Mission Statement
The Loyola University Chicago Department of Athletics is steadfastly committed to the Jesuit ideal of social justice through policies and practices based on inclusion and equity. Loyola Athletics promotes total acceptance and will not tolerate any forms of racism. Together, we are united in our effort to provide an environment where individuals feel safe, respected and valued regardless of, but not limited to, their race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender orientation, religious beliefs or age.
Purpose
With a focus on the Jesuit value of cura personalis, and working collaboratively with the University and Chicagoland communities, Loyola Athletics is committed to:
- Partnerships – Through cultivation and creation of working relationships with on-campus entities, Black-owned businesses and community engagement
- Action – Enhance strategic recruitment and develop and organize events surrounding voter registration, Election Day and Black History Month, among others
- Communication – By promoting and amplifying the initiatives and work in the department through internal and external channels
- Knowledge – Educate coaches, staff and student-athletes by creating programs and workshops to provide a continued culture of personal growth and development as well as anti-bias training
2020-21 Initiatives
- Programs & Workshops
- The department engaged in partnership with Jen Fry, a social justice educator who specializes in work with college athletic departments. Jen guided staff and coaches through a workshop on race and identity in September and a second session with student-athletes in October.
- In spring 2021, Loyola coaches and staff participated in an Inclusive Leadership Series, a three-part internal conversation designed to share perspectives, build community, and foster a department dedicated to growth in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Voter Registration & Education
- The Alliance compiled a list of resources and voter information for student-athletes and staff to access: Loyola Votes - Voter Registration Information
- The department achieved 100% voter registration among eligible student-athletes, coaches, and staff before the 2020 elections.
- Ballot parties through the non-partisan organization Ballot Ready are scheduled in late October for education on what will appear on the ballot in each state represented by the department.
- OnePack Messages
- Each student-athlete received an "Onward as One" t-shirt at the beginning of the academic year to represent unity as a department in the fight for social justice.
- Each indoor winter sport hosted an "Onward as One" game during Black History Month. Athletes and game day staff wore the "Onward as One" shirts, video messages were included in the broadcasts, and Tim Harris of the Loyola track team performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" prior to each game.
- Feature article highlighting the genesis and the initial work of the Rambler Alliance for Equity was posted to LoyolaRamblers.com READ MORE
- Student-athletes collaborated to write and produce a number of video projects highlighting the mission and purpose of the Rambler Alliance for Equity:
Local Black-Owned Businesses
#NCAAInclusion
As part of the NCAA's annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion campaign, our student-athletes answered questions regarding their identities, experiences, and backgrounds. Responses are listed below.
Lucas Williamson – Basketball
Question: What are you more confident in today that you would not have been as confident in previously?
Response: I am more confident in speaking up for things I am passionate about. One thing I struggled with at first was being worried about what people would think of me if I talked about issues that were seen as controversial such as social justice. Over the years I have become more confident in speaking up when I believe it is right regardless of what others may think of me for saying what I believe to be right and just. It’s amazing to see the positive feedback I have received from the community when I do speak out.
Aher Uguak – Basketball
Question: Talk about the identities that you hold. What are you more confident in today that you would not have been as confident in previously?
Response: Since high school I have learned more about my ethnicity of South Sudan. My parents immigrated to Canada so I learned a lot about Canadian culture also. As I have grown older I have been able to learn more about where I come from and my ethnic roots. Today I simply confident in myself and my beliefs. I used to care what others think a little, but now it does not affect me. The message I would share with my younger self is to stay true to yourself and do not be afraid to constantly learn. There is still so much to uncover about yourself.
Kenny Wallace – Cross Country
Question: Since arriving at Loyola, how has your background influenced your experiences and what have you learned about other identities and backgrounds?
Response: To set the scene a little bit, I'm from small, rural township in northeast Ohio where things all look pretty alike and people all think relatively similar as well. I went to high school two miles away from where I lived and my dad was the President of the Board of Education of our district for a good portion of my time in school. My graduating class was under 70 students and I knew every student's name in my class, in addition to the classes above and below my own. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say I was narrow-minded in terms of my outlook on society, to a great extent because I was in a very comfortable, tight-knit, and largely homogenous situation in terms of my district and community. However, I do not think I was ever "close-minded" per se, just narrowed. The reason being, I grew up in almost a vacuum when it came to interacting with people of different backgrounds, races, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, etc. Therefore, a large factor that swayed me to take a leap of faith and move to Chicago for college and attend Loyola was to surround myself with new things, new people, and hopefully new ideas and perspectives.
