(35 years ago) Rockhurst Goes Coed! - Rockhurst University

Rockhurst Community Respondsto Hurricane DisasterAmber Pelzl, from Clearwater, Kan., wasthrilled. It was her fourth day of freshmanorientation at Loyola UniversityNew Orleans, and she’d fallen in lovewith the city, the school and especiallythe palm trees on the campus quad.Then came the knock at the door of her new dorm room.A resident assistant was telling everyone to evacuate.After a harrowing four days scrambling to get awayfrom Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, Pelzl madeit home, and then to Rockhurst. She was among 27students who transferred to Rockhurst after evacuatingfrom areas affected by the hurricane.In the weeks that followed, the university communitycame together to help Pelzl and others in need.To make their transitions as smooth as possible,Rockhurst agreed to delay billing to ensure studentswouldn’t pay tuition to two institutions.A special orientation session introducedthem to campus.The Mass of the Holy Spirit, held eachSeptember to celebrate the beginningof the school year, was dedicated tothe victims of Hurricane Katrina.A student-led rosary also was heldin their honor.Student organizationssprang into action initiatingblood drives, food drives,bottled water drives, and aschool supplies drive. Fundraisersincluded a barbeque,bake sale and four-squaretournament.And when her new friendsin McGee Hall offered to buyPelzl notebooks and schoolsupplies, she truly startedfeeling at home at Rockhurst. Amber Pelzl, ’09“I love these fountains,”she said. Even though they’re not the palm trees she fellin love with at Loyola, she’s excited to be in college.“It still seems surreal that I’m not there.”Whether she’s here for just one semester or the longhaul, she’s likely to remember her turbulent firstweeks of college, and the friendshipand support she foundat Rockhurst, for along time tocome.FreshmanKaty Hernandezwas one of severalstudents whovolunteered theirtime to make“hugs” blanketsfor children atlocal hospitals andshelters who weredisplaced fromareas affected bythe hurricane.