Day 7: Radio Show, Newspaper, School, and Dinner Theatre

We woke up early in the morning at 6:00 am. Why? you may you ask. Because WE WERE GOING TO BE ON THE RADIO!!! Then we ate breakfast at 6:30 am and we left for the radio station. Danny G asked us each individually questions about where we from, what are our majors and how do we feel being in Bland. And it was so excited because this was the first time for each of us to be on the radio! We felt like we are kind of celebrity. Then we went to Enterprise News Paper based in Wytheville. One of the reporters interviewed us about what do we think about our experience in Bland and what we gain from this trip.

At 9:30 am, we went back to Bland High School again and helped with the librarians or Elementary School teachers whatever they need us to do. Some of us organized the high school library; some tutored 4th graders' reading, 6th graders' Math or 7th graders' science. We loved going back to the school, especially to see the 6th graders in Mrs. Blessing and Ms. Spurgeon's class. They were also very very very excited to see us back there at the school. Steph, Kemi, and Rachel went with the 6th graders to help them with math, and science. Manpreet, Sabrina, and Kelsie worked with Ms. Burton's 4th grade class. Mariel and Dianna worked hard in the library, Thomas and Matt helped the 7th grade class. Carah and Sarah took care of the 2nd grade class. Mr. & Mrs. Bolling brought us all a delicious lunch that we ate in the cafeteria.  When we all finished our work around 2:30 pm, some of us went to some of the classrooms to play Silence Game with the kids and it was a lot of fun! Before we left, the kids gave us big hugs...the biggest hugs in the world and told us they really appreciate what we did. They are so adorable. One of the boys even sending each of us a piece of paper with his name on and let us Facebook him!

Back at the camp site, we had reflection about what we got from this trip daily. Each of us had a better understanding about rural poverty and we were glad that we could help the community in whatever way we can. We are even more grateful for what we have. Then we prepared for our Theater Dinner!!!!!

We arrived at Wohlfahrt, the dinner theater, at 7:00 pm. We had two tables for our group. the food was great. first we had appetizers, the we had the main meal which was chicken, ham, potatoes, steamed vegetables. Before the show started the announcer gave our group: The University of Maryland Alternative Breaks" a shout out, and everyone clapped for us, then the show started. The show that was playing was "Southern Nights". It featured a group of performers based in the south who sung a variety of country songs. Some of our favorite songs were: Country Road, If I told you you had a good body would you hold it against, 40 hour week, song of the south, Island in the stream, tiger by the tale, my daddy's hands, Will the circle be unbroken-brought back memories. In between the show there was an intermission where they served dessert. For desert we had apple pie and ice cream, it was delicious. The play continued with more country songs and ended with "God Bless the USA" in an amazing finally where they dropped this 15ft American Flag. After the show we got to meet the performers who were very nice.

Then we headed back to camp laurel for our last reflection and our last night. We got back at 11pm. When we settled down we revealed our spies for our spy game we began at the beginning of the week. We were all very surprised at who our spies were. What was even more surprising was how much information they had on everyone and how much information we had on each other. Spies mentioned things that a lot of us forgot that we even talked about. Carah was Kemi's spy and she mentioned some cabin talks that were a little embarrassing(I tried to make cabin talks off limits but it didn't work). After the spy game we opened out letter to ourselves that we wrote before we left for the trip. We read these letters and picked out the views that changed, the expectations that were fulfilled, the accomplishments we made, what we gained and what we learned.  After we reviewed our accomplishments from the letters we all signed pledge cards. We pledged to get back home and do two things that would make an impact, then signed it. Each person had an individual specific pledge that they made.

Lastly, we called it a night...the last night, and all our tired bodies went to sleep.

­--Carah & Kemi 

Day 6: Bumblebees

This morning, we woke up to temperatures in the high teens and snow! As the rest of us were showering or sleeping, Diana was learning to make biscuits in the kitchen with Mr. Bowling. They were delicious with homemade apple butter.

