While the air was still cold, about 200 students, faculty and alumni poured into the Peace Quad on Saturday morning.

The day warmed up when Andre Breaux stepped to the microphone to announce the day’s events.

Breaux, mass communication junior and Student Government Association chair for Wolves on the Prowl, spent two months planning the New Orleans events alongside alumni chair Renny Simno.

Planning activities was challenging at times, Breaux said. “We looked at past projects from Wolves on the Prowl while we were deciding what services to offer, but the service climate in New Orleans has changed so much since Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “There are a lot of out-of-town groups coming in to the city, and some projects, like the Second Harvesters Food Bank, were already booked with volunteers.”

Because of some project scarcity, SGA incorporated many of the Loyola University Community Action Program’s projects in the six activities offered during Wolves on the Prowl, including house gutting, sheet rocking, building with Habitat for Humanity, cleaning City Park, working with the elderly at Chateau de Notre Dame nursing home and having a field day with underprivileged children on Loyola’s campus.

Although there was a good turnout among the 200 volunteers, SGA and alumni anticipated nearly 100 more Wolves on the Prowl volunteers.

“It actually worked out well,” said Breaux. “Because there were fewer volunteers, everyone was able to participate fully and there was enough for everyone to do.”

Despite the challenges in planning and attendance, Wolves on the Prowl was a success that was largely influenced by the involvement of campus organizations. “One of the reasons Wolves on the Prowl was successful was the university-wide collaboration,” said Breaux. “SGA, LUCAP, athletic teams, Greek life and alumni volunteered to make the day run smoothly.”

Many of these organizations served not only as volunteers, but also acted as project leaders and event planners alongside Breaux. The volleyball team aided in set-up and registration, and the baseball team organized an intense game of Capture the Flag for the on-campus field day.

Brett Simpson, associate athletic director, and Pack Pride facilitated an after party for volunteers at the men’s basketball home opener.

LUCAP incorporated many of their weekly projects into Wolves on the Prowl, and Greek life brought about 100 volunteers from more than 10 fraternities and sororities. Brandon Crainer and Greg Fontenot, who are both members of SGA and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, gathered project leaders and coordinated transportation and food for the events.

Crainer, a criminal justice junior who led the group that visited the nursing home, said, “My personal experience at the Chateau de Notre Dame was amazing. It was the first time that I had worked with the elderly and it was well worth it.

“I spent time simply talking with a couple of the residents about their lives, which they definitely appreciated. ‘It is not often,’ one resident said, ‘that we have young visitors come in. It is a breath of fresh air.'”

Elena Doskey, music industry studies freshman, said she feels more knowledgeable about Loyola and New Orleans after participating in house gutting Saturday. “I had no idea what to expect when I showed up; I just wanted to get my feet wet and be a part of the rebuilding by helping out where I’m needed the most,” Doskey said. “It was an eye-opening experience. When we got to the site, you could hear people get silent as they got into sheet rocking and realized the importance of what they were doing.”

“The mission of the Wolves on the Prowl service event was to reflect not only on our actions, but also on the meanings of our actions when we serve others,” said Breaux. “Reflection was a big component of the day, and we should always reflect on our service and how it affects others.”

To demonstrate such importance, the day began with a prayer led by University Ministry’s Kurt Bindewald and ended with group reflections on the projects they completed. The projects also aimed to inspire more of the Loyola community to serve throughout the year with organizations, such as LUCAP.

Rebecca Ohler, philosophy/pre-law senior and special affairs chair for LUCAP, said, “LUCAP has social justice and service-themed projects that are active every day, which means that whenever you have time, there is something you can do to get involved.

“Our goal here is to foster a spirit of community action that students can take with them wherever they go in life. What we want to do at LUCAP is make that an accessible and rewarding opportunity for the entire student body,” she said.

Kelly Roth can be reached at [email protected].