Hannah Kitt’s last spring break involved live pigs.
“We got to see lambs being born and we got to move pigs from place to place,” the Weinberg junior said. “But it was really about the exchange between Northwestern kids and individuals who we wouldn’t have an opportunity to meet otherwise.”
Kitt explained her experience working with recovering substance abusers on the Harvest Farm in Colorado during Alternative Student Breaks’ event Thursday night to release its spring-break sites.
Among the 16 new trips announced were the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Ala.; the Pace school for developmentally disabled children in Pittsburgh, Penn.; and the Mission Wolf sanctuary in Westcliffe, Colo.
The list of trips this year was mostly new, said Christopher D’Angelo, ASB’s public relations and street crew coordinator.
“We have a ton of new trips for people because we recognize that, as a freshman, you come on and then you get hooked, then you want something new to do,” the Weinberg senior said.
As new trips were released, the ASB veterans in the room discussed programs like Harvest Farm and Camp Heartland, a Minnesota camp that is devoted to “enhancing the lives of children impacted by HIV/AIDS.”
Communication freshman Kaitlin Southard talked about her time this winter working at Camp Heartland.
“The gratitude of the people there was amazing,” Southard said. “Even though we didn’t get to see the kids appreciate the floors we put in for them, it was worth it.”
D’Angelo said that all the ASB trips shared one thing in common: the thanks from communities they visited.
“What they really love about us is the kind of energetic and outgoing energy that we bring,” D’Angelo said. “I know every single trip that I’ve been on, they’ve been amazed that there are people like us that take their time off when they could be in Cancun.”
By placing a $50 deposit along with their application this year, students will be able to secure a spot in the program and be entered into a drawing to take their trip for free.
The system was designed to encourage a greater commitment to their ASB plans, said co-chairperson Maggie Cerjan, a Music junior.
The group also expressed concern about timing. Spring break is from March 22-30 and includes Easter, which falls on March 23.
While he said it was a concern, D’Angelo said winter trips ended three days before Christmas and it didn’t matter to participants.
“It was something we were a little concerned about but it didn’t turn out to be an issue,” D’Angelo said.
About 20 people attended the event. Many had already been on ASB or were involved in the group’s administration.
However, some people, such as Weinberg junior Elena Gordon, were interested in attending ASB for the first time.
“I want to do community service not for a couple hours a day, but really immersing myself in the work,” Gordon said. “I don’t remember the names of all (the programs), but I want to work with people, not animals.”
D’Angelo said that the evening’s turnout was as expected, and that he was enthusiastic about the quarter’s efforts.
“The ones that are excited about it are usually the ones that show up anyway,” he said. “The best policy for us is just getting people to talk to their friends.”
Applications for this spring break’s ASB trips are due the first week of February.
Reach Michael Gsovski at [email protected].