After some initial delay and a lively game of Jenga, we were able to navigate the snowy roads and head out for the day.

We traveled to the Bland County Courthouse to meet with Drew Lumpkin from Senator Warner's office and Eric Workman, the County Administrator. The key point of our conversation was the emphasis on attachment to a sense of place for the people of Bland, Va. While we were introduced to familiar aspects of Bland, Virginia such as low income levels, it was surprising to learn that the unemployment level was low and that most citizens of Bland, VA prefer the lifestyle they already live. Since cost of living is low in this area, a low income earning isn't as bad as one would think. Still, the high unemployment rate complicates the availability of government assistance for those who actually need it.

We were also able to meet two representatives from the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SRCAP), Melissa Stephens and Maxine Waller. Although much of our trip planning is done in conjunction with Audra Repass, the Bland County project manager, SRCAP acts as a volunteer placement liaison for UMD AB programs. Mrs. Waller told us a story about research scientists who proved that bumblebees cannot actually fly because it is aerodynamically impossible. "A bumblebee's little bitty wings can't carry his big ol' fat butt," she told us. Then, she told us that we were all bumblebees, since we prove wrong the stereotypes about disinterested and uninvolved young people.

Next, we visited the Kissito Healthcare facility, where we played games, talked, constructed bead jewelry with the patients there. We heard stories from different residents, including Miss Ruby, who was 102, and Mr. Bob, who showed us his Emory and Henry College football championship ring. Miss Vicky made necklaces with us and told us about her many nieces and nephews, and the patients seemed to enjoy us as much as we enjoyed them.

Back at the camp, minister and musician Alan Ashworth joined us for a lasagna dinner, and we were fortunate enough to have him play numerous requests on his guitar. We originally planned to light a bonfire afterwards, but it turned out to be too cold and wet for such an occasion. We instead went straight through to reflection time and made three column value-practice-goals charts that emphasized the importance of alignment of one's ideology with daily life and eventually one's goals in life. In addition, we split up into two groups and debated whether or not international aid should be drastically cut. While Kelsey gave numerous strong arguments that seemed to dominate the debate, the debate allowed all of us to consider the issue more carefully and be more comfortable with our own positions of the particular issue.

At the end of the day, as we head through the snow and 19 degree wind back to our cabins, we look forward to tomorrow and our last full day in Bland, VA.

--Thomas and Sarah 

Day 5: Education and Music

Today we ventured to Bland Elementary, Middle, and High School. We were able to observe classrooms and interact with some of the students. We were involved with everything from working in computer labs to helping out at the book fair to playing with the youngsters on the playground. The kids that we worked with at Bland Elementary were some of the cutest kids we've ever met. Helping out at the book fair and working with them in the classroom was very rewarding and some of the kids even want us to be pen pals! We also talked with the principal who was very nice and told us about the school and what it's like to go to school in Bland County.

After we arrived back to camp, we ate a delicious dinner (hamburgers and snickerdoodles!!!) and headed out for some great southern-style rock music played by Pastor Alan and his other band members at Central Church. The drive to the church was very beautiful and we got to see more of the area and farmland surrounding Bland.

The music was wonderful and the band played many different types of songs from country and bluegrass to rock. The four men in the band were funny and were happy to tell us about their lives in Bland and about the lifestyles of the people in Bland County. It was very interesting to be able to learn more about Bland through the eyes of the locals and what makes life here unique. All of the men (and all of the other people we've met here) love the area and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Overall it was a great day and we're excited for tomorrow!

-Keslie and Diana

Day 4: Best Day Ever

We woke up today to lovely weather and thankfully no rain. We all headed to the dining building for a delicious breakfast of sausage, bacon, pancakes, and fruit loops. After breakfast we piled into the van and went to the ministry center. It was DeDe's 50th birthday so the other volunteers had planned a surprise and decorated her office. We all sang happy birthday to her and then got right to work. We split up into different groups where some people helped with the clothes closet, some people helped unpack food, and others worked in the office.

