News Archives

On Monday, March 20, Loyola Academy’s College Counseling Department hosted its annual College Fair for students and parents to begin the college exploration process. With over 165 colleges and universities and nearly 500 Ramblers in attendance, Loyola’s College Fair remains one of the largest private high school college fairs in the state of Illinois.

On Friday, March 3, seven Loyola Academy students participated in the annual meeting of the Chicago Society for Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago, with the hope of enabling high school students of color interested in science to engage with scientists of color who are succeeding in the field. Chaperoned by Physics Teacher Ms. Sandra Azubuike, the following Ramblers attended the conference: Guadalupe Vasquez '23, Rachel Barrientos '23, Olivia Meyers '23, Asmerome Tecabo '23, Joseph Okere '23, Yafet Fissaye '23, and Flor Pallchizaca '23.

Over the week, the girls' track team won the 2023 Indoor GCAC Championship and the boys' track team won the 2023 Indoor CCL Championship! We're looking forward to great upcoming outdoor seasons. Great work, Ramblers!

Congratulations to the girls' varsity hockey team and their 2nd place finish at state! LA lost to Barrington 6-0 in the state title game on Sunday, March 19, at the United Center. A tough loss, but a great season and so much to be proud of!

After a three month search, Loyola Academy Vice President for Athletics and Fitness Mrs. Genevieve Atwood announced on March 15 that Mr. Robert M. "Beau" Desherow '93 of Des Plaines has been named the next head football coach to lead the Ramblers.

Our Science Olympiad team competed in twenty three events at regionals at Oakton Community College on Saturday, March 11, and their many medals earned them a bid to the state competition in April! Good luck and go Ramblers!

The Winter Orchestra Concert took place on Thursday, March 9, in Loyola Academy’s Leemputte Family Theater and featured the combined orchestra performing music composed by The Beatles, Camille Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, and more.

Couldn’t make it to the performance? Click here to view a recording of the concert.

The 2023 Band Winter Concert took place in the Leemputte Family Theater on the evening of Wednesday, March 8, and featured Loyola Academy’s talented concert band, percussion, and symphonic band.

To watch a recording of the concert, click here.

As part of the Family Action Network (FAN) series, Loyola Academy welcomed guest speaker Dr. Lisa Damour, PhD, for a parent presentation in the Leemputte Family Theater on the evening of Thursday, March 2. Dr. Damour discussed her new book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents. The book serves as a guide to help parents understand their teenagers' intense and often fraught emotional lives—and how to support them through this critical development stage.

In September 2022, Loyola Academy launched a partnership with Special Gifts Theatre (SGT), a not-for-profit organization that provides individuals who possess a wide array of special needs (physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and learning) the opportunity to experience the joy and enrichment that theatre arts can bring. The SGT x LA Peer Mentor Program gives Ramblers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a Special Gifts Theatre buddy in our beautiful new McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. Together, they put on a magical performance of “Seussical Jr” on March 4 and 5!

On Tuesday, March 2, AP Spanish students visited the Newberry Library in Chicago. The field trip was part of the unit "Testimonios from the Exploration of the New World," in which students were asked to compare and contrast the indigenous perspectives with that of the Spaniard's during colonial times.

The boys‘ varsity track team competed at the Illinois Meet of Champions on Saturday, March 4. Enoch Appiah-Kubi '24 broke a 35 year old record in the triple jump, jumping 13.61m (44' 8"). Henry Hartsfield '23 and Nick Arogundade '24 placed first and second in the 60m hurdles while the 4x400m relay team of William Simon '23, Jack Belmont '23, James Lombardo '23, and Henry Hartsfield '23 also captured a first place finish with a time currently ranking them 2nd in the state. Other top finishers included Emmanuel Ofosu '24 (60m and 200m), William Simon '23 (800m), James Lombardo '23 (1600m), John McGuire '23 (High Jump), Pan Mihalopoulos '23 (shot put), and Credo Mlope '24 (triple jump).

After defeating Fenwick 4–2, our girls’ hockey team is heading to the state championship! They will face Barrington on Sunday, March 19, at 11:00 a.m. at the United Center. Stay tuned for more details.

After defeating Glenbrook South 2–1, our Gold Hockey team is heading to the final four! They will face the winner of York vs. Ignatius on Wednesday, March 8.

