Students volunteer, travel

Stories of warm weather, beaches and parties are rampant among students the week after spring break. But for 45 IU students, this week has been one of reflection on their community service during their breaks.\nThe "alternative" spring breaks are part of three Collins Center courses offered in partnership with Residential Programs and Services. Students earn two College of Arts and Science credits for these six-week classes, which begin three weeks before break. This is the second year these courses have been offered.\nEach community service course in the Living and Learning Center focuses on a different topic, and the break offers students time to apply what they've learned in class to the real world. \n"My main interest is learning information, changing it into knowledge, and gaining wisdom out of that," said Russell Salmon, an associate professor emeritus who teaches one of the sections.\nIn Salmon's class, "Mexican Culture and Service," students learned about Mexico, focusing on Guanajuato, where they stayed this year during break. A host family provided housing for each of the students. Under the guidance of the Mexican state agency, Integral Development of the Family, students served and interacted with people in a community nursing home, preschool, rehabilitation clinic and the IU school of optometry eye clinic. \nJunior Jason Kotynski was assigned to the nursing home to visit residents. He said a103-year-old woman reminisced about the Mexican revolution with him and recited a poem from memory that he had learned in one of his Spanish classes.\n"The community service aspect gave me a perspective in life," Kotynski said. "I could step out of my problems and help people. It also inspired me to help people here in my community."\nFreshman Amy Swanson said the trip gave her insight into her future career, and she's eager to go back this summer. \n"I want to be a medical missionary and travel a lot, plus I like Spanish, so it was a perfect place to start," Swanson said.\nGraduate student Carla Teed's class, "There Are Children Here," headed to South Bend to Jim Langford's camp of the same name. The camp was developed in response to Alex Kotlowitz's book, "There Are No Children Here," in which he writes of the lives and hardships of two inner-city Chicago boys he studied for two years. \nThe class itself focuses on issues such as poverty, homelessness and joblessness that affect the livelihood of the children to which Langford devotes his camp. \n "Dr. Langford epitomizes the whole reason we do service learning," Teed said. "He has a very strong faith-based program that very few people have been able to pull off as successfully as he has."\n During the week, students interviewed a director of a community center and homeless center, talked with Langford, and visited some of the low-income public schools that serve the kids who attend the camp. At night, the students gathered in their cabin to reflect on the day's activities.\nThe trip affected freshman Erin White, who said she is now thinking of changing her major to or double majoring in social work. She said most of those who went on the trip feel the same way.\n"It was amazing. Dr. Langford is a walking inspiration," White said. "Sometimes I thought, 'I could be on a beach right now like most people at IU are,' but in the end, any time I would have spent laying in the sun or partying just appeared to be a waste of time."\nBloomington was also a site for community service during break. This was part of the "Adventures in Indiana" class taught by graduate student Rachel Galloway. Students are exposed to social issues such as poverty and domestic violence that face some children, and learn why adventure is necessary for a happy, healthy life. \n"Students learn to resist making assumptions about people," said Galloway. "Some kids face challenges in life, but every kid benefits from adventure at some point in their youth."\nThe class conducted a day camp for children of the Boys and Girls club and The Rise, a transitional housing facility for kids. Activities included a day at McCormick's Creek, swimming and a visit to the children's museum. \n"In college you get detached from people in other age groups," said freshman Andrea Cowden. "What would seem like a small accomplishment to a college student makes a big difference on a child's self esteem"