Twelve NDA sophomore students, accompanied by Sister Laura Zelten, OSF, and Mr. Robert Vickman, will travel to inner-city Chicago on September 30 for the annual sophomore social justice service retreat.

The Brother David Darst Center for Social Justice sponsors the service retreat, called Urban Immersion, which has a main purpose of introducing and exploring issues of justice and the reality of oppression with high school and college students.

Students will be living, walking and interacting with our brothers and sisters living in poverty, Sr. Laura said.

There they will live simply by eating vegetarian and conserving as much electricity, water and resources as possible, she said.

This year’s retreat marks Sr. Laura’s fifth year anniversary of becoming the campus minister at Notre Dame Academy.  “I have gone on this service trip every year since I came here.  This is my favorite service retreat because we get to meet hands on with our brothers and sisters who live in poverty,” she said.

Jackie Kostichka, a junior, went on this service trip last year and said, “This trip gave me an insight on people who live in poverty and helped me appreciate what I have.”

 “Our students are usually scared, but when they come home, they understand about inner city life and they realize that we are highly privileged at NDA,” Sr. Laura said.

The retreat members go to various places in Chicago including the Chicago Food Depository, Su Casa, The Port, San Miguel Schools, Chicago Youth Centers and others in order to serve the community and make the most of their experience during their time there.

At night the group will take a walk around Wrigley Field, which, according to Sr. Laura, is home to the largest population of homeless youth in the Midwest.  Students will find out what it is like to have to look for shelters or the police station or do something as simple as find a public place which will allow them to use the restroom, she said.

Even by sitting on the steps and in corners on the streets, NDA students get a feel for how homeless youth are treated by the public who walk past them, Sr. Laura said.

“We come home with a different awareness,” said junior Tessa Janssen who took the trip last year.  “It gives us a chance to see a side of the US that we don’t usually see living in Green Bay.”

Senior Susan Limberg, who went on the retreat two years ago, said, “It was my first service trip and it motivated me to go on more.” 

Sr. Laura said she received 37 applications for the trip but could only choose 12 to go.  She hopes to be able to take a second group back to the center in the spring.