With this year’s presidential election day falling on a Tuesday, the monthly Take Ten Tuesday event was moved to Wednesday. 

Administrative Coordinator for Mission and Adult Spirituality Cindy Torroba said, “Given the unsettling events leading up to the election, the Office for Mission wanted to give the Loyola adult community a chance to process the events and circumstance of that week and still be able to share and reflect their thoughts during a Take Ten event.”

Take Ten Tuesday is usually an in-person event that is hosted by the Office for Mission. The idea came from Vice President for Mission Ann Holmquist. The event takes place on a monthly basis on Loyola’s campus for faculty and staff and its main purpose is to serve as community building by allowing the adult community to catch up over coffee and snacks.

Director for Ignatian Formation and Adult Spirituality Robert Stephan commented, “We hope that Take Ten is a relaxing and rejuvenating brief break for the members of our adult community and a time that helps build our relationship with each other.” 

Take Ten also provides newly hired staff members an easy way to bond with colleagues. 

Torroba said, “Take Ten was helpful for me personally during my first year of employment. It was a chance for me to get to know the adult community. I’ve never worked at a place where I have felt so welcome.”

The Take Ten event has been impacted this school year due to the move to distance learning. Take Ten has become virtual and takes place on the Zoom platform. The meetings stay open from 8:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M., and members of the Office for Mission take turns being on the call while faculty and staff members join throughout the day.

Robert Stephan said, “Food was an important part of our in-person Take 10’s and each month we would have different types of food. We will not be able to begin that tradition again until we are safely back on campus.”

Despite the COVID-19 circumstances, Take Ten’s mission has remained the same: to serve the community. The virtual Take Ten events have allowed the Loyola adult community to foster and support relationships with one another. Cindy Torroba said, “Our Take Ten events definitely have been different because of our current reality but our mode of hospitality has shifted only to be an online virtual space. Even though we physically cannot be together, we remain connected through our Zoom rooms.”