UDaB participants return from spring break excited to share service experiences

8:31 a.m., April 10, 2012--Participants from University of Delaware Alternative Breaks (UDaB) gathered in Brown Lab Monday to share stories from their service experiences during the week of spring break.

This spring break marked the second year of the program, and the group sent students on five trips -- to New Orleans, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

Campus Stories

From graduates, faculty

As it neared time for the processional to open the University of Delaware Commencement ceremonies, graduating students and faculty members shared their feelings about what the event means to them.

Doctoral hooding

It was a day of triumph, cheers and collective relief as more than 160 students from 21 nations participated in the University of Delaware's Doctoral Hooding Convocation held Friday morning on The Green.

• Doctoral hooding
• Old Swedes
• Summer SAT, ACT prep
• 'Opus 13' pre-sale

Other spring break programs were also present at the event, including the representatives from the Presbyterian Campus Ministry’s trip to Honduras, representatives from the Honors Program trip to the Dominican Republic, representatives from the Hillel trip to New Orleans, and representatives from the Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry trip to South Carolina.

A few participants from each of the trips shared anecdotes from their experiences.  Ian Watkins, a participant in UDaB’s Habitat for Humanity trip to South Carolina, said he and the other participants helped roof a home for a woman who presently lived in a “beat-up trailer.” 

He said one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience was the appreciation the woman had for the service work of the UDaB students.  

“She said ‘When it rains, I’ll think of you,’” Watkins said. 

Becky Mongeau, a participant in the UDaB trip to Washington, D.C., said she also felt appreciated by the permanent staff at the group’s service site, Bright Beginnings, a pre-school for homeless children.  The UDaB group led the young children in educational activities inspired by popular children’s books such as The Rainbow Fish, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  

She said she was happy to have provided substantive service work to the school.  

“We tried to bring a new light in,” Mongeau said.

UDaB participants have also been spreading the word about their spring break trips through YouTube videos.  UDaB’s North Carolina trip site leader, Brie Scolaro, made a video What is UDaB North Carolina 2012 and George Weiler, a participant in the Tennessee trip, made UDaB Tennessee. All of the trips were commemorated in the UDaB 2012 video.

The North Carolina trip also created a music video of their trip to Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, and the video has been posted to YouTube and the artist’s Tumblr account.

Students can apply for next year’s UDaB executive board beginning Friday, April 13, and the application for site leaders will be opened April 21.  Applications can be accessed from the group’s website. 

Those interested in learning more about UDaB can also connect with the group by liking their Facebook page or following the group on Twitter.