Loyola bids final farewell to Alumni Gym
Posted by charliestreehouse on May 10, 2011
By Matt Graham
Students faculty and alumni at Loyola University Chicago gathered to celebrate one final farewell to Loyola’s Alumni Gym. Alumni Gym was first opened in 1923 and since that time has provided decades of Loyola students a place to hang out, play sports and most of all make memories.
In his address, Loyola President the Rev. Mike Garanzini, S.J. reflected on the memories of Alumni Gym saying, “I know a lot of you have spent time here, a lot of you have lost sweat here. A lot of you have worked hard here. A lot of you have cheered here and some of you cried here. It’s a nostalgic night and I encourage you to keep sharing your stories.”
Current Loyola students may be surprised to know that Alumni Gym was once the center of student life acting as not only an athletics venue but as a student union to many years of Loyola students. In recent times the gym has been home to Loyola Volleyball but in the past, Alumni Gym was home to every team on campus including a nationally ranked water polo team and even housing the locker rooms for Loyola’s football team at one time.
Food and libations were served and nearly 500 alumni were invited to share in the event including members of Loyola’s NCAA championship basketball team from 1963.
Guests could mingle with old friends and even get their photo taken with a backdrop of the Gym. A silent auction was held to auction pennants, banners and other historical pieces of Alumni Gym.
Event co-chairs Robert Parkinson and newly appointed Director of Athletics Dr. M. Grace Calhoun gave speeches reflecting on the past and anticipating the university’s future before the lights were turned off on Alumni Gym one final time. Lu Wolf himself then led guests, whom were given mini flashlights, from the dark Alumni Gym to the new Norville Center for Intercollegiate Athletics to wander the new facilities and have a dessert reception.
Loyola sophomore Hannah Zwick shared plans for the future of the gym saying the location would soon be a part of the new student union.
“The ‘Reimagine Campaign’ won’t be completed for a few years but when it is a new student union will be here where Alumni Gym used to be.” The anthropology major from Detroit, Michigan said the new union would be connected to the Norville Center and would house a movie theater, new Zip’s cafe and even a bar, “for students who are of age.”
But as students and alumni look to the future of Loyola, many are still sad to see Alumni Gym go. A webpage has been created where former students can share their memories of Alumni Gym and read memories and stories from other alumni.
- Matt Graham
