Lewis University Navigator Blogs

Hello again!

It being finals week, I thought it would be helpful to offer some Lewis related tips on studying. The library is open 24 hours a day this week and is a great (quiet) place to study. It even offers study rooms if you want to get a group of people together. Also, don’t forget about our extensive online database selection available on the Library website. The Lecrone Academic Resource Center (LARC) offers tutoring if you need some last minute lessons. Don’t forget to ask your professor any questions you might have. They always have a way to contact them on their syllabus and should always have time help you out.

I’m sure you’re all studied up and ready to demolish your finals. I hope you’ve had a great school year! Have a FANTASTIC summer!

Hi Folks!

If you live on campus, you are probably used to hearing jets come in and out of our campus. For our last Aviation Career Conference, however, we were paid a very special visit. An ERJ-145 commercial jet from the American Eagle fleet paid us a visit to show prospective students what they could be flying one day.

This was the largest jet to land here at Lewis since we brought in our 737 after it was donated by United in 1999. It was flown by Captain Javier Medina and First Officer Leslie Treppa. Medina is a regular at the Aviation Career conferences and wanted to take his presentation to the next level.

As I said before, these aviation conferences are invaluable to prospective and current students alike. If you are ever considering a career in the aviation industry, I really encourage you to attend one!

With the temperatures reaching the 70s, we are all begining to think outside the…erm dorm. If you’re anything like me, you’re just about ready to get a change of scenery and take advantage of the warm weather!

Many people ask me what there is to do off campus when they come to visit Lewis. Well, dear reader, as I sit here, I am looking at the plethora of ticket stubs that I’ve collected over these past few years. I have several theatre ticket stubs from the local movie theatres. There are about seven movie theatres that I can think of off the top of my head that are all within a 15 minute drive. I also have a ticket from a local concert I went to in Naperville that my friend told me about.

As you make more and more connections in college, you hear about the vast opportunities off campus. For my Intro to Theatre class, I had to attend a play off campus. I chose to go into Chicago and went to a small time play called “Ephemera”. It was so much fun that I have already bought tickets to another play next weekend.

If the small time stuff isn’t your thing, the United Center is well within a 30 minute drive from campus. I’ve seen Dane Cook and seen the Blackhawks play there. They are always having new events at the United Center, and you will be bound to find something that you’re interested in.

If you’re a history buff, the I and M canal (which runs right past Lewis), is chock full of it! Lockport has its own museum and is a lot of fun to just walk through.

So if you’re a sports fan, or into the more underground theatre of Chicago, you’ll never come up short on things to do off campus here at Lewis!

 Interested in getting into the aviation industry? Lewis Aviation Career Conferences are great for anyone thinking of pursuing a career in flight, ATC, maintenance, management, or security. I went when I was still a prospective student, just to see what I was getting myself into. Once there, I got to hear about the aviation industry from real professionals. After hearing them speak about their career, the requirements to get a job, and plenty of useful tips, they were open to questions. The one I went to was specifically about minorities in the industry. It was being covered by FOX news, so I even got to see myself on TV!

I highly recommend these conferences! They are valuable to prospective students because it offers a real perspective on what to expect from the field you’re interested in. Current Lewis students should attend as well because you get to talk to real professionals to learn how to get your foot in the door when looking for a job.

The next conference is April 2, from 9AM to 1PM. If you’re interested you can sign up on the Lewis home page! Happy flying!

On tour, many people ask about all of the construction going on near the academic building. I’m proud to tell them that it is one of the newest additions to the Lewis campus: the science center. The groundbreaking for this new 80,000 square foot addition happened October 13, 2010. It will contain new laboratories and research centers for students. This $16.1 million dollar project was undertaken in response to a dramatic increase in undergraduate science students over the past five years.

This addition is just one of many exciting planned changes on campus. Some others include a new elevator in the LRC, a new place to eat on the south end of campus, a new football field/athletic arena, restoration of our soccer field/track, and renovation of rooms in the academic building.

This is a very exciting time to be a part of Lewis, and I look forward to seeing these plans come to fruition over time!

After finishing our freshman year, my friends and I were looking to live somewhere nicer. Our days of small rooms and community bathrooms were over and we were more than happy for a change of pace.

The newest dormitory on campus was Dorothy Day. It was finished just in time for our Sophomore year and the only question we had was “where do we sign?” We were surprised to find that they were doing something new with Dorothy Day. In order to get a guaranteed spot, you had to come in as part of a “learning community.”

There are 3 main types of learning communities; Substance Free, Intense Study, and Academic Major. In substance free learning communities, there is a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol. The applicants cannot have had any prior judicial documentation for drugs or alcohol. Intense study learning communities have a 24 hour quiet hour policy. This is popular among study intensive majors. Academic major learning communities are made up of students with the same or similar declared major. To stay in one of these learning communities, the student must maintain a 2.5 GPA or better. In addition to these requirements, each learning community must do a presentation every semester relating to their type of community.

Living in a learning community has been a lot of fun. Not only do you get to live in the newest building on campus, you also get to live with fun, like-minded people!

This being a week that I feel a bit under the weather, I thought it’d be appropriate to cover Lewis University’s Center for Health and Counseling Services.

“Oh no! I’m feeling ill! What should I do, Monico?”

Fear not, dear reader. Lewis offers FREE health services out of Mother Theresa Hall from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. A physician also comes in from 1 PM to 3PM Monday and Thursday. They are well stocked with both basic over-the-counter and prescription medication and offer a variety of vaccines as well. They are well equipped to treat minor injuries/ illnesses and can refer you off campus for more serious cases.