Moving from a town with less than 4,000 people to a major international city brought the excitement I expected, as I was awe-struck with the vast amount of diversity I was faced with. Consequently, it was early on in my freshman year that I realized coming to Loyola was going to teach me more about the world and the plethora of diversity it possesses. My background and smaller-scale upbringings did not inhibit my ability to appreciate identities and backgrounds different than myself, but it certainly presented a learning curve. But that learning curve was one I wanted to fully dedicate myself to understanding, and in turn, get excited about and appreciate. My roommate for my first two years at Loyola, and my teammate for four, looking back now, was a blessing in disguise in terms of my learning. He had lived all over the world, came from a different type of family than my own, was a different race than myself, held a different sexual orientation than myself, and he was absolutely (and he would be upset if I didn't say he still is, ha) brilliant. I had no black classmates in my graduating class, and three months after graduation, I was living with a new friend who happened to be black. At the time, I was purely a student of history when it came to civil rights and racism in our country, but that year I began to think about present-day issues in a way I had not before. I began to better grasp how poorly "the system" can serve non-white Americans because I was more able to put myself in the shoes of someone that looked different to myself due to this new bond we shared and my newfound respect for him. Since then, my views on social inequality issues have become stronger because I have done my research outside of middle school textbooks and have been exposed to more of the innerworkings of a world I did not completely understand.
On a less serious note, and not to build him up as a museum artifact, but I can remember thinking to myself freshman year, "I've been missing out". And when I say this, I am alluding to the types of conversations we had and how my thinking and opinions on various issues (or lack thereof in many cases) were able to either be created or evolve. If I could ever offer a piece of advice to a person who hails from a small, predominantly "Pleasantville"-esque type of area, it would be to leave that "pleasant" setting and jump into the deep end. I would be shocked if after given some time, and assuming one has made an effort to see the beauty in different perspectives and ways of life, one's worldly outlook is not more pleasant.
I would also say my background has taught me the importance of always being a student, even outside of a purely academic setting. Being nervous to connect with other people who might not look the same as you or think the same as you should never stand as a barrier to your growth as a person. One of my best friends was born in a different country and does not speak English as his first language, yet we have bonded in a way I never would have imagined. He came to Loyola the same year I did and we were teammates for four great years. Coming from my small town, I was the top-dog at every track or cross country race I attended and was nervous about having to prove myself against my new teammate who was a "bigtime" international recruit. I wanted to view him so desperately as a rival and a person I shared nothing with. I wanted to beat him. But alas, he fascinated me. He opened my eyes to the fact every single person has a unique approach to achieving the same goal. He taught me how to do simple things, like properly dicing an onion, but also how to not build someone up as one thing in your head before getting to know them and hear what they have to say.
Had I chosen to stay close to home for college, or at least go to a school that similarly mirrored my upbringings, I do not think my development as a person, friend, advocate, leader, student, role model, teammate, or confidant would have been the same had I not chosen Loyola. I think the University does a good job in terms of expressing messages of embracing different backgrounds, and although I cannot speak for everyone, I have felt welcomed. Albeit in a different sense because my feeling-welcomed has stemmed from the idea that I have been given the opportunity and time to grow from my once narrowed outlook, to an immensely wide one. I have learned to seek interactions with all types of people and remember as much as I can from those conversations, because in my opinion, the more the world knows about each other, the less we view each other as different.
Halley Wallace – Softball
Question: What is an identity that someone else holds that you learned about? How have you been introduced to people with different backgrounds from your own?
Response: In my time thus far at Loyola, I have met a diverse group of people, all coming from different backgrounds and identities. I grew up in a rural area of Illinois where diversity was not necessarily seen often. Everyone seemed to be born and raised in our small town. Seeing diversity and meeting people of different cultural backgrounds has been a great experience for me. I grew up around people of the Christian faith for the majority of my life, and I have been able to meet people that come from Jewish, Islamic, and Buddhist backgrounds. Some of these people have become some of my good friends. It has opened up my perspective and has allowed me to appreciate the fact that we can all coexist and appreciate and celebrate each other's differences. I've learned a lot about sexual orientation as well. I learned to respect peoples pronouns of choice and be more aware of the differences that we all share here at Loyola. All of these experiences have helped me to realize the benefits of diversity and being around people who are different than myself.
Sarah Olojo – Track & Field
Question: What message would you share with your younger self regarding your own identities or diversity and inclusion?
Response: I would tell her what I tell my younger brother and other children, “It is one of the most amazing things to be able to grow up with different views of life. It creates not only an awareness of your place in various communities but an understanding and acceptance of others who don’t share the same customs. Finding your identity separates you from everyone else, but also brings joy when you find others who are similar to you. Being different is nothing to be ashamed of, embrace it, embrace you, and I promise you will feel pride in being exactly who you are”.
Jonathan Drysdale-Anderson – Volleyball
Question: Since arriving at Loyola, how has your background influenced your experiences and what have you learned about other identities and backgrounds?
Response: I am half Brazilian and half British, I never got the opportunity to understand and explore the many identities that people hold in America. Since arriving at Loyola I have learned a lot about the American culture. Having the chance to explore Chicago and getting to know people from all over the country that go to Loyola gave me a deeper understanding of diversity and the wide range of cultures that America has. This has continued to help me understand other students backgrounds better.
#OnePack
