There are several reasons UW-Madison junior Joe Holm was nervous about his spring break trip to New Orleans two years ago. Most notably was the fact he was driving 15 hours in a van with nine strangers.
\The trips are set up in a fashion where, unless there is a chance occurrence, you don't know anyone who you are going [on the trip] with. I was nervous about meeting all these new people, and I was nervous about going to a place that was completely foreign to me,"" said Holm, reflecting on his pre-trip jitters.
After arriving in New Orleans, Holm and his peers worked in a daycare that served an underprivileged population, met refugee families from Kosovo and helped in a battered womens' shelter. In addition, they were able to visit Bourbon Street, go sightseeing and meet the locals. The entire trip cost under $300.
The week-long trip is part of a program called Alternative Breaks, sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Directorate. In addition to the 10 students that traveled to New Orleans, 90 other UW-Madison students traveled to nine locations across the country to participate in an educational volunteer experience.
The trips range from working in soup kitchens in our nation's capital to being part of Habitat for Humanity in Miami, and are offered during winter and spring breaks each year.
""By seeing these issues first-hand, participants learn far more than they ever can learn in a classroom,"" previous Alternative Breaks Educational Programmer Arvind Saini said.
Part of the hands-on experience includes living in shelters and youth hostels, which helps keep the costs at a minimum. The trip costs between $140 and $260 for the entire spring break. The cost includes transportation and lodging and usually includes one meal per day. The program also offers a number of scholarships based on financial aid.
""I remember the first day [when we walked into the daycare], and we were just five goofy kids from the University of Wisconsin who knew nothing about the area,"" Holm said. ""We were almost uncomfortable when we walked in, and all of the sudden all these kids came running up to us and hugged our legs. We had that kind of reception everywhere we went.""
""We were all crying before we left because we couldn't believe the stories that these people had and told us straight-faced. The kids sat on our laps and told us stories from Kosovo and how their friends would come to school one day with an arm lost,"" Holm said.
""These people get so excited about everything that they've done, and they want to talk about it. The way that I harnessed all my energy when I got back from the trip was to join the committee and start planning these things,"" Holm said, who is now the director of Alternative Breaks.
The program expects to receive approximately 140 applications for the 100 spring break positions.
""We are looking for a wide array,"" Holm said. ""If someone says in their application that they've never done this kind of work before, then it's a great way to get their feet wet. But, if someone has a lot of experience with the populations we are working with, then they may have the opportunity to do that again.""
Applications are due Feb. 13, 2003, for the spring break trips. Applications are available at the Memorial Union Travel Center and the Morgridge Center in the Red Gym. An informational meeting will be held Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Union.
Sarah Hissom, the program advisor for the Morgridge Center and Alternative Breaks said, ""Volunteering is the best way to step into your community. I want all the students that go on these trips to have an experience that changes their lives in some way.\
