Volunteer over a Break

“What did you do over break?” everyone has been asking since we started school again on Tuesday morning. Some of your friends probably went to Florida, London, or France. Some probably stayed on campus. Some students decided to do more with their break: help the less-fortunate.

At 3:00 am on January 3, we got into vans and traveled to Waveland, MS to help the people that were affected by hurricane Katrina. This was an eye-opening experience. We had romantic expectations of building houses and handing over the keys to thankful residents, but that was not the case at all.

The first day we did very humbling work of cleaning up the campsite – the place where all Katrina volunteers live during their stay. We burned excess scrap wood, moved lumber, and picked up bricks that were scattered from the floodwater. Over the course of the week we did a lot of wood burning, helped one family frame a new house, and helped paint. Some of us helped in the volunteer office with the mounds of paperwork that is needed to sustain a social service organization. Meeting the people that we were helping was the highlight of our days. To talk to them and hear their stories was an amazingly educational experience. I learned more from them than I could in a year in a classroom. I tell you this not because it was fun, but because you must experience a service trip before you graduate.

I went through a Newman Center group, but there are many service organizations on campus, the largest being Alternative Spring Break.

“A lot of students have had this one-track mind. It’s all about me, about partying, about getting good grades,” said Nicki Anselmo, a UI senior and co-director. With Alternative Spring Break, students “can meet other U of I students, explore the world outside their community and give their time.”

Stephens, an engineering student, said he spends a lot of time on the north side of campus and part of what he likes about the program is meeting students from other parts of campus, students with majors different from his.

Alternative Spring Break started in 1989 with a single trip and has grown to include more than 30 trips. Throughout the year about 350 students will participate.

News-Gazette: Students use time off to serve others while on break

Trips for Spring Break are filling up fast, and applications are due by Wednesday, January 28. I highly encourage you to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.