November 8, 2002

Faculty­student panel reflects on Loyola's Jesuit identity

Loyola Week celebrated on campus

by Jessica Davis, Intern in the Offices of Public Affairs and Publications

What does it mean to be a Jesuit university? That is what the Loyola community asked itself during a faculty-student panel discussion October 15, as a part of Loyola Week activities. The Rev. Si Hendry, S.J., director of the Jesuit Center, organized the faculty-student panel comprised of Dr. Nancy Anderson of the history department; Dr. Robert Gnuse of the religious studies department; the Rev. Stephen Rowntree, S.J., of the philosophy department; Anna Hall, president of the Student Government Association; and Allison Drevich, chair of the Loyola University Community Action Program (LUCAP). Each panel member had five minutes to share his or her opinions about Loyola's Jesuit character.

The discussion, which was held in Nunemaker Auditorium, began with an introduction by Hendry, who said he hoped that the variety of perspectives presented by the panel would lead to future discussions about Loyola's Jesuit identity. Rowntree began by saying that Loyola does not have one single characteristic that differentiates it from other schools; rather, he said, "it is a unique mosaic, a unique tapestry that is like no other." Rowntree stressed that there is an invitation to everyone at a Jesuit university to find something that energizes him or her, a tradition that comes from St. Ignatius of Loyola's desire for students to be active in their education.

Drevich said it was her activism that taught her the most about Jesuit identity. She explained that when she first came to Loyola she did not even know what a Jesuit was. However, she said, "Now, being at a Jesuit university in part defines who I am. My Loyola experience has turned me into a woman who strives to be with and for others." While she has enjoyed the classes that she has taken at Loyola, Drevich does not believe that they have taught her about Jesuit values. Instead, she said her involvement with LUCAP truly taught her about the Jesuit identity. "LUCAP has taught me to take my education into my own hands and make it Jesuit."