2008 Woodie Awards
Alternative Fall Break trip cancelled
By: Ashton Simmons
Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Each year, an Alternative Break trip has been offered to students during fall and spring breaks. This year, a trip to New Orleans was planned to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief, but was cancelled due to a lack of student interest.
The group would have participated in various relief efforts through Emergency Communities, a charitable organization which formed after the 2005 hurricane. The group would have volunteered at a free meal café for those still trying to recover from the disaster, helped rebuild houses and community buildings and worked with an after-school program.
Despite holding three interest meetings, only five people committed to the trip, said program director Valerie Rudolph.
"[If] everyone who attended the interest meeting had signed up for the trip, there would have been enough people," Rudolph said.
However, she said sending five students to New Orleans was not financially reasonable for the University.
Rudolph could not speak of previous years' attendance, as this is her second year as program director. She did say, however, that interest in the fall is generally lower. Last year's fall trip had eight students.
The lack of information available in the fliers posted around campus, as well as inefficient publicity regarding the interest meetings were reasons speculated by Rudolph. Despite this fall's lack of interest, Rudolph said the same trip might be proposed in the spring.
While the Alternative Break trip did not take place, 20 DePauw students did travel during fall break to Quito, Ecuador with the Timmy Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes global health care. Students worked with the organization Tierra Nueva to set up medical clinics and distribute medications in impoverished neighborhoods.
The Timmy Foundation is an Indianapolis-based organization, and although the organization is primarily focused on pre-med students, though the major is not a participation requirement.
"Not all the students were pre-med or bio-chemistry majors," said sophomore Darrin
Hinkle. "There were a lot of Spanish majors as well."
The trip has been held for the past two fall breaks, and Hinkel said he would recommend the trip to anyone. He plans to return next year.
"The trip was amazing. It was a good experience, like nothing you have ever seen, he said. "It showed me that some good can make a difference."
The group would have participated in various relief efforts through Emergency Communities, a charitable organization which formed after the 2005 hurricane. The group would have volunteered at a free meal café for those still trying to recover from the disaster, helped rebuild houses and community buildings and worked with an after-school program.
Despite holding three interest meetings, only five people committed to the trip, said program director Valerie Rudolph.
"[If] everyone who attended the interest meeting had signed up for the trip, there would have been enough people," Rudolph said.
However, she said sending five students to New Orleans was not financially reasonable for the University.
Rudolph could not speak of previous years' attendance, as this is her second year as program director. She did say, however, that interest in the fall is generally lower. Last year's fall trip had eight students.
The lack of information available in the fliers posted around campus, as well as inefficient publicity regarding the interest meetings were reasons speculated by Rudolph. Despite this fall's lack of interest, Rudolph said the same trip might be proposed in the spring.
While the Alternative Break trip did not take place, 20 DePauw students did travel during fall break to Quito, Ecuador with the Timmy Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes global health care. Students worked with the organization Tierra Nueva to set up medical clinics and distribute medications in impoverished neighborhoods.
The Timmy Foundation is an Indianapolis-based organization, and although the organization is primarily focused on pre-med students, though the major is not a participation requirement.
"Not all the students were pre-med or bio-chemistry majors," said sophomore Darrin
Hinkle. "There were a lot of Spanish majors as well."
The trip has been held for the past two fall breaks, and Hinkel said he would recommend the trip to anyone. He plans to return next year.
"The trip was amazing. It was a good experience, like nothing you have ever seen, he said. "It showed me that some good can make a difference."
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