The people at the ministry center were extremely friendly and it was fun getting to know them. Matt and Thomas worked the food drive and trashed the empty boxes. The entire group set up tables for all the food and created a conveyor belt where all the food was passed down. The people coming to the food drive would give their ticket to Ed and then the group loaded up their cars with boxes of food.

Kemi and Steph worked in the office answering phones for the ministry center and helped clean DeDe's office. Dede and the other volunteers were so thankful for the help and it felt really rewarding to be able to help them with their great cause. Also Diana, Sabrina, Rachel and Steph worked in the warehouse organizing boxes and boxes of things. The team really DEPENDED on us to get the job done and we tried to do it with as much POISE as possible.

After breaking for lunch, a big trunk came in from Charlotte, North Carolina. The company that sent it was called Blanket Ministries and together we helped to unload it. It was filled with clothes and furniture from families that donated it. At first it seemed like it would take forever to unload the trunk since it was huge, but together we got it done and afterwards it felt like we had accomplished so much.

We traveled to Cascade Falls for a scenic four mile hike. Matt took 50 pictures of all the girls once we reached the waterfall after 2 miles. When hiking up to the waterfall we decided to take the harder path and then coming back from it we split up. At the waterfall we reflected and admired how beautiful it was. During reflection we discussed current events and social issues along with stereotypes of different ethnicities, genders, and ages. We then enjoyed a fantastic dinner and finished our food within minutes because we were all starving. Overall, it was our favorite day of the trip so far because we did so much and felt like we really made a difference volunteering! Can't wait for tomorrow!

P.S. we tried a trick on YouTube out. We lit a piece of newspaper and put it in a bottle and then put a hardboiled egg on top of the bottle.  A miracle occurred and the egg was pulled through the bottleneck!!

Matt and Steph :) 

Day 3: Game Night

We've only been here for two days and it feels like we've known each other for such a long time! It's ridiculous! We thought the early morning wake up would be hard, but who knew that 7:00 wasn't all that early!? The weather is getting a lot better or maybe we're just getting used to the cold... This morning we were SHOWERED with tasty food: biscuits, pancakes, sausage, bacon, the list goes on =) Singing in the van isn't as bad when you have someone accompanying you.  It sure doesn't help though when Thomas is filming it. Not to call him out or anything, but he also has a knack for switching radio stations from Avril Lavigne to classic rock...yay hotel California.

We met a nice lady named Pat Nelson (and her snappy dog Chloe), who needed help renovating her house and patching it up. After a few minutes of work, we realized how much it meant to her to have company, just people around to talk to. It sounded like she needed more than just physical support, but emotional as well. Painting was an interesting experience for all of us, especially Chloe the terrier who seemed to suspect the roller of illicit activities...mainly dripping on the carpet. Good call, Chloe. (shoutout#2).

The painting was interesting because we found a couple different colors we weren't expecting (who knew purple paint could turn white?!?) and we also found some interesting aspects of Ms. Nelson's life that caught our eyes. Hellooooo class of '87 yearbook! Her daughter was homecoming queen and cheerleader that year, and we could all see Ms. Nelson's face light up when she talked about her. That, and just generally when she talked about her family it always seemed with loving care and attachment. One of the things that Deedee the Ministry Center manager told us was that even though Ms. Nelson had family (that even lived across the street from her), that didn't mean that she was getting the help she needed. It was for this reason that we noticed how thoughtfully she talked about her family.

At the end of the day, we received our lovely service shirts from ASB. The quote was very thought-provoking. So thought-provoking in fact that our mental faculties were on point when it came to playing the game "mafia". Highlights: Diana always seemed to hear people moving as a tip-off for when they were mafia; Manpreet's suspicious silence and Kemi's ridiculous laughter were polar opposites, and gave them away almost immediately; there was only one time when the townspeople won....good job guys.

