Alternative Spring Breaks at SB: Building Homes in Louisiana

By Radeyah Hack
News Editor

Spring break is approaching and college students everywhere are packing the sun tanning lotion to hit the beach. However, a new trend is gaining momentum on campuses across the nation where students are opting to take part in alternative spring break programs, where instead of the beach; they choose to take part in community service for a week.

This year, Stony Brook students get a chance to join the national trend by volunteering to assist in rebuilding New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Sponsored by the College of Leadership and Service, Habitat for Humanity and the Stony Brook Chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, about forty students are traveling down to the gulf region with the intent of rebuilding a neighborhood in Louisiana.

“I thought this was an excellent idea,” remarked Manny London, Director for the College of Leadership and Service. “Instead of going to the beach these students are doing something to give back to the community.”

The idea was brought to a front by Jenny Wang, a junior at Stony Brook and President of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. “At first I didn’t think it was possible,” said Wang, referring to organizing the New Orleans trip. However, after attending the “Student, Faculty, Staff Retreat” last November, where the theme was community giving, Wang became inspired to carry out this endeavor for the Stony Brook campus. “All these people gathered together to discuss community service and I was surrounded by people who wanted to improve things,” she said.

Wang immediately began working on making a reality into a trip she once thought impossible, gaining a considerable amount of support from the Stony Brook administration, particularly the Dean of Students Office and the College of Leadership and Service. “When things come from such grassroots efforts, it has a lasting impact,” said Dean of Students Jerrold Stein, whose office assisted in creating a Stony Brook Foundation account for the fundraising efforts Wang and other students will be doing this semester.

“A considerable sum of money needs to be raised,” said Wang, whose Alternative Spring Break committee is looking for corporate sponsors to help fund the trip, as well as seeking donations. “It cost a bit much to transport forty students all the way to the Gulf Coast,” she said. However, once students arrive in New Orleans, housing and meals will be provided for free at a local Church.

Even though this year’s New Orleans trip hasn’t happened yet, Wang and others are looking to the future and considering ways to make alternative spring break an annual tradition at Stony Brook. The Career Center, along with the College of Leadership and Serive and Dean of Students Office are collaborating in creating a Community Service and Leadership center that can connect and expose students to the many opportunities that are out there for volunteering and making a difference in the world. According to Dean Stein, a proposal and budget for the Center has been drawn up, but the plans are still being considered.

“I would like to see more of an emphasis on local alternative spring breaks, maybe working for Habitat for Humanity somewhere closer to home,” said Dean Stein.

The idea of an alternative spring break closer to home is one that is currently underway by Levy Solomon, a senior at Stony Brook, who is taken students to Massachusetts to experience the Heffer Farm, where students can experience living life in the Third World.

“I grew up in a third world county,” said Solomon who was born in the Philippines. “I think college students need to experience this type of living to gain greater empathy for others in the world.” Solomon, who took about 12 students last spring to the Heffer Farm, is continuing the program this semester, hoping to take about 17 students. She is currently accepting applications and is seeking sponsorship and grants from various campus departments. For those interested in going to the Heffer Farm, contact Solomon at levysolomon@gmail.com.