The DePaul Center Concourse, a Love Letter

At the DePaul Loop Campus, space isn’t just a logistical concern, it’s a storytelling opportunity. When students study, work, and commute to downtown Chicago, our ability to build tradition and connect with new students hinges on meeting them where they are. For us, that anchoring touchstone is the DePaul Center Concourse.

An oblong space studded with large pillars and lit twenty-four hours a day by a surrounding terrace and array of businesses, the Concourse is one of the few large, flexible spaces available to us in the Loop. It serves as the recessed centerpiece of the Loop campus, easily viewed from above and accessed via a two-story staircase & escalator ramp. Though it comes with limitations, its lighting can’t be fully dimmed, its surroundings are part of a busy street level building, etc.; we’ve turned it into a site of celebration, curiosity, and community. Here are a few of the many ways that we’ve used it to bring DePaul traditions to life:

Diwali Fest: Meeting Students Where They Are

Launched in 2023, Diwali Fest is one of our newest homegrown traditions. Designed in close collaboration with international student leaders, this celebration brings the color, light, and energy of the holiday to the Loop campus where many of our international students spend the majority of their time.

Despite the Concourse’s bright and very yellow lighting, we’ve leaned into creative solutions to transform the space. A DJ and LED dance floor turn the recessed echoic chamber into a full-on dance party. String lights, festive decor, and colorful lighting effects help both soften and liven the space, allowing students to celebrate and connect in a setting that feels alive and jubilant. The result is a program that honors cultural identity and builds a sense of belonging, all in the very place our international students already call home.

IHSA Esports Sectional: Making a Positive First Impression

Each year, we transform the Concourse and nearby classrooms into an esports arena for hundreds of high school competitors during the IHSA Esports Sectional. With seven tournaments spanning five game titles, students flood into the Loop to compete, spectate, and see themselves in a DePaul Gaming chair in our Loop Gaming Center. This gaming center is, of course, adjacent to our Concourse.

For many of these students, this is their first introduction to DePaul, and we want to ensure that that introduction happens right at the heart of our campus. The proximity of the Concourse to the DePaul Gaming Center becomes more than a convenience, it is a showcase of who we are: innovative, engaged, and ahead of the curve in digital student experience. Just across the concourse from the Loop Gaming Center is our Jarvis Student Center for Innovation & Collaboration, a multi-million-dollar facility for our Jarvis College of Computing & Digital Media that serves as a centerpiece of our robust game design program. This is a natural point to showcase to avid gamers visiting our campus for the first time, and our Concourse provides both the stage and the bridge to show off both of these important spaces. This event doesn’t just put DePaul on the map; it draws future students into our orbit by making a stunning first impression.

Cookie Stroll: Anchoring Joy Across the Loop

Finally, the Cookie Stroll is one of our most anticipated annual traditions. With check-in locations and cookie stations spread across three Loop buildings, students are encouraged to explore the full extent of the campus. However, it’s the Concourse that acts as the anchor for the entire event.

Here, under the inflatable shadow of a 30-foot snowman, students grab their event passports, connect with staff, and kick off their sugary adventure. This year, we’re adding another layer: a quarter-long puzzle hunt that culminates at the Cookie Stroll, and importantly at the Concourse. It’s a whimsical, interactive challenge that will bid a fond farewell to students graduating in the winter or simply returning home for the holidays before returning to campus in January. And their time on the Loop Campus for the year ends with joy and community in the Concourse.

Why the Concourse Matters

In a traditional campus setting, quads and commons act as organic gathering spaces. But in the heart of Chicago, where every square foot counts and verticality can lead to invisibility, the DePaul Center Concourse has become our own kind of student commons. It is a place where moments of connection are built, one event at a time.

Whether it’s celebrating cultural holidays, hosting statewide competitions, or spreading joy during the final weeks of the quarter, the Concourse helps us bring students into a shared story of campus life. It may not have dimmable lights or cathedral ceilings, but it has something more important: students who are ready to show up, participate, and make it their own. It is a place to build communities where everyone belongs.