The Loyola Academy Orchestra took 2nd place in state at the IHSA contest in Burbank, Illinois! Our strings, which include guitars and pianos, did an amazing job receiving a record number of Division 1s, scoring 3 points shy of 1st place. Bravo to all the IHSA participants in the combined Orchestras and Guitar Ensembles!

Loyola Academy’s Scholastic Bowl team won the Wisconsin State History Bowl Championship on Saturday, March 4! Congrats to Matthew Walsh ’23, Ryan McKinney ’23, Jack Lopez ’24, Colin McLaughlin ’24, and Nick Bobay ’25. With their first place finish, the team qualified for the National History Bowl, which will be held in Arlington, Virginia, in April. In addition, Matthew placed 2nd and Colin placed 4th in the varsity History Bee. Nick placed 4th in the JV History Bee. All three qualified for the National History Bee.

Loyola Academy Choirs presented their annual winter concert "War & Peace" on Wednesday, March 1. The concert featured songs from Joan C. Varner, Randall Stroope, and Ryan Main among others.

Nine students participated in the 2022 Chinese Language Association of Secondary -Elementary Schools (CLASS) national essay contest. Congratulations to teachers Ms. Yuling Guo and Mrs. Xueting Ji and the following Rambler award winners:

During the month of February, Loyola Academy students had the opportunity to explore and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to our country and our community. Through powerful displays and reflective activities, Ramblers were encouraged to pause and consider the impact and influence of Black history.

Each quarter the Physical Education Department recognizes students as "Ramblers of the Quarter" for their hard work and effort in PE. These students are selected based on four important criteria: excellent performance, unusual service for others, special accomplishment, and significant improvement. Please join us in congratulating the following students who earned this PE distinction for the third quarter: Lizzie Baskfield '26, Reagan Dickson '26, Colin Vardijan '26, Ethan McLean '26, Ellen Gundlach '25, Frankie Locke '25, James White '25, and Simon Terry '25.

On Friday, February 24, Loyola hosted International Night, an annual celebration of the unique cultures and traditions that enrich our Loyola community. Guests at this year's International Night, or I-Night, enjoyed an array of performances from a number of Loyola's heritage clubs including:

Loyola Academy’s AP Studio Art and Design Exhibition, now in its twelfth year, is an annual celebration of student work in the visual arts held at the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Many of the students exhibiting work in the show have been in art courses at Loyola for two to four years and come from the following disciplines: studio (drawing, painting), graphics, photography, and architecture. The opportunity to present in a professional gallery is a unique and valuable experience for students.

 

Congrats to Nothin’ But Treble, Loyola Academy’s all female a cappella group, for winning the ICHSA Great Lakes Quarterfinal for the first time in Loyola history! Soloists were Valentina Iusco '23, Malina Mandel '23, Kate Sipchen '24, and Juliet Dempsey '24. The group also won best choreography. They will be moving on to semi finals at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on March 25.

Now in its 45th year, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s African American Heritage Prayer Service celebrates and recognizes educators and students for their contribution to Catholic education by bestowing African American Heritage Awards to student and adult leaders. This year’s celebration, themed “Living Our Faith: Honoring Our Legacy,” was held on Friday, February 24, at Holy Name Cathedral with approximately 900 guests in attendance. During the prayer service, Bishop Joseph Perry, auxiliary vicar for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Mr. Greg Richmond, superintendent of Catholic Schools, presented awards to Assistant Principal for Student Services Mrs. Terri S. Jackson (Mother Mary Langue Award for Educator Leadership) and senior Yvette Mensah (Henriette Delille Award for Student Leadership).

The Loyola Academy Table Tennis team was one of four qualifiers for the state final tournament at Niles West High School on Saturday, February 25. The Ramblers finished as state runners-up! Congrats to the team and coaches.

On February 22, Loyola celebrated Ash Wednesday with an all school Mass in the West Gym. During the homily, Campus Minister Rev. Stanislaw Czarnecki, SJ, reminded students of Jesus' invitation to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during this holy season.

