Spring break means different things to different students, and there are opportunities galore for recharging personal batteries, taking advantage of internships, learning about leading and managing groups, or offering a helping hand.
Some students are participating in university-organized alternative spring break trips when classes shut down for a week beginning March 13.
Here is a look at several trips:
Neyba, Dominican Republic: Students will work with the Vision Mundial and Community Service Alliance organizations to plant gardens as well as lead sessions about good nutritional practices. Students also will be painting anti-drug murals and talking about the consequences of drug abuse. This trip builds on the work of two previous ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ trips. Eight students, one student leader, and Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE) staff member Rachel Bernstein are going.
New York City: Six sophomores will be researching how arts and cultural institutions work. Jim Smith ’70 is assisting students as they focus on more than a dozen organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre. Kim Taylor, dean of the Sophomore-Year Experience, and the students will meet with alumni at each of the organizations they visit.
New Iberia, La.: Twelve students and COVE staff members Colleen Nassimos and Jason Beck will work with Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA), a not-for-profit community development organization. The ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ team will assist a Mennonite construction crew in the rebuilding efforts following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Students previously worked with the SMHA in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina.
Washington, D.C.: Six sophomores will visit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foundations in the nation’s capital. Sally Sachar ’81 helped arrange the trip, which is led by Ursula Olender, director of the Career Services Center. Students will visit about 15 NGOs, including PeacePlayers International, United Cerebral Palsy, and the Philanthropy Roundtable. Alumni at each of the organizations will meet with the group.
New Orleans area: David Levy, director of Jewish life, is taking 11 students to the New Orleans area to work with Hillel’s (The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life) alternative spring break program. The ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ group will be among 200 Jewish college students who will be rebuilding homes on the Gulf Coast while studying Jewish approaches to service.
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Austin, Texas: Eight students (representing WRCU, the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Activities Board, SCOPE, and SA Sound) will be attending the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. They will have the opportunity to attend concerts and panel discussions presented by music industry professionals. The group will network with industry members, as well as with peers from other institutions, as they learn strategies for effective engagement in their respective student groups.
Florida, California, New England: The Outdoor Education program is running three trips with 28 students. Students will be paddling sea kayaks in the Florida Everglades with director Abby Rowe. Others will be rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, California, and a third group will be cross country and telemark skiing in Vermont and New Hampshire. Each trip is structured to give students leadership development while expanding their technical expertise.
New Bern, N.C.: Twelve students, two student leaders, and CLSI director Greg Victory will be working with the New Bern Habitat for Humanity, which is in the process of building a diverse community and has just completed its 43rd house. The students will be framing a home for a woman who works with troubled youth in the area.