First Generation Law Student Resources Guide: Personal Support & Wellbeing

Make sure you carve out some time to meet Father Jerry Overbeck, the law school's Resident Chaplain.  Father Jerry lives across the street from the law school, in Baumhart Hall, and holds office hours, affectionately referred to as "Java with a Jesuit" by the Loyola community, at the Starbucks in Lewis Towers every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11-12 when class is in session.*  He can also generally be found at Alpana, on the ground floor of the Shreiber Center, every Monday and Friday from 4-5 pm.*

Father Overbeck offers pastoral counseling & spiritual direction to those who seek it and offers non-faith-based support, friendship, and guidance to all Loyola students. Anyone can (and should!) visit with Father Jerry, even just for a casual chat, but especially if you need a little time in the presence of someone who is a great listener and always going to be in your corner. 

*These hours are subject to change, should Father Jerry's pastoral obligations require him to be elsewhere, but he is a consistent presence around the law school and you can stop him in the hallways, look for him in his office, or contact him for an appointment at joverb2@luc.edu.

• WTC Fitness Studio (Water Tower Campus) memberships are available to law students for $68/semester or $148/year and include limited weight and cardio equipment, as well as locker room and shower facilities
• Light therapy lamps for seasonal depression are available to borrow at the Law Library Circulation desk
• There is a student lounge on the 7th floor with refrigerators and a microwave for law student use, as well as microwaves on the 10th floor and lower level of the Corboy Law Center
• Yoga mats are available for student use in the 7th Floor Student Lounge
• All Gender Restrooms are located on floors 2, 6, and 12 of the Corboy Law Center. 
• There is a Prayer, Reflection, and Meditation Room on the 5th Floor of the Law Library
• Halas Recreation Center (Lakeshore Campus) memberships are available to law students for $136/semester or $296/year and includes access to group fitness classes, cardio and weight training spaces, pool, rock wall, three courts, a cycling studio, and locker rooms
• Ashlar the Therapy Dog hangs out in the Wellness Center (Lakeshore Campus) and does outreach at various campus locations, including, on occasion, the Law School Library. 

• Chicago's 18 mile Lakefront Trail stretches from about 5800 North to 7100 South (blocks in Chicago are typically about 1/8 of a mile long, and every 800 in address numbers equals roughly 1 mile, so if you are at 1200 North you are about 1.5 miles north of the center of Chicago) and has pedestrian and bicycle lanes.  
• The Bloomingdale Trail is a roughly 3 mile elevated trail with access points approximately every quarter mile. The trail runs east-west at about 1800 North between Ridgeway Ave and Ashland Ave. 
• The Chicago Riverwalk, located along the south bank of the main branch of the Chicago River, is a 1.25 mile path past cafes & public art with access to water excursions 
• Loyola Law School is located about .5 miles from Oak Street Beach and 1 mile from Ohio Street Beach (Chicago has many more sandy beaches, all of which are located along the lake with the exception of Humboldt Park beach). 
• Lincoln Park Zoo is Chicago's free zoo, with multiple entrances between Fullerton and Armitage, just west of the lake. 
• Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, located about 3 miles south of Loyola's Lakeshore campus and 5 miles north of the Law School, attracts thousands of migratory birds every spring and fall. 
• Chicago's parks, gardens, and natural areas are too numerous to list here, but you can visit this List of Notable Parks, this List of Natural Areas, this List of Floral Gardens, and this List of Natural Gardens to learn more and identify places you may like to visit.  You can also find Chicago on an online map and look for park areas by color (usually green) to see if there are any green spaces near, see which ones feature lakes or ponds (blue), and get a sense of how numerous and how large some of Chicago's green spaces are. 
• In winter the Chicago Park District operates numerous outdoor ice skating rinks (with indoor rinks operating year round)

• Loyola has established three food pantries to support students (visit Food Assistance for additional information and to confirm hours and locations).  Students are welcome to shop in-person weekly and get 3-4 days of food. Offerings vary but are generally shelf-stable products.

