Service trip participants Clarissa Matthews, Sarah Indra, and Angie Shaffer help by using their sanders on a house. Submitted Photo
ASHLEY EVANS STAFF WRITER
Students volunteer for causes they believe in
The van fell silent as Sarah Indra and her fellow service trip participants drove through New Orleans’ Ninth Ward.
“It was really surreal. You never really expect how real it will be until you actually see it,” Indra said.
Now, two years later, Indra will return to the hurricane-ravaged city to continue to pick up the pieces.
Cleaning and construction
After the Hurricane Katrina hit, Indra said she saw the damage on television daily. Her passion to help the residents of the city is what keeps her returning.
“You’re not changing the world but you’re actually changing their lives,” she said.
Indra is one of 177 students participating on a trip over Winter Break, Renee Sedlacek, the service-learning coordinator, said.
Over one-third of students who participate in one service trip partake in another, Sedlacek said.
Indra’s journey to New Orleans will be her third service trip.
Her first week in New Orleans was spent cleaning out a house. Indra said she expects to see more completed projects now.
A change of scenery
Service trips aren’t only helping people over break. Now the earth is getting aid too.
Cara Rada, student leader of the trip to Moab, Utah, said students are becoming more aware about the environment.
“People are starting to realize the environment isn’t going to last forever. I think it’s important that we start trips like this,” Rada said.
Activities in Utah will include restoring the plateau by digging, planting and picking weeds, Rada said.
No environmental-related service trips took place last Winter Break. Rada said her and her co-leaders wanted to change that this year.
“We asked, ‘what could be better than an environmental trip with us bio-nerds?’ We could save the planet and have fun,” Rada said.
Natural disasters to the natural world
Both Rada and Indra realize one week isn’t enough time to solve their service trip issues, but both are determined to make their service trip experience as beneficial as possible.
“I am going to save the environment,” Rada said.