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Some spend spring break helping others

Watertown Daily Times, Lori Shull

 

Instead of hitting the books, dozens of north country college students will be hitting nails in the next few weeks.

Students from both St. Lawrence University, Canton, and SUNY Canton will trade in their backpacks and highlighters for cans of paint and hammers with Habitat for Humanity on spring break. Another group of SLU students will volunteer with a homeless shelter, giving out hot meals and working with at-risk teenagers.

Alternative spring break trips are fairly common; in years past, each of the four St. Lawrence County colleges have offered them to students.

"It's a fun trip but it's serious too," Cynthia Y. Atkins, St. Lawrence University director of dining and conference services, said. "It's a much bigger experience than just building houses."

The St. Lawrence students leave this weekend; the Habitat trip is heading to Georgia and the other group will be working with a Franciscan congregation in Camden, N.J., at a homeless shelter in the third-poorest city in the country.

SUNY Canton's spring break is in the middle of April, when students will go to North Carolina. The extra few weeks will give them more time to continue their ongoing bottle and can drive, which they do to raise money to help fund the trip.

The trip costs $5,200, according to JoAnne M. Fassinger, SUNY Canton's grant coordinator, who is helping to organize it.

The group, which includes one student from Bangladesh, has raised $2,500 to fund the trip and plans another door-to-door fundraiser through the residence halls in coming weeks.

"I firmly believe they have to be able to raise some of the money," Mrs. Fassinger said. "It's our responsibility. It's not just a handout."

Neither Clarkson University nor SUNY Potsdam organized any alternative spring break trips this year. Last year, both had trips.

For the St. Lawrence group going to Camden, the poverty will be eye-opening for many, according to trip organizer Joseph E. Tebo.

"They're going to see people on the street and different mental problems and things like that," he said. "The first day is kind of overwhelming for them but once they get into the routine and see people laughing and realize it's not that bad, they get into it."

 


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