Congratulations to all the boys who competed in the IHSA sectional meet on Saturday, February 18, at Niles North High School! The Ramblers qualified in 5 events: 200 medley relay (Gus Koh '25, Max Rice '24, Velizar Filipov '26, Carter Tiv '25), 100 fly (Velizar Filipov '26), 100 back (Velizar Filipov '26 and Gus Koh '25), 100 breast (Max Rice '24), 400 free relay (Gus Koh '25, Velizar Filipov '26, Devon Bone '26, Carter Tiv '25). Sophomore Gus Koh was the 100 backstroke champion with a personal best 50.77. Junior Max Rice broke the Loyola team record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.36. The Ramblers will compete on Friday, February 24, at the IHSA state meet.

Congratulations to the girls' basketball team for winning the Regional Championship on Thursday, February 16, by defeating Evanston 43–30. The team was led by Paige Engels '24 with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Morgan Bruno '24 had 9 points.

Congratulations to Loyola Academy Head Wrestling Coach Matthew Collum who was inducted into the Illinois wrestling Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Champaign during the IHSA state series in February.

Congratulations to the boys' wrestling team on winning its first ever state championship! Massey Odiotti '23 capped off a stellar performance by winning the 120 lb state title. Kai Calcutt '26 took 2nd place in state at 220 lbs as a freshman, becoming the first freshman in program history to place at the state championships. It was also the first time LA has had two wrestlers in the state finals match. Also competing at state were Quinn Herbert '24, Patrick Zimmer '23, and Gavin Pardilla '26. Harlee Hiller '25 and Lexi Vasilopoulos '23 will compete this Friday and Saturday at the IHSA Girls State Tournament in Bloomington.

On Friday, February 3, students in Honors Architecture II, taught by Mr. Carson Shearon, benefited from a unique opportunity to visit the offices of STL Architects, a prestigious boutique architecture firm in Chicago's River North neighborhood, where they enjoyed a design presentation. The visit was followed by a tour of the Williams Field House in Bronzeville, a design for which STL Architects won the 2021 Driehaus Award for Chicago Neighborhood Development. The field house tour was hosted by design principals at STL and a representative from the Chicago Park District.

On Friday, February 10, after months of preparation, students in Honors Dance presented an exciting "Murder Mystery" winter concert, which centered around a dinner party gone wrong. As the dancers progressed through each "course" of the dinner—serving up delightful dances to themes like "appetizer, salad, and dessert"—they worked to uncover the mystery. Meanwhile, the audience got in on the fun by voting for who they thought was the suspect!

On Monday, February 13, approximately one hundred Rambler parents and guardians gathered in Loyola’s Leemputte Family Theater to hear from experts in adolescent mental health and substance use regarding current trends among young people.

On Thursday, February 9, representatives from Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), whose mission is to accompany, serve, and advocate the cause of refugees and other forcibly displaced people, spoke to Ignatian Service Learning students in the Leemputte Family Theater. Diana Haidemak and Olena Zinkevych, who both work for Jesuit Refugee Services Romania, discussed the human impact on the crisis in Ukraine and shared their firsthand experiences working with individuals and families displaced by the war.

The Selection Committee for the National Spanish Exam Junior Immersion Scholarships has awarded Ryan Kunitzer '24 one of just twelve scholarships for a Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica this summer. This is quite an honor, as there were many qualified applicants. While in Costa Rica, Ryan will do service work and stay with a host family in Monteverde with other winners. He will learn about conservation, ecotourism, and education.

For over 53 years, the Ramble fundraiser has been one of the largest contributors to the school's Tuition Assistance Program and has transformed thousands of lives for the better. The Ramble relies on the involvement of the Rambler community, including graduate parents and friends, to reach its goal of raising $1.4 million.

Congratulations to the wrestling team which competed in the IHSA sectionals this weekend. Loyola qualified seven athletes for the state finals. This is the most state qualifiers in Loyola wrestling program history! Congratulations to the following qualifiers and good luck in the state finals: Harlee Hiller '25, Lexi Vasilopoulos '23, Gavin Pardilla '26, Massey Odiotti '23, Patrick Zimmer '23, Quinn Herbert '24, and Kai Calcutt '26.

Monday, January 31, to Friday, February 3, was Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week at Loyola Academy—a time to thank all of our Jesuit educators for their dedication to and partnership in the mission of Loyola.

On Wednesday, February 1, fourteen Loyola Academy student athletes signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play their respective sports in college. Congratulations to the following students and their parents!

