Inspired Living

BY TONYA JORDAN-LOHT

When finance student Brette Baughman ’20 first arrived on Loyola’s campus in 2016, she quickly found a home-away-from-home in the department of Student Life and Ministry. “I was immediately drawn to Student Life and Ministry at the work-study fair because of how much work they do for students—work which in my mind, is everything fun!,” said Brette, who served as Director of Programming for the Student Government Association.

This large department functions according to inspired design: Student Life and Student Ministry combined into one department to ensure that Jesuit values are incorporated into all aspects of campus life. “Student Life and Ministry serves as a one-stop shop for everything our students may need outside of the classroom. Students can access all engagement opportunities and services in one department,” says Director of Student Life and Ministry Dale O'Neill, Ph.D.

On Halloween night, 24 Loyola students travelled across the city in university shuttle vans to see the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team play the Denver Nuggets.

Through the Get to NOLA program, operated by SLM’s Campus Recreation division, these students enjoyed free admission to the game and each received a complimentary Zion Williamson jersey. Loyola students work hard in the classroom, studio, and laboratory, and Campus Recreation invites them to pause for play as well. Overseeing intramural sports, club sports, and the Get to NOLA program, the office provides opportunities for students to have fun and build friendships that will last a lifetime.

In keeping with the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, Campus Recreation provides a wide range of student-led intramural and club sports. Nearly 400 students participated in intramural sports during the 2019 – 2020 academic year, and specific offerings included flag football, volleyball, basketball, softball, knockerball, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, kickball, soccer, and ping pong. Two hundred seventy students participated in club sports, which included the Sailing Club, Water Polo Club, Rugby Club, Tabletop Gaming Club, and Mixed Martial Arts Club. Of these, the Rugby Club, led by marketing major Jared Ladmirault, was the most popular. And the division’s Get to NOLA program connects students with New Orleans culture and attractions with free monthly excursions. This year’s outings included a visit to Mardi Gras World, a swamp tour, a Haunted New Orleans tour, and —of course—a Pelicans game.

With access to over 120 clubs and organizations, Loyola students are able to explore virtually any interest or hobby in community with fellow students. Student organizations at Loyola are truly student-led, with Student Life and Ministry providing support, structure, and advising. Six new student organizations were formed this year, and memorable club events included Havoc’s Birthday Bash, Homecoming, and the Black Student Union Cookout.

One of the most important student groups on campus, the Student Government Association (SGA) is a student-elected body which promotes conditions that support student success and protect student rights.

The SGA touches on many aspects of SLM’s wider work. Specifically, its University Programming Board provides meaningful and enriching campus events throughout the year, including Third Fridays, Crawfish in the Quad, Countdown to Carnival, bingo nights, and of course — Sneaux at Loyno. Long a favorite with students and alumni, Sneaux is a community holiday event featuring “snow”

on the Marquette Horseshoe lawn. This year’s Sneaux celebration included photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot chocolate, and Loyno Express train rides. “Sneaux gives everyone a chance to come together and celebrate the holidays. The SGA bringing ‘snow’ to New Orleans each year lets people create memories like no other,” said Baughman.

Leading the Loyola student body in health and wellness is the Health Advocates Club. Health Advocates are trained student peer health educators who promote mental and physical health on campus. There were 17 student Health Advocates on campus during the 2019 – 2020 academic year, and events for the year included suicide prevention talks in each residence hall, Mardi Gras safety programming, and alcohol awareness events. The most popular Health Advocates event was the Fresh Check Day mental health awareness fair attended by nearly 180 students.

The Loyola University Community Action Program (LUCAP) is the home of student-led social justice work and community service on campus. LUCAP volunteers completed over 325 hours of community service this year in

partnership with Crescent City Café, Habitat for Humanity, Books 2 Prisoners, and Animal Rescue New Orleans. LUCAP members also led several issue-focused initiatives, including Students Against Hyper-Incarceration. Led by philosophy pre-law major and LUCAP board member Jourdan Greene, SAHI raised funds for Women Determined, hosted a play written and performed by incarcerated women, and hosted a teach-in on mass incarceration.

