Welcome Back, Hawkeyes

When I look outside my window today, the scene is unlike anything I’ve seen in the last year. People. So many people. Brothers and sisters, welcome back to campus! It is always great to gather again after being gone for the summer, but this year’s reunion is made sweeter by the sparsity of on-campus interaction in the last year and a half. While the pandemic is still lingering, and we must be prudent in our decisions, let us thank God for the progress we have made thus far. We were made for community, and it’s beautiful to see the community at Newman blooming again. Last night, the first Thursday Night Mass of the school year happened, and it was abundant. The padded seats (Yes, they’re back!) of the Newman Center chapel were filled once again with students eager to encounter the Lord together. New and old friends gathered post-Mass to grow in love of board games, ice cream and each other. It was truly amazing. Thursday Night Mass is just one of the many events The Newman Center has going on at the beginning of the semester, so don’t worry if you missed it. On Friday August 27th, there is a New Year at Newman event at 5PM, starting with daily mass. This is a great opportunity to meet new people while learning more about Newman if you’re a transfer student, a freshman or just new to the community. Another really fun way to get involved this fall is by attending Father Jeff’s canoe trip on Labor Day! Monday, September 6th Father Jeff will lead a group of students on a canoe trip from 9:30 AM to roughly 4 PM. This event is primarily for Freshman and Sophomores, but after there has been ample time for signups it will open to older students. Chat with Father Jeff or Christine Wissink about signing up to go! Last but certainly not least, on Friday October 1st The Newman Center is hosting their fall retreat at Camp Wapsie! We are all so excited to be returning to Camp Wapsie for a weekend away filled with prayer, friendship, and adventure. The retreat starts Friday at 5PM with daily mass at Newman and lasts until around noon on Sunday. Make sure to take advantage of this relaxing weekend to make new friends, dive deeper with Christ and enjoy the fall weather before Iowa winter hits! There are a lot of great events going on this fall, and we hope to see you all of you there. In between big events, make sure to stop by Newman to take advantage of the student study spaces, daily mass and much more. Again, welcome back to campus Hawkeyes. It’s so good to have you back.

Written by: Hannah Dake