1. Soak up the sun on our beautiful Evergreen campus

Thanks to its centralized location, the Quad is always buzzing with activity, especially on a gorgeous sunny day. When the weather gets warmer, bring a blanket or a hammock and listen to music, study for exams, or even play Spikeball. Marie’s personal favorite spot is the comfy couch on the porch of the Humanities building. If you’re lucky, one of your professors will bring you to our outdoor classroom for a lesson or two. We recently had a giant watch party to view the Solar Eclipse and it’s always so refreshing to see everyone gathered on the green for a warm afternoon.

2. Get involved with our sports teams 

Here at Loyola, we love our athletics department! From soccer matches at Ridley to basketball games at Reitz, you’ll have plenty of ways to support our Greyhounds on the field. Be sure to attend our biggest sports event of the year, the Battle of Charles, where our men’s and women’s lacrosse teams duke it out against our cross-town rival, the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays. Are you an athlete yourself? Join one of our club or intramural teams and get involved with volleyball, flag football, and even ultimate frisbee.

3. Take adventures off-campus 

Being in a big city has so much to offer so during your time at Loyola, do not let Baltimore’s culture go unnoticed. The Inner Harbor has much for you to see; head to the nation’s top-rated aquarium (with half-priced tickets on Fridays!) or Camden Yards to support the Orioles! But our favorite time of year to explore the city is in December when you’ll find Hampden’s beautiful 34th Street Christmas Lights. For more off-campus trips, follow HAP, Loyola’s activity and programming board, on Instagram or The Bridge.

4. Support the arts 

Our Greyhounds are super talented both in and out of the classroom! Our Evergreen Players perform several plays every year and even have an improv troupe while our Dance Company holds two showcases and runs specialized classes. Live out your Pitch Perfect dreams and support our three acapella groups; the Chimes, the Belles, and the Greysounds. And at Christmastime, our chapel choir performs at Lessons and Carols, our annual holiday tradition. Tickets for these events sell out very quickly so make sure you get your hands on them each semester.

5. Give back to the community around us

As a Jesuit institution, one of our biggest values is service so we pride ourselves on helping others and the Baltimore community. Involvement with the Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ) is a great way to provide for the local areas in Baltimore by participating in York Road Community Days or being an active volunteer in service learning opportunities. Aside from CCSJ, clubs like Relay for Life and Best Buddies help other communities in our area by arranging events and gathering donations. There are many ways to support our community and beyond; all you have to do is reach out and find what works best for you.

6. Attend our biggest event of the year 

During every Loyola tour, the Greyhound Ambassadors rave about our biggest event of the year – Loyolapalooza. This event is a must-attend for Loyola students with campus music performances as well as free food, merchandise, and a celebrity headliner every year! In 2024, we had Fitz and the Tantrums perform but past headliners include Jeremih, The All-American Rejects, and T-Pain. The headliner gets announced at another extremely popular event, the Black Student Association (BSA) Fashion Show. Aside from these two events, Loyola has so many great on-campus activities for you to attend to enrich your Greyhound experience. 

7. Explore the world 

A unique factor about Loyola, and one that brings many to our Evergreen campus, is the widespread study abroad options. No matter your major, Loyola works with you to help you see the world. We really encourage you to look past your apprehensions and nerves and take this leap! Jordan spent half of her junior year studying abroad in Newcastle Upon Tyme while Marie traveled to Disney World with the marketing department of Sellinger School of Business and Management. Whether it be a semester, a Maymester or summer trip, or even spring break, use the time college provides you with to travel and enrich your life experience. 

8. Participate in senior activities 

Celebrating your achievements is a huge aspect of the Loyola senior year experience. Your Student Government will prepare countdown events leading up to your graduation every 50 days. Bull and Oyster, Loyola’s senior and alumni event, was the most notable of these experiences and a great place to expand your network before venturing into the real world. Graduation week has so many notable events as well, and at the time of writing this, we are both incredibly excited to attend Senior Soiree, Senior Barbecue, and Baccalaureate Mass. Attend these events and spend time with your fellow Greyhounds before saying goodbye!

9. Build connections with your fellow Greyhounds 

Along with making connections on campus, it is important to expand your horizons and introduce yourself to others elsewhere as well. The Loyola network grows far beyond the borders of the Evergreen campus and many resources here can help you make those connections. As an incoming freshman, your Messina team is a great place to start with building your professional and social circles. Throughout your years here, attend Loyola’s speaker events or campus-sponsored career fairs to meet alumni Greyhounds. As your time as a student begins to dwindle down, reach out to the Rizzo Career Center for resources on how to keep these connections growing.

10. Step out of your comfort zone…like we did!

We’ll be honest, the transition into college isn’t always easy. But as graduating seniors, we can say without a doubt that these four years at Loyola have been some of the best of our lives. Our biggest tip for getting accustomed to life at Loyola is to step out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s just saying hello to a friendly face while walking to class or starting your very own club, there are so many opportunities to be bold on campus. Take us, for example – we brought back a print edition of “The Greyhound” after ten years and it’ll be in your hands very soon. We hope you like it just as much as we do! Editor-in-Chief Marie, Managing Editor-in-Chief Jordan, and all senior staff members would like to wish you the best of luck as you embark on your Loyola adventure – as President Sawyer says, “God Bless and Go Hounds!”