of Arts and Sciences Non-Tenure Track Teachers Faculty Forward union hosted a teach-in March 17 in the Mundelein Center. They explained the issues faced by non-tenure track teachers and rallied support among students for their upcoming contract negotiations with CAS.

Faculty Forward co-chairs Matt Williams, an advanced lecturer in the Department of Sociology, and Paige Warren, an adjunct instructor in the English Department, hosted the event and argued NTT teachers are underpaid and under-supported both at Loyola and at other universities across the country. 

They said this hurts NTT teachers and students’ education by stretching educators too thin and creating a difficult work environment. 

At Loyola, NTT faculty aren’t technically professors. They often have larger workloads and don’t receive the same job security, pay and benefits afforded to tenured or tenure-track professors, according to Williams. 

Read more here.