ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY
Community UPDATE SPRING 2020
Trees on the Rockhurst University campus were recevntly the subject of a study.
STUDY SHEDS LIGHT on the Value of Campus Trees In the summer, they provide valuable shade. In the fall, they sprinkle autumnal beauty throughout campus. Rockhurst University just wouldn’t be the same without its trees. But until recently, we didn’t know that much about them. In September, Rockhurst University finished a study of all of the trees on campus. Jason Riordan, associate vice president of facilities operations, said the study was taken up as part of the University’s strategic plan, which in part sets goals as it relates to environmental sustainability. Trees play an important role not only in campus beauty, but in reducing energy costs and offsetting carbon dioxide, and this first-ever study helps the University understand how well they are performing.
“The goal is to increase the longevity of the trees we do have,” he said. “But it’s also a data-driven approach, and that data can help diversify the types of trees on campus for the future.” According to the study, campus is home to 529 trees — mostly pin oak, crabapple and honeylocust. Together, they contribute 26.02 tons of oxygen to the environment each year and take in 9.757 tons of carbon dioxide. Riordan said a special Google map was also created with the location of each tree that will eventually be shared on a sustainability page on the University’s website. He also said plans are under way to organize a series of public walking tours, starting in spring and guided by an arborist, of the trees on campus.
Alumna Pairs Experience With
DESIRE TO SERVE Nicole (Hoffman) Shoemaker (courtesy Tricia O’Connor-Baska).
In November, Nicole (Hoffman) Shoemaker was named the newest president of the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition, leading a historic organization connecting communities on either side of Troost Avenue for nearly 50 years. But while she’s new to the position, she’s not new to the area, bringing with her knowledge from a career with community organizations and her experience as an alumna of Rockhurst University. “I think this is part of that learning, leadership and service in the Jesuit tradition,” she said. Having graduated in 2005 with degrees in political science and industrial relations and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the California native has worked for the Waldo Business Association, among other community organizations, and is the current director of member engagement at the Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce.
Feeling a sense of belonging from the time she stepped on campus at Rockhurst, Shoemaker said she sought out opportunities to get involved, including as a student senator. It was in that role that she first learned about the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition and how it was helping people in the neighborhoods around campus. When it later came time to find a neighborhood of her own to settle in, she said she again felt drawn to the 49/63 area. “I just knew that street, that area, and I knew I wanted to go back to where I lived,” she said. “The neighborhood coalition was really active, and that seemed so special. I knew I wanted to get involved.” She’s not the only member of the Rockhurst University community to serve as 49/63 leadership — Tom Ringenberg, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, is currently the group’s vice president. As current president, Shoemaker said her goals are to continue to build the visibility and awareness of what the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition does for neighbors.
UNIVERSITY EARNS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION From Carnegie Foundation In January, Rockhurst was recognized for its work toward being “in the city for good,” earning the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Community Engagement Classification. The classification recognizes the efforts of the University to incorporate the community around it into teaching and learning. With the announcement, the University has now held the classification for a decade — the first institution in the Kansas City area to have earned it in 2010. Students serve alongside community members during the annual Finucane Service Project.
KC SCHOOLS
GUIDE AVAILABLE AT THE
COMMUNITY CENTER!
Looking for available school options in Kansas City? The 2020-2021 School Guide KC from Show Me KC Schools is available at the Rockhurst University Community Center as well as libraries and community centers across the Kansas City area. Pick up a free copy or visit showmekcschools.org.
A P R AY E R
FOR OUR TIMES Cindy Schmersal, vice president of mission and ministry at Rockhurst University, offers this short reflection in the wake of immense changes and uncertainty caused by the spread of Covid-19. Ever-faithful Companion, Help us to always find You, God, in all things, especially in this time of uncertainty, as we navigate disruptions to the familiar and heightened anxieties. Make us attentive to the kernels of hope, in-breaks of joy, and invitations to stillness that subtly saturate our lives. In these gifts and in all glimpses of grace, may we find sustenance. Remind us often of our call to community. And, in responding to the need for social distancing, awaken us to the summons to foster creative community. Inspire us to reach beyond the boundaries of isolation. In so doing, help us to link heart and hand with You in caring for the vulnerable and in laboring for a more compassionate and humane world at this time and at all times.
Census 2020: BE COUNTED! The 2020 U.S. Census is April 1. Not only is the Census confidential, but you can respond by mail, by phone, in person, or online — the Rockhurst University Community even has a free computer lab available to fill out the Census form. It’s important to be counted, and encourage others to do the same, whether you’re renting a multi-family home, by yourself in a home you own, or a student living in a house with roommates. The Census helps: • Determine federal and state support for our community. • Allocate funding for projects within the neighborhood. • Set boundaries for local, state and federal political representation. • Businesses locate in places where they can find employees. Visit census2020kc.org to learn more about how to get involved or participate in the Census.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Kansas City, Mo. Permit No. 782 1100 Rockhurst Road Kansas City, MO 64110
5151 Troost Ave., Suite 200 HOURS: Monday – Friday | 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. PHONE: 816-237-1616 and scheduled appointments available. Walk-in All major Kansas City medical insurance accepted.
Affiliated with Research Medical Center.
5151 Troost Ave. HOURS: Tuesday - Friday | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday | 8 a.m. to noon PHONE: 816-501-4239