  • Iggy's Cupboard: Damen Student Center, Room 243, Lake Shore campus.  Open when the building is open, accessible with student I.D.

  • Arrupe Market: McGuire Hall, 2nd Floor, 1 E. Pearson, Water Tower Campus.  Open weekdays form 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

  • HSC Pantry: Cuneo Center, 1st Floor, inside cafeteria vending room, Health Sciences Campus.  Open when the building is open. 

• Students can sign up to be notified when free food from campus events is available via Leave No Crumbs, a Loyola food waste recovery and food insecurity program.

• Immediate, emergency housing is available for students in crisis on a short term basis.

• The Office of the Dean of Students maintains a CARE fund to assist students who experience unforeseen financial hardships during the academic year.  Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis, based on need and availability, and can include support for essential academic course materials, basic needs, travel or transportation in cases of emergency, moving or personal expenses incurred due to an emergency.

• You can explore other benefits and discounts made available to Loyola students, some of which may ease financial burdens or enhance your time living in Chicago, at the following links:  Rambler Student Discounts, Personal Technology Purchases, Personal Purchase Discounts, U-Pass, and TechConnect

The Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program is a non-profit dedicated to assisting judges, lawyers, and law students in Illinois with substance use, addiction, and mental health challenges.  The organization provides confidential evaluations, referrals, consultations, and supportive services. 

Email or call at gethelp@illinoislap.org,  312-726-6607

• The Chicago Reader, a free non-profit alternative press, is a source for local news & reviews as well as music, visual arts, and performing arts events throughout the city. 
• The Block Club Chicago is another free non-profit news source with neighborhood-by-neighborhood coverage of news and events. 
• How many neighborhoods does Chicago have? 
• Chicago Sports Teams and where they play
• Many concerts, festivals, performances, sporting, art, and community building events take place in Chicago's parks (outdoors in the warmer months and in field houses in the cold season). Check out the Park District's Events Calendar and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Calendar. 
• The Chicago Architecture Center organizes the annual Open House Chicago, a free weekend-long event allowing visitors access to private buildings of architectural and historical significance throughout the city.  

Spending time outside in the winter months can be challenging, so we have assembled a list of free or discounted options for enjoying Chicago even in February.   

• Current Loyola Students receive free admission to the Art Institute with their Loyola ID. 
• Admission to the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) is free and available by appointment. 
• The Museum of Contemporary Art offers free admission to Illinois residents from 5-9 pm every Tuesday (please check their website to confirm the day & time as you plan your visit) and has a pay-what-you-can policy for all visitors at all other times. 
• Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory are free for Chicago residents and require timed entry tickets. 
• Admission is always free at the National Museum of Mexican Art. 
• Admission is always free at The National Puerto Rican Museum. 
• Admission is always free at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.
• Admission is always free at the Smart Museum of Art. 
• Admission is always free at the Hyde Park Art Center. 
• Admission is always free at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.
• Admission is always free at the Chicago Cultural Center. 
• Admission is always free at Mindworks: The Science of Thinking
• The Field Museum offers free admission to Illinois residents on Wednesdays (please check their website to confirm the day & time as you plan your visit).
• The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center offers free admission to all visitors every Wednesday (please check their website to confirm the day & time as you plan your visit).
• The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum offers free admission to Illinois residents every Thursday (please check their website to confirm the day & time as you plan your visit).
• The Illinois Holocaust Museum offers free admission to all visitors the last Friday of every month (please check their website to confirm the day & time as you plan your visit).
• The Adler Planetarium offers free admission days to Illinois Residents throughout the year.
• The Shedd Aquarium offers free admission days to Illinois Residents throughout the year. 
• The Griffin Museum of Science + Industry offers free admission days to Illinois Residents throughout the year.
• The Chicago History Museum offers free admission days to Illinois Residents throughout the year. 
• Tickets for the Lyric Opera Chicago are discounted for Loyola students.