Excited for more Bland Ministry Center tomorrow!

Deuces, Mariel and Sabrina

Day 2: Thanksgiving

The morning started with everyone enjoying a delicious breakfast from Mr. and Mrs. Bollings. Then we tried to leave for church, but the van got stuck in the mud. We got to enjoy an impromptu team building exercise by pushing the massive 12 person van out of the mud. It was exhilarating. When we finally made it to church, we were surprised by how small and closeknit the congregation was. There were about 18 people not including us, and none were below the age of 40. Additionally, everyone knew each other by name and everyone was very excited that we were there. 

After church, we came to Camp Laurel for lunch, another hit by the Bollings. Then, we drove to the Bloomin' Idiots Greenhouses, a ten year old wholesale distributor of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. They also own 500-600 acres of farmland, including Red Angus cows, goats, chickens, and ducks. They were nice enough to let us terrorize their chickens and take pictures of their livestock. Some of us were brave/lucky enough to hold some of their chickens. Kelsie became best friends with one of their cats. The cat jumped on her and wouldn't let her go, in a good way. The owners were incredibly nice people and even made brownies for our group. We all really enjoyed seeing the farm and hearing stories about the farm lifestyle. 

When we came back from the greenhouses, we were welcomed by the Bollings with a Thanksgiving feast, except instead of pumpkin pie, we had amazing peach cobbler and ice cream. Then, we all needed a short break to digest before our reflection time. We watched a short video presenting statistics on rural and agricultural aspects of poverty in the United States. We then got artistic and drew pictures that represented the terms community, service, and poverty. We compared the dictionary definition for these terms to our personal representations of them. Finally, we divided the group in half, and each team was asked to prepare a skit that represented a quote:

"Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be unlocked from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another either by argument or by emotional appeal." - Marily Ferguson. 

The other group prepared a skit involving a "cold" group member who didn't want anyone else's coat/help from anyone else. Rather, she wanted to make the choice to get her own coat for herself. Our group, clearly the better one, decided to represent the quote with the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Piggies. First, the wolf asked the piggies nicely for sugar (like in the Wolf's Perspective) and when they said no then he resorted to huffing and puffing to get past their gate. So in this case, the asking for sugar represented emotional appeal while huffing and puffing represented the argument. Either way, unlike the children's story, the gate (house) never fell down because the piggies never said yes. This then led to a discussion about the quote and how it related to rural poverty. As a group we decided that people can be given help, but they also have the choice to decide they want the help, and that's what really makes the difference. 

            BED TIME! at 9:30....................

            BUT WE'RE HAVING SO MUCH FUN! And we are really excited to actually go work with the community of Bland tomorrow!

-Rachel and Manpreet <3 

Meeting the Community

Today was the first day that we actually went to the town of Bland and got a chance to work with the community! The community atmosphere that you feel when you come to a small town like Bland, Virginia is unbelievable. Everyone is very friendly and concerned about each others well being!

Yesterday when we went to the Blooming Idiots farm we were trying to find the right place to park our van, when all of a sudden the couple in the car behind us pulled up next to us because we may have looked a little lost and they asked "Do you guys know where you are going? We can help." The willingness that people here have to help their family, friends, and even strangers amazes me!

Before first arriving to Bland on Saturday I had heard that small communities were always very friendly and close knit! But to experience this was completly different. On Sunday we went to church with the Bollings and everyone in the church knew who everyone was and everyone cared for each others well being! This certain characteristic of a community is hard to find in a group of people that are always concerned about their individual lives and problems! It is refreshing to meet a community that is genuinely happy to help and accommodate everyone!

Today we went to Mrs. Pat Nelson's house to paint the ceilings and walls in her home! While we were painting we were rewarded with stories of Mrs. Nelson's family and childhood! She was a very sweet lady who was very happy to have us there helping her! She also told us a story about how there was a big mamma bear and her three little cubs outside across the street from her house!

