Two Rockhurst University Grads in Pursuit of One Common Goal

Rock ReportNursing Students and Faculty Volunteer in UgandaOne of the Jesuitcore values is carefor the wholeperson. That value extendsto every person even whenthey are 8,000 miles away.In October 2011, fourstudents and two facultymembers from the ResearchCollege of Nursing took atrip to Gulu, Uganda, withMedical Mission Foundationof Kansas City.Shaina Rivera, senior,said the trip made herreally appreciate all of thethings she took for grantedat home.“It was a shock justgoing there,” Rivera said.“There was no electricity orrunning water. Some of thechildren didn’t even haveclothes, they were justwearing shoes.”The students and faculty,along with the doctorsfrom the MMF, set upsmall clinics at an internalrefugee camp called theAwach refugee camp, OcerCampion Jesuit Collegeand St. Catherine’s School.The doctors and nursestreated children who hadsuch illnesses as malariaand typhoid fever.Surgeries were alsoperformed at St. Mary’sLacor hospital in Gulu.The nurses assisted thesurgeons with reconstructivesurgeries on childrenfrom burns that were nevertreated. On adults, thesurgeries involved reconstructionfrom injuriesShaina Rivera salutes along with some Ugandan children.Rivera and other Rockhurst students from the Research Collegeof Nursing volunteered to go to the African nation in the fall.received from the rebelwars and terrorizations.Rivera said she reallyenjoyed her time with thedoctors and her time inUganda.“I want to go thereagain, but this time as areal nurse and not just astudent,” she said.Students Embrace the Sound of SilenceIf you don’t think alot can be said duringsilence, think again.In November 2011, 14Rockhurst University studentsfound out what couldConception Abbey inConception, Mo., was thebackdrop for Rockhurst University’sinaugural silent retreat.happen with nearly 24hours of silence.Cindy Schmersal, campusminister, said she hadheard about silent retreatsand thought that studentscould use a break fromtheir hectic lives to just disconnectand spend sometime alone and with God.The students spent theday at Conception Abbey inConception, Mo., which isabout two hours from theRockhurst campus.Bridgette Pretz, junior,found starting the retreatto be a little daunting. Forthe first half hour of silenceshe didn’t know what to doand she started to panic.She decided to take a strollaround the abbey and that’swhen she made her bestdiscovery of the retreat.“It was black outside andcold, but I stumbled upona statue of the Sacred Heartof Jesus,” Pretz said. “I satthere for about an hourthinking to myself and thenI found comfort. That laidthe groundwork for therest of my experience. I justfound a lot of peace andstarted to enjoy the time Ihad to myself.”But it was only a matterof time before the silencewould break and the studentswould return to theirhectic routines. Schmersalis planning another retreatfor the students in April.4 Rockhurst u winter 2012