A kinder,
gentler break
Not all students play in
the sun; some help others
B\ Robert Miller. Ibis, l . of Miami
This spring break mam students mas Ik- c leaning up
ihr beaches instead of throwing up on them lit these
socially tons* mm times, plates like Homestead. Ha ,
ate becoming more attractive to spring breakrrs look
mg for an alternative to the usual week of defiant bets
"Believe it ot not, not even college student wants to go to
Daytona,* save Michael Magevnes
Mages nev is the coordinator of Break A wav, a national net
work of more than 200 colleges and community organizations
Heated to aid schools in developing alternative spring break
programs
' I here are mam different wavs vtm can spend sour spring
litrak," says Glenn Ihibin, junior at the l. of Miami ‘You can
do it for yourself, or the alternative is vou t an do it tor someone
else.*
Since llomeslead nearlv was leseled bs Hurricane Andrew
last August, it is now in the procevs of rebuilding, and relief
•igrnc les are expec ting thousands of students to travel to tins
comer of southern Dade (-mints to help during spnng bleak
"It you could give me a tent to house 3.0<>0 people. 1 could
lill it." savs Jill Funk, Humcanr Relief coordinator.
So tat, nearlv 50 colleges nationwide have said thrs would
bkr to send students there.
Magevney estimates at least
I .(MM) students will work with
Habitat tor Humanity and
other local agencies there
'It s stalled right now,*
Dubm says. "You don't see as
many trut ks going down
Around spring break time
there will foe a lot ot building
it’ll lie a realty busy time *
Nevera! < ol leges. tin Hiding
t ol Notre Dame, West Virginia U. and Kollms College will
groups lo South Honda during their tall bleaks
"You don't realize him inm h work nerds to be done till
vou're down there," savs Mike Arsenault, a Notre Dame sopho
more from South Dade "1 lelt I had a responsibility to go. It hit
im neighborhood, mv home."
Helping rebuild Homestead is |usl one of mam alternatives
students have this vear. As mam as 10,000 college students may
participate in alternative break programs in sites across the
country. Thev include home construction and repair in
Appalachia, work with migrant farm workers ami their families
m I mas. reef cleanup in the Honda Keys, AIDS awaienrss
efforts In San Francisco. Hurricane Hugo cleanup in South
(arolina, and assistance for the homeless in Washington. D (
"People are consideiing it an option," saw Dorm a Williams.
A olunteer Services coordinator at the l ol Miami A lot ol
students don’t have the time to volunteer dunng the vear I his
“Believe it or not, not
even college student
wants to go to Daytona.”
While tome students are basking In the sun...
gun ihrm iheopportunilv to do dial *
Sonir UudrilU vn ■»{»<-!uImv’ tprutg l>irak cluing wivit r work
u more fulfilling than 11111 worshiping or dung
•You < an havr .1 liritri uiik doing something constructive.*
Magrvnrv uvs "llrrallv 1st lot of lun."
Last vrar 50 students front dir U. of Miami traveled U) four
diflrrrni sitrs in Honda Onr group built homes for migrant
farm workers, anodiri worked al a rural shrliri for homeless
lamilirt f iglu students taught in a giadr sc hool on dir
Mucosukrr Indian Rrvivalion. and anodiri group workrd in
a homrlrvi shrltrr in Pompano Brat h.
‘ll it an immersion rxprrirmc where the tollrgr students
sirrp work jlid rut 111 (hr
comniuniiv in whuh (hrv vol
uiilrrr for ihr wrck," »uy»
( jrrir Kilnioiiduin. liirrclor
of Volunteer Srrvirei .it
Miami.
*ln pUrrs like Ikiytoiu. you
K<> Midi rrdl high rxprt uum».
and they ulinml nrvrr live up
10 ihrro,’ Dubin »av».
"[Allrriulnr birukj mu* Ik-i
(ri dun I expected I trll llkr I
had a i ham r to make a difference "
Ami so did I aura Mann and Magrsnev, who, while seniorsat
Vanderbilt l in 1991. founded and institutionalized Break
Awa\ With the help ol Vanderbilt l and the Kellogg ami Fold
foundations. Break A wav began to (ill the void lot a national
office to coordinate the effort* ol all the different program*.
It* motion iv 'to promote srrvue which immerse students
in often vavtlv different culture*, heighten »«lal awareness and
advocate life-long social at lion.'
lire organization a< is av a i tearing houvr for vervii e ideas
"All these schools were doing wonderful things, but litre
weren t talking to anyone else." Magrsnev save “We found that
our program could grow Irv learning what else was out there '
Now. with the help ol Bleak Awav. those programs are stait
mg to work with each other to offer students solid alternative*
to the get drunk and poke option mans students still ptefet
‘I think when students arrive at tollege thrv (relieve dies onlv
:
?
... other* spend their spring breaks repairing homes.
luvr tlurr options Ini spilin' l>«r'.tk one. |Mits soul ln.ims oil
two. go home, .inti thrrr. gi*t jl job .mil woil Sow they li.isr the
option of lining community vmcc.* Magrvnry un Q