Campus Clash: Lake Shore v. Water Tower

Lake Shore: 

For some Loyola students, the Lake Shore Campus’ (LSC) stunning views, mix of art deco and contemporary architecture and lively hustle-and-bustle of traditional college life may have drawn them to Loyola. 

But LSC has more to offer than just visual appeal. The Rogers Park and Edgewater area boasts a variety of small businesses, community amenities and neighborhood appeal, which add to the Lake-Shore-area charm. 

Just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from campus are many public parks, beaches and walkable trails — one of which even goes through LSC, past the Information Commons. Yet in the winter months, one could go to the Edgewater library or cozy up in one of the many independent coffee shops near campus. 

Yet, back to LSC itself, the area holds what may be the perfect mixture of city living and college life. One might get hit by a bus at the North Sheridan Road stoplight from the traffic trickling off Lake Shore Drive — but the thrill is just the magic of Chicago living at work. 

To lift one campus up isn’t to diminish another. The Water Tower Campus has plenty of perks, especially during the freezing, windy months of the year — a time when LSC seems to have become a wind tunnel.

When walking on LSC, there are constant reminders of Loyola’s history. 

From Mundelein Women’s college, through the historic statues on the quad and to the present history being made in each classroom alike — Loyola’s LSC has housed the lives of generations of students, faculty and staff members. The institution has then molded them, and then they molded it. 

Each building or campus facet acts as a sort of reminder for their time here — and our time here, too. In sharing the special LSC, lives continue to be changed, and history continues to be made in connections and education. 

Water Tower:

Both St. Ignatius of Loyola and the university urge students to “go forth and set the world on fire.” If “going forth” means walking down Devon Avenue and “the world” is Rogers Park, then sure, Lake Shore Campus (LSC) is the greater of the school’s two main academic loci. 

If, however, one’s worldview expands beyond the safe bubble radiating out from Damen Student Center, Water Tower Campus (WTC) can be quickly distinguished as the superior campus.

Located at 820 N. Michigan Ave. — mere steps away from hundreds of retail stores, restaurants and cultural institutions reflecting the city’s vibrant history and diverse present — the downtown campus whisks Ramblers away from monotonous college life and drops them straight into the real world. 

Neck strains earned by looking up at Chicago’s art deco skyscrapers replace those caused by whipping one’s head around to keep an eye out for an ex, old roommate or other undesirable character they’re bound to encounter on LSC. Anyone who’s run into a professor whose class they’ve just skipped has craved the freedom of off-campus invisibility provided by the downtown campus.

Amid a concrete jungle, WTC students aren’t removed from the green spaces LSC is dotted with. A 15-minute jaunt can bring students to the shores of the Great Lake, the banks of the Chicago River or a city park — all excellent locations for existential contemplation.

The commute downtown, around 30 minutes by shuttle or Red Line train from LSC, similarly offers time for reflection or last-minute studying — although some Rogers Park residents may find the journey exhausting.

Hundreds of students living in Baumhart Hall, however, call WTC home. With underrated university dining options like Lu’s Deli & Pub and quiet study spots like Lewis Library or the Scheiber Center lounges, the compact campus is just as much of a hub for student life as LSC. 

Housing many of Loyola’s highest nationally ranked schools and graduate programs, WTC acts as a launch pad for young professionals. The home base for organizations like Inigo Communications, WLUW and The Phoenix, student success is bred in the heart of the city to serve people outside the Loyola community.

In this way, WTC exemplifies the Jesuit value of “magis,” or the pursuit of excellence for the greater good. Providing the metropolitan space to instill this foundational value of the university, WTC proves itself to be the better campus. 

The Lake Shore section was written by Ari Shanahan. The Water Tower section was written by Faith Hug.