While it may sound like a week-long party in Seattle grooving to the sounds of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is something quite different, offering college students the opportunity to spend their break helping others.
This March, 13 students and staff members traveled to York, PA, on the College's first ASB. Organized through the Scott/Ross Center for Community Service, the students helped with home-building activities for Habitat for Humanity. The students lived together in the volunteer center, and shared meals together.
“An important part of the ASB experience was the nightly reflection sessions where the team members shared thoughts and feelings, and focused on what they learned on the trip,” said Jennifer McKee, director of service learning. The ASB program places teams of students in communities to engage in community service and experiential learning. Students perform short-term projects for community agencies and learn about issues such as literacy, poverty, racism, hunger, homelessness, and the environment.
“The work was hard, but it was fun. Always in my mind was the thought that someone is going to live here, and if it was my house, I would want it done right, too,” said Pam Mutascio '02.
—Hannah Wilson '04 contributed to this story.