Loyola Students Build Connections with Rogers Park Neighbors

Introduction to Loyola EL Art Project

We see it everyday. We hear it from our beds as we sleep with the windows open. Its big, it’s busy, its, well… kind of ugly. It’s the Loyola El stop. While other platforms are donning bright artwork, creative mosaics, and reflective poetry, our el stop has remained a pleasant mixture of gray and white cement. Hundreds of people- both Loyola students and long-term residents- spend countless moments of their day either passing by the stop or waiting on the platform, yet most would hardly call it a treasured piece of the community. But, like most things in life, change is inevitable (and in this case, welcomed.)

As a Loyola student who comes from a typical middle America Midwest town, there’s nothing I miss more about home than the sense of community. Neighbors waving, people supporting one another, and (as annoying as it may be at times) everyone knowing everything that’s going on in the community. The part that is most frustrating about being a Loyola student in Roger’s Park is that I know that a sense of community exists. I talk to professors who live in the area, members of my church, and business owners, and I get the feeling that this welcoming, supportive, community is right under my nose. There seems to be an unspoken disconnect between students and community, regardless of how much the larger being of Loyola may be involved.

What better way to unite the community and Loyola students than to spruce up our shared platform with collaborative art? A physical, visible project that all can be involved with as well as benefit from. It’s a project that can’t be done without the community- residents and students alike. Plus, it’s a great way for a diverse group of students (not just administrators, researchers, or special interest groups) to meet the community that they live in. We’re expected to choose a career, make new friends, hold countless internships, rent our first apartments and become real adults in our four years at Loyola, why is becoming a solid, lasting part of the community such a stretch?

The Interview

How did you get the idea for the EL Art project?

Erin: It started at a retreat. A bunch of us had a conversation about how polarized our world is and how we can feel disconnected. We started meeting weekly this year.

Lauren: We thought it was a good idea to bring Loyola students together with our Rogers Park neighbors with a creative project- decorating the Loyola EL Stop.

Erin: We want to increase the feeling of being part of the community and pride on our campus. Being part of the local RP Biz Arts meetings is an important step in that direction.

Kelsey: The LUCAP is my favorite meeting. I like working with my friends. We are learning how to make things happen and developing leadership skills.

Lauren: We can feel stuck in a bubble here on campus. It is good to mix with people other than college students sometimes.

What do you like best about working on this project?

Emily: I like working with my best friends. I can count on them.

Kelsey: We work as a team. Each of us covers an area. I work with the Loyola University Administration.

Anna: I was inspired by finding a passionate group of women, who are driven like me to use their creative minds for the betterment of Loyola.

Cindy: I like meeting and working with new people in Rogers Park. I believe relationships are enhanced through actively doing stuff together.

What is your vision for this creative group?

Kelsey: I want this group to create a lasting resource for the students at Loyola to assist them in building relationships within Rogers Park. If a student wants to volunteer with kids or at a nursing home they will know who to contact.

Erin: We want to see The Loyola Art EL Project happen and be sustained. We want to be a place for students to learn how to pursue their passions and become leaders. There are also 8,ooo students who live around or on campus. We want students to enjoy where they live, in this case Rogers Park.

Emily: We are all about empowerment and helping others. We want this to be a group where people can come and talk, help and create together.

Lauren: We are trying to make a difference and we are getting positive responses. It feels good.

Anna: I would like this group to encourage other groups on campus to collaborate more.

Cindy: Ideally, we would like to enhance the community and see people come together in working for a positive good.