It's personal stories like these about families and childhoods that I hear from the community that make me realize how truly lucky I am to be here in a community like Bland helping the people I am this week!

-Manpreet

Day 1: Saturday

The morning started out with everyone meeting in Lot 1, talking about people forgetting their pillows and ways to improvise a pillow. The participants came up with using towels and sweaters as improvisations for pillows. When we got on the road mostly everyone fell asleep, and then once the mountains came into view everyone could not look away from the view. We arrived at our housing location of Camp Laurel and were given a warm welcome by two very adorable dogs. Then we had a serious competition of playing Taboo. The we were provided with a delicious feast by Mr. and Mrs. Bollings.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens, can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

This quote was brought about by Sarah our staff advisor, during our discussion on Healthcare after we watched this video http://www.visionproject.org/documentary_film/crossroads.htm. During this video we were introduced to Roslain a single member of a community who traveled around to rural areas in Mississippi to look for people in the area who needed healthcare. These people in the rural backwoods of Mississippi are forgotten individuals, hidden for societal recognition, and in need of the generous assistance. She is an example of a individual striving to make a difference.  Often times we depend on our government (supreme court, president, congress) to make changes on the issue of healthcare. In reality, individuals like Rosalin and the small group that Margaret Mead described in the quote are the ones that are making a difference, caring for these people, and changing the world.

One of our arguments that followed this discussion centered around the question, "Whose responsibility is it? Is it the Governments or Individuals?

            -Mariel argued that it was both, that one person cannot change everything, that the responsibility needed to be a joint effort, with a satisfactory equilibrium: no one group having to carry that entire burden.

The quote on the back of our Alternative Breaks 2013 trip t-shirt has a quote that concludes this argument. It says, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." -Edward Everett Hale

After our discussion on the rural healthcare documentary we did a activity called Winnie the Pooh and Friends Characteristics Contributing to the Community. With this activity we had each of the group members go stand next to a description of one of the Winnie the Pooh characters. Then we had everyone explain why they fit those characteristics, and how each of those characters all worked in a group dynamic. Each of these characters also plays a role in the social issue of rural poverty.

Group Member Characters:

Tigger:

• Rachel
• Stephanie
• Mariel

Pooh:

• Sabrina
• Carah
• Diana

Roo:

• Thomas

Gopher:

• Matt

Christopher Robin:

• Sarah

Kanga:

• Kelsie

·        One example is the Winnie the Pooh character of Rabbit plays the devils advocate, who has the willingness to admit when he is wrong, provides blunt/ frank/ honest perspective, brings order, detail and regulation to the group. People who consider themselves the Rabbit character are able to consider the other side of a argument, and in terms of rural poverty this is important because then we will not get a one- sided view of the social  issue. Rural poverty has many different facets that go unnoticed by the public and it is important to have people in our society that are able to stand apart from a group and express their viewpoints to different groups of people. The point of this exercise is to show  our group of participants that each character that they chose has positive qualities that can be used to benefit the education and community service aspects of this trip.

-Manpreet and Kemi

Sarah can't sleep...

I think I am finally packed, but now I am not sure I will be able to sleep. I'm too nervous and excited.

I am nervous and excited about the week ahead, about helping with home repairs and hiking in the mountains, unloading trucks and visiting waterfalls, about spending time with children in schools and community elders in a retirement home. I am excited about being immersed in the community in Bland, and I am also excited about the community we will create as an AB team. I am excited that spring is here: the daffodils are blooming. 

I know that one of the best parts of the AB experience is the changes people undergo during the week. We will learn about issues that are unfamiliar and challenging, and we will start to think about how those issues ripple out into the world beyond Bland and our lives beyond Spring Break. We will go from being individual strangers to being a community of friends. I am looking forward to this kind of change.

