Students Take the Time to Give Back During Spring Break
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Features
By Brooke Brennan
Rotunda Reporter
Each year Longwood offers a program called Alternative Spring Break (ASB) where students travel with a group of peers and engage in community service. Jen Rentschler, assistant diector of volunteer and service learning and advisor to ASB, encourages students who are interested to take part in the provided service opportunity. This year the trips will take place during the week of March 8, 2010. The ASB program offers one international trip and two domestic trips.
According to Rentschler, the Student Government Association (SGA) at Longwood provides ASB with a certain amount of money each year for the trips. Rentschler said that the international trip will be going to Mexico to help with community issues and will cost around $1,200 per person. Rentschler confirmed that one domestic trip will be going to Washington, DC to help with societal issues of the homeless, and the second domestic trip has not yet been decided, but will most likely focus on environmental issues. Rentschler stated that the domestic trips will cost around $125 or $150 each for students, which covers gas, room and board, food and sometimes a site fee.
Junior Leigh Cupitt is a team leader of the ASB program. In Spring 2009, Cupitt went on a domestic ASB trip to Tennessee called, "Once Upon a Time in Appalachia." She and ten other Longwood students worked on various projects to better the community of a local group of Native American Indians.
She stated that some of these projects included maintenance of the playground at a child daycare, cleaning up trails, and picking up trash on the campgrounds. While on this trip, Cupitt said that she and the team stayed in housing provided by a married couple on the campground, which added to the experience.
The best part of the trip, Cupitt said, is the rewarding benefits that are gained during and after. Some of these advantages include learning about different cultures, exploring social issues, and being a part of a meaningful cause.
Rotunda Reporter
Each year Longwood offers a program called Alternative Spring Break (ASB) where students travel with a group of peers and engage in community service. Jen Rentschler, assistant diector of volunteer and service learning and advisor to ASB, encourages students who are interested to take part in the provided service opportunity. This year the trips will take place during the week of March 8, 2010. The ASB program offers one international trip and two domestic trips.
According to Rentschler, the Student Government Association (SGA) at Longwood provides ASB with a certain amount of money each year for the trips. Rentschler said that the international trip will be going to Mexico to help with community issues and will cost around $1,200 per person. Rentschler confirmed that one domestic trip will be going to Washington, DC to help with societal issues of the homeless, and the second domestic trip has not yet been decided, but will most likely focus on environmental issues. Rentschler stated that the domestic trips will cost around $125 or $150 each for students, which covers gas, room and board, food and sometimes a site fee.
Junior Leigh Cupitt is a team leader of the ASB program. In Spring 2009, Cupitt went on a domestic ASB trip to Tennessee called, "Once Upon a Time in Appalachia." She and ten other Longwood students worked on various projects to better the community of a local group of Native American Indians.
She stated that some of these projects included maintenance of the playground at a child daycare, cleaning up trails, and picking up trash on the campgrounds. While on this trip, Cupitt said that she and the team stayed in housing provided by a married couple on the campground, which added to the experience.
The best part of the trip, Cupitt said, is the rewarding benefits that are gained during and after. Some of these advantages include learning about different cultures, exploring social issues, and being a part of a meaningful cause.
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