The Beacon

Issue date: 3/16/08 Section: Lifestyles

For some students at Wilkes University, spring break wasn't a time to relax on the beach or catch up on extra sleep. Rather, it provided time for week-long excursions to help the less fortunate in places around the world.

More than 20 Wilkes University students split up and spent their spring break providing community service to the St. Bernard's community in New Orleans as well as the Succotz community in Belize. At each community, the volunteers heard inspiring stories from the people they were aiding.

New Orleans
"I think the person that affected us all the most was a volunteer named Steve," said Kelly Patchell, a junior psychology major involved in this year's Alternative Spring Break, in the New Orleans Journal 2008. "This man was both the most insightful and inspirational man I've met."

Steve, a cook at the St. Bernard Community Center, was one of the many victims of Hurricane Katrina. Three years ago when the hurricane hit, Steve helped his sick wife, whose heart was barely pumping, escape from the storm by pushing her wheelchair up into the attic.

He told his wife that "they will get out of it together or not at all." Steve's house flooded in 14 feet of water, but they both survived the hurricane.

"It takes a long time, but the people are so appreciative of students being there, because they keep coming back and the government does not," said Megan Boone, the coordinator of Student Development.

After the students arrived in New Orleans, they settled into a mansion on St. Charles Street, which had only two bathrooms that had to be shared between 42 people. They were each given an army cot to sleep on and an itchy prison blanket made out of "30 percent wool and 70 percent other fibers." Even though the living accommodations were uncomfortable, Boone says it helped bind the entire group emotionally.

The eleven students and two advisors who went to New Orleans volunteered to distribute food and clothing to the residents of the St. Bernard's Parish at the community center. On the first work day, they helped make a new trail in the city park, which had been under 9 feet of water, by mulching the pathways and filling ditches with clumps of mud and clay.

"When we went to the St. Bernard Community Center, that started to change our students' lives and they could see the purpose of the alternative spring break trip," Boone said.

On the second day of work, the group split up again and half the students went to Children's Museum, while the other half went to help at the Animal Rescue New Orleans animal shelter.

At the Children's Museum, students helped kids with arts and crafts, face painting, and storytelling. When they finished at the Children's Museum, they met up with the group at the animal shelter.

"In addition to our cleaning duties, we also pet the cats and took the dogs out for walks," said Jen Smeraldo, a junior majoring in musical theater, in the blog New Orleans Journal 2008. "I wish I could take every single cat and dog home."

Some of the cats and dogs picked up by the animal shelter after Katrina hit were not domesticated or needed socialization before they could be adopted. Students also worked with the St. Bernard Animal Shelter, which was operated by only two people, and will be receiving money from a fundraiser Megan Boone is planning to set up in the future. This fundraiser will also give money to the St. Bernard Community Center.

"Hearing that we're the heroes made the trip worthwhile," said Kaitlyn DeFacis, a freshman majoring in nursing. "You can't imagine what these people had to go though unless you were there."

Belize
Students who spent their alternative spring break in Belize also saw firsthand the difficulties facing a poverty-stricken community.

"American tourists have given themselves a bad reputation which precedes them-having little respect for the local facilities and partying into all hours of the night," said Dana Lehman, a senior communication studies major, in the Belize Journal 2008. "I, an alternative spring break participant, am not the typical tourist."

Ten Wilkes University students and two advisors spent their spring break in San Ignacio, Belize, helping the community of Succotz build a 12 X 30 library, which at the time the group arrived had only a floor. Within four days, the students were able to lay nine rows of concrete block to create the walls of the library without the aide of a concrete mixer or any other modern technological tools.

"The building is actually also going to serve as a hurricane shelter and a traveling health clinic," said Amanda Kunkel, a junior elementary education major. "Knowing that children will have a place to go after school to read and that more people will be safe in the event of a hurricane is very comforting to me."

Some of the tasks students performed while constructing the library included concrete mixing, mortaring, carrying blocks, laying blocks, sifting sand, carrying water, shoveling dirt and sand needed for mixing, and wiring with the rebar.

"I have never experienced heat like we felt in Belize," said Kaitlyn Taber-Miller, a senior musical theatre major. "There were moments where many of us experienced nausea, headaches, and dizziness. It's difficult to work in conditions like that." On average, the daily temperatures in the rain forest were above 90 degrees, and felt far hotter because of the high humidity.

The students also worked and interacted with the children of Belize in after-school activities almost daily.

Alan, a six-year-old boy, told Valerie Martinez about life with his parents and said that he does not have a curfew, because his parents work until very late at night. Another boy she spoke with, Orvin, 12, said he was joining the Belize Defense Force, because his mother would not be able to afford for him to go to high school.

Students were physically and emotionally challenged by hardships involved in understanding another culture as well as hardships involved in manual labor. Martinez, who is fluent in Spanish translated messages to help the students and Belize residents communicate.

"The Belizean children truly touched me with their curiosity for life, their mannerisms, and their thirst for interaction," said Valerie Martinez, a junior communication studies and political science double major. "They just reminded me of how privileged we all are and how beautiful life truly is."

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