And, 8:30 AM will be here soon, I am also looking forward to—maybe—getting some sleep. 

My hiking friend and me!

Hi! My name is Yiwen Kong and you can call me Carah. I was born and raised in Guangzhou, China (as some may know it as Canton). So I speak Cantonese, Mandarin and English. I am now learning Korean and plan to study Japanese, French or Spanish in the future. I know...it seems like a lifelong plan... but I have a lifetime to do it! Languages always interest me. ;)

I came to the United States six months ago for my grad studies. Now I am a student in Robert H. Smith School of Business and the focus area is internal auditing. Back in college, my major is accounting, with a minor in translation and interpreting. I am kind of outdoor person and love getting to know people from different culture backgrounds. This is my first and last Spring Break in UMD and I choose to attend the AB program because I want to experience the American culture of community service. Also, rural property in U.S. is a really meaningful and interesting issue. I hope I can know more about America in all perspectives before I come back to my home country.

Hi everyone! That's me on the far right! My name is Rachel, I'm a senior biology major, but I'm not graduating until December. I plan on attending physical therapy school after I graduate. I was an alternate before and was just added to the trip, I'm so excited! I've never done a ASB trip before but this is my last undergraduate spring break and I wanted to do something a little more meaningful than laying on a beach somewhere.
I love reading, running, and hanging out with friends. My favorite movie is probably She's the Man, and I quote it pretty often. I'm a pretty outgoing person but I can start out pretty shy. I can't wait to get to know you all!

Artifacts Participants Found on Rural Poverty

At our Second Pre- Trip Meeting today the participants shared the different artifacts that they had found on rural poverty.

The first article that was shared talked about how having electricity is a rare thing in many towns that are rural. Many people come to America for the American Dream but many people are suprised when they are living in trailers without any electricity or running water. The large percent of the people in poverty are minorities. There are 46 million people were under the poverty line this is a really shocking statistic and that is about 12.5% of the America population.

Page on Virginia:
-The population has been increasing but the income of the people has not been increasing along

Reasons for high increase in population in Rural Communities:
-The cost of living is better.
-Cheaper cost of land.
-When people leave the cities for the suburbs the population inside the city drops and that causes the lower income families to be stuck in the city because they are unable to afford moving out of the city.

The population in rural areas is the people that were born there and are not able to leave the area. Rural poverty is not just in America but also in other countries across the globe. In one article it stated that 70% of all poverty areas worldwide are rural and it is increasingly prevalent in third world countries such as South Africa and in Southern Asia.

Most people do not get out of rural areas because of financial risks and risks about not knowing what to grow.

Government:
-The more corrupt the government is the more poor the citizens of that community will be because of the poor allocation of funds.
- Even in America we believe our nation is helping everyone but we do not really know where all of the money is going.

It takes people doing something about the issue for there to be a change. It is easy for people to donate money to an issue but sometimes we do not know where the money is actually going. By doing something about the issue we can see the change in the way things are going to be.

Me (on the left) and my roommate!

HI! My name is Diana and I'm a sophomore here at Maryland. I'm majoring in Kinesiology and planning to go to grad school to become a physical therapist. I've been doing gymnastics since I was 4 and I continue to compete here on the club team. I love hanging out with my friends, my favorite color is blue, and I wish I could have a bunch of pets on campus. I usually go to Florida over my spring breaks, however this year I'm really looking forward to going on this trip to Bland, VA and helping to improve people's lives in a community. I am interested to interact with people in the community and listen to their stories. I hope to learn a lot from this experience and gain a new perspective on my life.

Hi, my name is Mariel Falcon! I'm a sophomore student here at the University of Maryland, and I'm majoring in Kinesiology, with a minor in French Studies. I'm also taking some Biology and pre-med recommended courses because I'm in denial that I can't study everything in college. I have a few aspirations for all of that: I might want to apply to biology or kinesiology graduate programs, or maybe some similar research programs. Another thing that interests me would maybe be to teach at the university level some day!