“Who will be treating me?”

The staff is made up of professional physicians, nurses and a few student workers. They are all bound by law to maintain strict confidentiality.

“I’m going through a rough time, is there anyone I can talk to?”

Why yes! The counseling center is available by appointment from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday (unless it’s an emergency). They are also bound by strict confidentiality laws. In addition to one-on-one counseling, they also offer group counseling, outreach programming, and referrals to off campus resources.

“What if I’m not sick enough to need any of that?”

Fear not! The on campus convenience store stocks basic over-the-counter medications. If they don’t have what you need, there is a Walgreen’s 5 minutes away from campus.

Well there you have it, dear reader. So next time you come down with a case of the sniffles, sneezes, or heebie jeebies, rest assured that Lewis has you covered.

 What happens when Lewis Univeristy students suffer from insomnia due to late night hunger? They go to the only place that’s open on campus 24 hours a day: The Convienience Store (better known as the C-Store).

Located in the bottom floor of Fitzpatrick Hall in the center of campus, it is stocked with most anything a typical 7-11 offers. It has a huge variety of candy, juices, snacks, sodas, pastries, microwavable meals, cold sandwiches, coffee, basic medication needs, and more! Students can be found there at all hours grabbing a quick snack between classes, stocking up their dorm rooms, or just hanging out. The staff is super friendly and it is not uncommon for them to ask about your day and see how you’re doing while you are checking out.

 Another benefit to the C-Store is that it is connected to the Common Grounds. This is a comfortable hang out spot for students to study between classes, or hang out with friends after. It is full of very comfortable couches and chairs, a big screen TV, a chessboard, a fireplace, and waterfall.

  So whatever your needs, whenever you need them, chances are that you’ll be able to fulfill them at the C-Store – the late-night gem of Lewis University.

One of the most unique classes offered at Lewis is Culture and Civilization (also known as Cult and Civ). Since this is one of the most famous (or infamous) classes here at Lewis, I thought you might want to know what to expect.

What makes it so special is the “arts and ideas” points that come with the class. You are expected to accumulate 100 points over the course of the semester. To accumulate these points, you must attend events on campus, listen to lectures, watch certian (approved) movies, listen to certain radio stations, or see plays (on or off) campus.

Because of these requirements, I recommend that you take these two required classes (cult and civ 1 and 2) freshman year so that you are more aware of the event options available on campus. This way, coming into Lewis you will be more well rounded on your options when it comes to on campus events.

When I took these classes, I really liked going to the plays because they were very professionally done. Not only were they worth a lot of points but they were also a lot of fun. I enjoyed the plays and have since gone to a number of them. The best part is that you don’t have to go and spend a lot of money on tickets. Typically they are about $2 with a Lewis student i.d.

If plays aren’t your thing, the lectures are also very interesting. I attended one on nuclear energy and learned a ton! Since then, I’ve heard of poetry readings, japanese drums shows, a capella, etc. Another option is going to off campus events. For example, I went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago for some of my points.

All in all, my suggestion is to be creative and have fun with it! Get out there and enjoy what Lewis and the Chicagoland area have to offer!

 After an afternoon of studying for finals, my friends and I decided that we wanted to have dinner together. We weren’t in the mood for anything in particular but wanted to have a good meal together. So naturally, we went to the place on campus with the biggest selection: Charlie’s Place.

Charlie’s has the feel of a food court with the wide variety of food stations. On one end is the Sub Connection where you can get sub sandwiches made to your liking. I’ll sometimes go there for lunch when I’m craving a 12 inch buffalo ranch sub. Pasta Pronto is another station where they will make Italian pasta or Asian Wok to your liking. Next to them are two food stations that change every day. Last time I remember, they were serving steak, with green beans and mashed potatoes. During lunch hours, you can get hamburgers and fries as well.  Since it is conveniently located near the academic building, I will stop by between classes and grab a doughnut and a cup of coffee if i get there early enough for the breakfast buffet.

 This afternoon, however, was a special one because it was the night that Christmas dinner was being served. It was held in the swanky University Dining Room (which is connected to Charlie’s) and the buffet style of the dinner was accented with flowers, table cloths, and Christmas decorations. After grabbing my side dishes, I hurried over to where the chef was slicing freshly baked ham and turkey. I loaded up my plate and grabbed a piece of cake from the dessert table before checking out.

 The large tables and booths at Charlie’s accommodated my group of friends nicely. We were all very comfortable as we enjoyed our meal. The stuffing was nicely seasoned and the potatoes were flavorful and steamed to perfection. The turkey and gravy complimented each other very nicely. I cleaned my plate and moved on to dessert. I had to go back to grab a cup of hot chocolate before starting on my cake. The cake was moist and delicious. It was a real treat for me because I haven’t had cake in quite a while.

 Final Verdict:

 Atmosphere gets 4 out of 5 Bedchecks. It is a great place to go for a good meal, whether it be a breakfast study session, or a hearty dinner with your best friends

 Cleanliness gets 5 out of 5 Bedchecks. The kitchen staff all wear gloves and the tables are wiped down regularly.

 Food gets 4 out of 5 Bedchecks. The food is consistently good, and even if there is something that doesn’t hit the spot, there is plenty more to choose from.

 Service gets 4 out of 5 Bedchecks. The employees are good at their jobs and won’t delay in getting your food for you.

 Prices get 4 out of 5 Bedchecks. They are a bit high, but that is to be expected from a college food service.

 All in all, I give Charlie’s Place 4.5 out of 5 Bedchecks. The food is great and can meet the needs of any group of friends!