What do we want? Young and opinionated students! When do we want them? Now!

Chicago’s seemingly endless opportunities for side quests are a huge draw for potential Loyola students. Throughout the school year, countless Instagram photo dumps feature the skyline and the various vibrant neighborhoods. 

As students venture further into October, local fall festivities are at the forefront of their minds. However, midterms loom beyond Apple Fest and Halloween. 

For 42% of the student body, home is outside of Illinois, according to The Princeton Review. At the end of the year, students who’ve had their fill of Chicago’s numerous activities and excitement can return home, leaving the city out of sight and out of mind. 

However, Chicago doesn’t stop while the campus lies dormant. 

In Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking a third term, and a president for the Chicago Board of Education will be elected for the first time. This November, these elections will also decide whether Democrats can regain control of Congress. 

Ballots also include questions gauging public support on certain subjects, ranging from whether millionaires should be subject to higher taxes to whether the city should seek compensation from the Trump administration for the damage done by Operation Midway Blitz. 

Though not all students are able to vote on these matters, showing up to events, protests or rallies is an effective way of showing support for topics important to them. Canvassing for politicians also provides direct encouragement to implement changes students want to see. 

Students’ hometowns and states shouldn’t be neglected either. Their voice and their vote matters there the most, and registering to vote can ensure that they make a difference in their home as well.  

Local elections affect everyone, no matter the duration of their residency in Chicago. Changes in the city will cause changes on campus, so there’s no reason to believe local issues don’t pertain to students when they spend a significant part of the year living in or around the community. 

Chicago and its permanent residents continue facing problems year-round. They don’t have the luxury of escaping ICE or harmful air pollution every summer. As long as Loyola students are guests in the city, they should feel compelled to support their host whenever they can. 

This can be accomplished not only by seeking out groups in or around the community, but through Loyola. School-affiliated organizations like Labre Homeless Outreach and the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship can connect students to a wide variety of opportunities to connect with and help the community. There are also many clubs dedicated to social justice matters meeting on campus, like the Students for Justice in Palestine. 

As an institution, Loyola itself often forgets to respect the Rogers Park community. As the university acquires more property and kicks longtime locals out, it’s up to the students to hear the neighborhood’s struggles and advocate on their behalf. 

Social justice is a crucial element of Loyola’s mission statement. Students who choose to attend the school commit themselves to this promise and should be more adamant about following through with Loyola’s institutional values. 

Younger generations have a huge effect on politics. There’s a reason why politicians have taken to scouring clubs for voters in an attempt to bring them out to the polls. Everyone should have an issue they care about enough to yell about it outside of a government building. 

Last year, students flooded the West Quad when local celebrity Adamn Killa pulled up to campus. Just two weekends ago, Lincoln Park was completely overrun for Apple Fest and made its way to many students’ Instagram dumps. If students mobilized for the issues Chicago faces the way they did for these more trivial things, they could cause real change for the community they strive to be a part of.