A cold February evening didn’t stop 283 Rambler moms and their sons from enjoying a night of dinner and bowling at Pinstripes in Northbrook at the first-ever Loyola Academy Mom Prom! Mom Prom, which will alternate annually with D4: A Dinner Dance for Daughters and Dads, was an evening of fun, fellowship, and lasting memories.

Congrats to all the Loyola swimmers who competed in the 2023 MCAC championship meets this past weekend! The frosh/soph team finished 2nd in the conference led by Tommy Gardy '26, who was the frosh/soph 200 IM conference champion with a personal best 2:04:77. Tim Wannemacher '25 was also a frosh/soph champ in the 50 freestyle event. The varsity team finished 3rd overall. The varsity 200 medley relay (Gus Koh '25, Max Rice '24, Velizar Filipov '26, and Carter Tiv '25) started the meet claiming the conference championship with a time of 1:36:92. Sophomore Gus Koh later on in the meet won the varsity 100 backstroke with a personal best 52.61. On Sunday, Loyola finished 2nd overall at the JV conference. They were led by Danny McGuire '24 who won the 100 freestyle with a personal best 52.00.

The Loyola Academy Dance Collective presented its 2022–2023 showcase on Friday, February 3, in the Leemputte Family Theater. Dancers prepared for months to perfect their choreography and articulate nine unique performances before a dazzled audience. The dances ranged in style from contemporary and hip hop to jazz and tap. The showcase also featured a guest performance from Loyola Academy’s Step Team choreographed and arranged by Seven Cook '23, Esther Debrah '24, and Sarah Isa '23. Congratulations to the following Dance Collective company members: Lila Abebe '24, Chelsea Antwi '24, Coco Asante '24, Sam Aznato '24, Issa Barry '25, Caroline Benvenuto '25, Clara Bosco '24, Harper Byrnes '26, Tatum Clarke '26, Seven Cook '23, Ava Doerscheln '24, Abigail Ghiorghis '24, Sarah Graham '24, Aleks Hudy '25, Angelique Huett '25, Angela Leblanc '24, Andrea Paz '26, Caroline Shultz '26, Betiel Tekhle '24, Aimee Trehan '25, and Genevieve Urquiza '26.

Congrats to Loyola's dance team, the Ramblerettes, who are 12th in the nation! This is an incredible achievement, and we are so proud of this team.

Congratulations to the varsity wrestling team on its 3rd place finish at the IHSA regional. Loyola qualified 8 athletes for IHSA sectionals which is the most in program history: Gavin Pardilla '26 (1st place), Massey Odiotti '23 (1st place), Quinn Herbert '24 (1st place), Kai Calcutt '26 (1st place), Joey Herbert '25 (2nd place), James Hemmila '26 (2nd place), Pat Zimmer '23 (2nd place), and Zain Javan '23 (3rd place). Congratulations to the entire team and Coach Matt Collum and his staff. Good luck at sectionals this weekend. And good luck to Harlee Hiller '25 and Lexi Vasilopolous '23 who will be competing in the IHSA Girls Wrestling Sectional at Evanston this weekend.

On Monday, January 16, a small group of Ramblers participated in Jesuit Day of Solidarity to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students from Christ the King College Prep, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, and Loyola Academy were hosted by Saint Ignatius College Prep for a conference and Mass. Rather than having the day off from school, theses students decided to have the day "on" to learn more about how they can affect change in their communities and the world.

Saturday, January 28, was a great night for Loyola Academy as over 250 parents gathered for the 2023 Ramble Rouser, officially kicking off the Ramble season!

Latin for where are you going?, Quo Vadis Day on Friday, January 27, offered Ramblers the opportunity to discover, explore, and evaluate their future aspirations. "Quo Vadis taps into the power of the Loyola Academy parent and alumni networks to provide students with a road map of inspiration as they prepare for the next step in their journey," explains Assistant Principal Mrs. Terri S. Jackson, who collaborated with Development Chief of Staff & Alumni Relations Mr. Marty Jennings '98 to organize the program. The day included a blend of large forum-style keynote addresses interspersed with small "career conversation" workshops. In total, over sixty Rambler parents and alumni from industries as diverse as healthcare and law to business and journalism spent the day on campus engaging with students and sharing their educational paths, professional experiences, and helpful advice along the way.

