COMMUNITY update
spring 2021
Work continues on Sedgwick Hall.
Construction on Sedgwick Hall Project Begins The first building on the Rockhurst University campus — Sedgwick Hall — is in the midst of a major renovation that marks a transformation for Rockhurst University. Built in 1914, Sedgwick Hall is a historic part of the campus and Troost Avenue landscape. The renovation by Helix Architects and J.E. Dunn Construction will preserve approximately 90% of the building’s original structure and is expected to be completed in time for a fall 2022 movein. Features of the building include a glass façade on the east-facing side of the building and a restoration of the Troost Avenue-facing side. When finished, Sedgwick Hall will house the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, with a stateof-the-art simulation lab, faculty and staff offices, and classrooms.
“Sedgwick Hall was the first building on the Rockhurst University campus, and through the generosity of our donors, it will continue providing an inclusive, transformative, innovative Jesuit education for generations of Rockhurst students to come,” said the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J., University president. The project could mean construction traffic around the building’s footprint that could affect pedestrian paths, some noise resulting from the work, and potential temporary parking restrictions along Troost Avenue near the site during the project. University officials will share information as available with community members.
Students Share Their Voice Through RockCast Want to know what’s on students’ minds? A new podcast is aimed at doing just that. The RockCast, launched in the fall, features a regular panel of students talking to each other and to campus and other leaders about the issues and topics important to current and prospective college students.
Listen to the previous 11 episodes or check out the latest episode of the RockCast at rockhurst.edu/rockcast.
One of the RockCast’s regular student hosts, sophomore Bri’Yana Merrill, said she didn’t really know the other hosts when the project started. But as their rapport has grown, so too has the scope of their conversations, which now include discussions about campus life and what’s happening in the Kansas City community and the world at large. “I know that we’re not just talking to current students or to faculty and staff,” she said.
little Library
Students help craft the topics and discussions on the weekly RockCast podcast.
Read With RU!
In April, Rockhurst University installed a new campus amenity for the community — a Little Free Library located on the sidewalk on the south side of Arrupe Hall. With everything from children’s books to the latest selection for our Center for Arts and Letters Open Minds book discussion group, the Little Free Library on campus is meant to be a resource for community and campus alike. Stop by and take a book or find flyers with community information.
Student Gives Back to Neighbors With Service Rockhurst University senior Alex Boland was recently featured in Our Health Matters, a local health magazine, after he and his fraternity brothers from Tau Kappa Epsilon took action in the community to help a neighbor in need. When Boland and his housemates moved in, he did not hesitate to go next door and meet his neighbors because he wanted to build a relationship with them. One day his neighbor, Ruth, came over to his house in hopes that he and his friends would be able to help rake the leaves on her and her husband’s property. Boland said he agreed without hesitation, but he took this opportunity in helping a neighbor in need a step forward, speaking with his fraternity brothers about the service opportunity. Together they aided Ruth and, later, the remaining neighbors on the block with their time and service.
“It was a great feeling overall being able to help out my community as well as having the immediate commitment of my brothers on such a short notice,” Boland said. “I really appreciated the opportunity to be able to help my fellow neighbors and to give back to the community that I live in.”
Alex Boland, his fraternity brothers, and his neighbors pose.
Student Helps Make History as City Council Intern Late last year, the Kansas City Council made history as one of the first cities in the nation to pass the CROWN Act barring discrimination based on hairstyle or hair texture. And one Rockhurst University student helped make it happen.
Senior Adrien Townsend was a policy intern for Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw, one of the two members of the council credited with introducing the legislation. For a student eyeing a career in public policy interested in how local action can change the lives of people for the better, Townsend said being a part of the process — and seeing it culminate in the passage of the act — was a rewarding experience. “I can’t believe all of my research and hard work paid off like this,” Townsend said. “I am so proud to have been a part of the CROWN Act team and to be present when this gets signed into law. This is definitely a highlight of my college career.”
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas and Rockhurst University senior Adrien Townsend at the signing ceremony for the CROWN Act.
Catch Up with the Community Center Follow RU Community Center on Facebook @RUCommunityCenter to keep up with the latest information and to stay in touch. Find out when we will be open during the summer and upcoming school year. You can also visit rockhurst.edu/communitycenter or call 816-501-4306 to learn more about reserving space for your nonprofit community organization.
Rockhurst University students perform Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on campus.
MLK CommemorationHonors King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” In April, Rockhurst University students, staff and faculty celebrated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a week of events that paid tribute to the call to action in King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written April 16, 1963. Throughout the week, the University invited visitors to scan codes on yard signs linked to student video reflections on the letter and King’s legacy.
On Friday, April 16, the campus community celebrated the anniversary with student-led spoken word and musical performances interpretating the letter and King’s legacy. The weeklong celebration ended with a service project for RU students, faculty, staff and young alumni, who assisted with the restoration of the Paseo steps.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Kansas City, Mo. Permit No. 782
1100 Rockhurst Road Kansas City, MO 64110
The Prosperity Center focuses on the whole person by offering “bundled services” in one easy location by integrating one-on-one financial coaching that encourages a long-term commitment to increasing income, decreasing expenses, and building assets. Employment Coaching supports job seekers in all areas of their career path, whether that means assisting with creating a resume, mock interviewing, or job placement. With a strong knowledge of community partnerships and programs, the Center also offers resources and direct referrals to income supports and community resources. Call 816-501-4249 for more information. Visit rockhurst.edu/prosperity-center to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.