OCR Text |
Show Alternative Spring Break, Habitat for Humanity A chance to vacation and volunteer JENNIFER FOWLER Staff Writer Sandy beaches, ocean waves, warm weather and construction work. Four components to an unconventional spring vacation. Filling your spring break with parties is an easy way to get away from textbooks and homework, but one group of Westminster students has found an alternative to the traditional college vacation. Every year, Westminsters Center for Civic Engagement offers an Alternative Spring Break. During spring vacation, students have the opportunity to build houses for Habitat for Humanity and enjoy a break from school. In past years, students who were involved with alternative spring break lent their helping hands to building homes in Las Vegas, San Diego, New Orleans and Hawaii. This year, students will travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. where temperatures are currently in the seventies. This years project runs Feb. 21-2- 7. During the Habitat for Humanity experience, students and volunteers will participate in a variety of building projects from framing, roofing, painting, insulating, staining and dry wall to yard work. Continued volunteer help and months of work eventually result in an affordable home for low income families. Volunteers are not the only people participating in Habitat for Humanity projects. Families accepting habitat homes are required to lend 300 hours of work to house construction. Students who participate pay for their own travel arrangements and put down a S150 deposit to cover basic food, transport and housing. An ASWC Club fund helps subsidize remaining costs. When senior Ben Rackham first became involved with alternative spring break four years ago, the affordability caught his eye. At that time I had only been out of Utah twice, says Rackham. I couldnt pass up the opportunity for a cheap vacation. Besides being an affordable vacation, Alternative Spring Break is a great time for building relationships and interacting with new people. Ashley Pedersen, senior and Alternative Spring Break veteran, says that along with visiting a place and seeing sites, you meet local people too. Its a great opportunity for relationship building and you learn about different styles of living. Through Alternative Spring Break, Westminster students have had the opportunity to help and interact with low income families, families affected by the floods in New Orleans and even a family who moved to the United States from Iraq. Not only does this spring break option help those in need and provide volunteers with a great vacation, Westminster students have experienced personal results after the building process is finished. Ashley Pederson mentioned her Habitat for Humanity work in scholarship applications and received the Morris K. Udall scholarship, a national federally founded scholarship which led to an internship. Pedersen recognizes the importance of service and says volunteer work is a good way to make connections and network. Ben Rackhams Alternative Spring Break experience has also opened doors for him. He is now involved with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, works in the Center for Civic Engagement and is of Continued on page 14 ent Potluck dinners promote socializing, saving Sunday tradition celebrated by Westminster students SARAH LYMAN Staff Writer Sunday night is usually a time in the week that most college students dread. It means tackling procrastinated homework and, even worse, signals Monday morning is quickly approaching. One way that some Westminster students bridge the gap from weekend to weekday is with a Sunday potluck dinner. A number of students have found enjoyment gathering once a week, bringing their favorite food to share and socializing with one another. Potluck dinners, or community eating, can be an excellent way to economically socialize with fellow peers. Instead of going out to eat at a restaurant, students have figured out a way to affordably enjoy each others company. Community eating is also an excellent alternative to the all too common burger and beer pub-craw- ls. Potluck is a term derived from the Native American custom of potlatch, which literally means food given away to quests. Today, poduck dinners are commonly VOLUME XLII: ISSUE 11 organized by religious or community groups to simplify meal planning and allocate costs among members. Some Westminster students have started similar traditions outside'of campus. Taking the time, at least once a week, to spend quality, nonacademic time with each other. I love to eat, and the company is always enjoyable, says Westminster student Braden Smith. Sundays potluck dinners are a great way for me to start my week off on the right foot. Smith, a junior, has been participating in poduck dinners for two years. Originally from Michigan, the weekly poduck dinners have made it easy for Smith to make friends at the college as well as in Salt Lake City. Smith said the theme of his first poduck was Mexican, and he brought make-you- rThey were a big hit and scored me some serious points in the poduck circle, he said. Sometimes we try to have a meal theme for our potiucks, but most of the time people just bring whatever they feel like or have around the house. Continued on page 15 own-quesadill- Westminster students enjoy Sunday potluck dinners together. as. "Sunday's potluck dinners are a great way for me to start my week off on the right foot." -- Braden Smith |