Loyola Academy mourns the loss of longtime educator, mentor, coach, and friend Francis J. "Frank" Amato, who passed away on Saturday, January 28, 2023. He was 96. In the fall of 1966, Coach Amato came to Loyola, hired to teach physical education and coach football and track. What followed, in the nearly six decades since, was an extraordinary tenure as coach, teacher, and administrator. Coach built an unrivaled career marked by exceptional achievement to be sure, but, more importantly, by a generosity of spirit, a quiet dignity, and an authentic paternal presence. For over half a century, Coach Amato was one of the rocks of Loyola Academy, a constant that helped define the very tradition and the spirit of the Academy. Coach Amato was truly one of the finest there ever was.

Two Loyola Academy seniors, Temitope A. Azeez and Kwame B. Boateng, have been awarded admission to Middlebury College in Vermont through The Posse Foundation, which works to improve college access and attests that the key to a promising future for our nation rests on the ability of strong leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop solutions to complex social problems. Since 1989, Posse's sixty-three partner colleges have awarded $1.8 billion in scholarships to over 10,000 Scholars. The foundation's goals include expanding the pool from which top colleges and universities recruit outstanding young leaders, helping these institutions be more welcoming for people from all backgrounds, and ensuring that Posse Scholars persist in their academic studies and graduate so they can take on leadership positions in the workforce.

The sold-out 2023 Jesuit Cup basketball games were held on Friday, January 13, in Loyola Academy’s East Gym. The matches, played annually against St. Ignatius College Prep, drew huge crowds of fans from each Jesuit school. The boys’ basketball team recaptured the cup after defeating the Wolfpack 46-41. The girls’ basketball team lost 50-42 after a well-played game.

On Tuesday, January 10, members of Loyola’s Student Council and Medical Club volunteered to host a blood drive in partnership with Vitalant, the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit organization focused exclusively on providing lifesaving blood services.. There was a fantastic turnout of students, faculty, staff, and parents—75 donations were made, at least 45 of which were from first-time givers.

Young alumna Maria J. Varela ’16 made a visit to Loyola Academy’s Art Club meeting on Monday, January 9, and spoke about her experience as a fashion design student at Columbia College, where she earned her BFA in 2020, and as a textile design student at Bath Spa University in England, where she earned her MA in 2022. Maria brought examples of her master’s thesis, a collection entitled “Dear Diary,” for students to see and explained that the inspiration for the collection were the sights, sounds and experiences she encountered abroad during her time at Bath Spa. “This collection is a maximalist’s approach to exploring the joys and freedom of European travels in a post-pandemic world,” she says.

On Wednesday, January 11, the Loyola Academy school community gathered for an assembly in the West Gym to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a presentation on The Loyola Project, a documentary film that highlights the 1963 Loyola University men’s basketball NCAA champion team. Woven together with archival footage and modern day interviews, this documentary tells the inspiring story, often called the greatest untold story in college basketball, of the team’s journey to victory and honors their important legacy of breaking racial barriers and ushering in the beginning of modern basketball.

Loyola Academy President Rev. Gregory J. Ostdiek, SJ, announced on January 11, 2023, that Mr. Timothy P. Devine '88 of Chicago has been named Loyola Academy's next principal.

Loyola Academy senior ​Rachel Barrientos has been awarded admission to college through QuestBridge, a national nonprofit based in Palo Alto, California, that connects the nation's most exceptional, low-income youth with full four-year scholarships to top colleges. Next fall, Rachel will attend Boston University as a dual-degree student studying mechanical engineering and Latin American studies. She has also been accepted into the Kilachand Honors College, an interdisciplinary program at BU.

On Wednesday, December 21, five Loyola Academy football players signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) for the early signing period. Congratulations to the following student-athletes and their parents!

Photography students Sophia Seider '24 and Adrianna Ahern '24 were accepted to exhibit their work at the Drexel University High School Photography Contest. This exhibit was juried from more than 2,000 entries nationwide, and the committee selected roughly 150 entries to be shown. Sophia and Adrianna's works will go on to be judged on January 23 for six national winners. Additionally, their work will be exhibited in the Philadelphia gallery from February 4 through March 5.