In line with Loyola’s Jesuit values, the university holds an annual nationwide service event called Wolves on the Prowl, where hundreds of alumni and current students come together to work on a service project in their community.

This year’s event occurred this past Saturday (Nov. 4) at 13 different locations all throughout the country. Students and alumni in the New Orleans area volunteered at KIPP Central City primary school, where they participated in beautification efforts on the campus.

According to Caroline Gernhauser, an alumni engagement officer, the office of alumni engagement put the event together and acted as a liaison for alumni participating in the event.

They also made the decision that KIPP Central City primary school would be this year’s service site. There were a variety of projects that needed to be done at the school, ranging from organizing books to repainting the basketball court.

“Through our mission as a Jesuit Catholic university, we prepare our students to lead meaningful lives with and for others and to work for a more just world. Wolves on the Prowl is a way for alumni to live out that mission by serving the communities they live in,” Gernhauser said.

According to Seleigh Taylor, a member of the KIPP community as well as a Loyola alumna, the school was in need of updates because it is much older than other schools in the community.

“I’m excited for the opportunity for [the volunteers] to come in and freshen up things, make it exciting for the kids. School is an exciting place, so we want to make it fun and happy, but sometimes resources get the best of us,” Taylor said. “We can’t always get what we need financially, so having volunteers give their time is very helpful.”

Many people, after attending Wolves on the Prowl, keep coming back for more.

Michelle Dunnick, a Loyola alumna, has participated in Wolves on the Prowl for the last several years.

“Every Loyola student should come out and participate in Wolves on the Prowl, if only for the experience,” she said.

Mary Ann Florey, mass communication sophomore and a returnee to Wolves on the Prowl, said the event reflects Loyola’s Jesuit values.

“Loyola is one big community where one is always supportive of others no matter what. The importance of inclusion and working for others is greatly stressed. Also, it is clear supporting our Loyola community is just as important as supporting the community around us,” Florey said.