Rockhurst News

It’s here — Family and Alumni Weekend will be from Sept. 25-28 on campus, the annual opportunity for Hawks and Hawk families to come back to the nest to reconnect with both classmates and with campus.

The shouts of "Habemus Papam!" broke out as soon as the white smoke appeared from the chimney, visible to the massive crowd gathered to witness the papal conclave at ground zero in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Among them was Sister Allison Zink, ’18, a member of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

More than 800 students will earn their degrees from Rockhurst University in front of loved ones during the annual commencement ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

James Brown, known to many as JB, is no stranger to Kansas City. He said he has visited the city many times as a longtime broadcaster on “The NFL Today” on CBS and elsewhere. He knows the Chiefs, obviously, but also local landmarks like the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and has opinions on barbecue (but also knows enough not to pick a favorite).

Denny Thum, a 1974 graduate of Rockhurst University who spent 36 years with the Kansas City Chiefs during one of the franchise’s most successful periods, will be honored by his alma mater with the Rashford-Lyon Award for Leadership and Ethics as part of the Rockhurst University Leadership Series on Wednesday, April 2.

Faculty, staff, students and community members came together Jan. 24 to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. 96 years after his birth.

James Brown, host of “NFL Today” on CBS and a three-time Emmy Award-winning network broadcaster, will be the guest of the 2025 Rockhurst University Leadership Series, presenting "Break the Huddle and Run the Play” at the event scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.

The world is about to get more Jesuit-educated health care, education and business professionals. That’s after a series of hooding and pinning ceremonies Saturday that marked the completion of studies for more than 200 students in several Rockhurst University’s graduate degree programs and its Bachelor of Science in nursing program.

“Holiday Touchdown: a Chiefs Love Story” is an all-new Hallmark Channel feature film that, as the title implies, is set in and around Kansas City and revolves around the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s set to premiere Nov. 30, complete with a red-carpet premiere, and features familiar locations in the city. Among them is an antique store on the Independence, Missouri, Square called The Keeping Room that has a connection to Rockhurst.

Jacob Scallorn, ’15, has a lot to be thankful for — and he’ll be the first to admit it. About 15 years ago, he was a deep in the cycle of addiction. He had lost seven jobs in eight months and wrecked his car twice. “God put me on the bench,” is how he puts it. But then something amazing happened — Scallorn said he entered rehab and it changed not just his physical health, but his mental wellbeing. He began to say “yes” to doing hard things and to devoting time and effort to accomplishing goals.