Music therapy major Nicole Westerfield attended her first 9 p.m. Mass at Ignatius Chapel at the start of her freshman year. At the Mass, all incoming students were introduced to Student Ministry’s many offerings, and Nicole signed up right away to be a lector and joined a Christian Life Community. Now a rising senior, she is also a Euchristic Minister and Holy Hour organizer and serves on a retreat planning committee. “Student Life and Ministry has allowed me to learn more about Ignatian spirituality, grow my faith, and develop my gifts as a leader,” Nicole says. Her experience demonstrates the depth of Loyola’s Student Ministry yearround programming which includes Mass, retreats, study groups, volunteer work, and sacramental education.

One of the hallmarks of spiritual formation at Loyola are the Christian Life Communities (CLCs), which are small faith-formation groups who meet weekly to reflect on matters of faith.

“Ten CLC groups met throughout the 2019 – 2020 academic year, including groups specifically for LGBTQ+ students, male athletes, graduate students, and junior and senior women,” says University Minister Laura Alexander. “CLCs are Ignatian-based faith sharing groups where folks come together weekly to reflect on where they have experienced God and how they are responding to that movement. Most CLCs are led by students, and for many participants they become like a family on campus.”

Student Ministry also coordinates interdenominational and interfaith programming and leads an annual volunteer trip over the winter semester break. “Ignacio

Volunteers is an immersion program rooted in an Ignatian spiritual foundation of finding God in all things,” says University Minister for Liturgy and Music Kenneth Weber. “It provides opportunities for students to live a reflective life of action for service, justice, and peace. Volunteers work with the poor, elderly, and disadvantaged children.”

The Student Ministry 2019 – 2020 retreat schedule began with the First Year Retreat at Camp Abbey in Covington. “This is an opportunity for first year students to get off campus, connect meaningfully with other first year students, and reflect on where they are as they begin life at Loyola,” says Weber. The most popular student retreats are the

Awakening Retreats held each fall and spring. Led by a student planning committee which meets yearround, “the Awakening Retreats encourage students to experience the love of God through community,” says Weber. “It's a great way to connect with other students and explore one's spirituality.” About 100 students attended the fall Awakening retreat at Bayou Segnette State Park, with an even larger number signed up for spring retreat which would have taken place the weekend of March 17 – 19.

The vibrant work of Student Life and Ministry continues in the era of remote learning and social distancing. The day the university decided to transition to online learning, the SGA had their weekly senate meeting. This meeting quickly turned into a student town hall, where students vocalized a range of emotions — “confusion, sadness, and shock,” recounts Dr. Dale O’Neill. “The Student Life and Ministry team immediately realized the immense need to provide continued support, engagement, and community.”

The department opened several Zoom accounts that week and spent that weekend brainstorming virtual engagement opportunities and viewing Zoom tutorials. “The following week we were able to start providing a wide range of virtual engagement opportunities daily to students,” says O’Neill.

Since that time, the department offers weekly remote Mass, evening prayer, Rosary, Ignatian Examen, and Ignatian Bible Study services, and each of the Christian Living Communities continues to meet virtually. The spring Awakening Retreat was held online.

Campus Recreation provides work-out videos and hosts a weekly Sports Trivia event online, which has proven to be students’ favorite SLM remote activity. Get to NOLA has travelled forth from the Crescent City by offering virtual tours of Yellowstone National Park and the Louvre. And the SGA strives to provide continued community for students with bingo nights and a full slate of weekly social media programming.

The University Counseling Center (UCC) has made a remarkably successful transition to providing remote services to the Loyola community during COVID-19.

The UCC provides care to 20-25% of Loyola's student population and, in addition to telehealth counseling, has moved their popular weekly anxiety management workshops for students online.

Asia Wong, LCSW, Interim Director of Health Services, was recently interviewed by the Associated Press for an article on virus-era decision making, specifically “decision fatigue” – feeling overly stressed by the endless amount of decisions you’ve had to make throughout the day. Even small, once-routine decisions, must be contemplated and constantly reassessed.

Anxiety management workshops offer students concrete skill building for coping with the increased stress and feelings of being overwhelmed during this time. Improving focus and motivation, self-care, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy are among the topics covered in the free workshops.