Annapolis, Maryland is my hometown and has been my entire life--I love it there. It's a pretty little marina "city", and even though it is the capital of Maryland, I think it's a little more like a town than a city. Still, though, I love it. College Park has been quite a transition for me, and although I love the university to death, I definitely miss my hometown sometimes.

Some things I'm involved in on campus include: being a tour guide with the group Maryland Images, a team mentor in the one of the planning committees in the Relay for Life group (a philanthropy event for the American Cancer Society), and I also play intramural soccer with some friends one or two times a week. All of those activities are very important pastimes to me, and have helped shape who I am. Relay for Life especially, I think, applies to my participation in this alternative spring break trip. This will be my first time participating in such a trip, and I'm excited! Helping plan for the Relay for Life events on campus has definitely given me a little background in philanthropy, and I can't wait to apply those skills to another worthy cause--rural poverty. The picture above, actually, is one of my Relay team and I last year walking the first lap around the track (I'm in the pink shorts!). In particular I'm interested in learning how we can make a visible difference in the community we'll be visiting (Bland, VA). Even though we are easily able to see large-scale effects of financial support, educational support, etc., I believe that little, personal contributions can help change a community for the better, and hopefully our group can prove this belief correct!

Hey everybody! My name's Sabrina Coaxum and I'm a freshman majoring in life (first and foremost) and looking into becoming a biology major. Here are a few facts about me: I'm an aquarius, I was born in College Park, MD and have considered myself a Terp since day one =]. I am a middle child with a younger sister who's almost 7 inches taller than me, but don't be fooled by my height. (My friends call me a ball of energy!) I'm super excited to go on the ASB trip to Bland, VA! Mostly because I love traveling and community service. Community service has been a part of my life since before I can even remember and I look forward to this trip being the begining of many other fun college experiences at UMCP!

This is me with my two older brothers.

Hey, I'm Steph! I'm a sophomore Electrical Engineering Major here at Maryland. I was born in Baltimore and I've lived in Maryland my whole life so I'm a huge Ravens fan and am super excited about the upcoming Super Bowl. Here on campus I'm involved in Greek life and am a sister of the Delta Gamma Fraternity. In addition I'm in University Honors and am a representative of the Honors College in the University of Maryland Student Programming Council. A little bit more about myself, I've danced for 9 years and played basketball for 6. In addition in high school I was on my school's cheerleading squad for 4 years and even became captain my senior year. I have two older brothers and I'm the youngest, but I'm part of a huge extended family where I even have double cousins because my mom's sister married my dad's brother. I'm really excited about our trip this spring break to Bland, VA. I've heard so much about alternative breaks and how fun and rewarding they are. I knew that I wanted to spend my spring break doing something and I'm glad to get more involved with community service.

@ Hawaii

My name is Thomas. I’m a junior majoring in physiology and neurobiology with aspirations of becoming a health care provider. A little background: I was born in South Korea and came to the United States at the age of 3, eventually settling down in Potomac, MD and quite recently, West Friendship, MD. I’ve been a violinist for 9 years, martial artist for 6 years, and part of a dying but proud breed of stickshift drivers for 5 years. When not consumed by school or work, I enjoy weightlifting and find it to be one of life’s great stress relievers.

            Community service has been a big part of my life ever since the sixth grade. Meeting diverse individuals in my community who I otherwise would never have met has always been an eye-opening experience. The numerous interactions I have had with the people I have served have kept me grounded and humble throughout my upbringing. It’s put my life in the context of others and affects the choices I make every day.

            I have had previous experiences with rural poverty in other third world countries but never in the United States. It is why I listed Bland, Virginia as one of my top choices. I think it’ll be very interesting to learn about the economical, social, and political issues that relate to the sources of rural poverty in Bland, Virginia. I especially look forward to learning about the daily lifestyles the people of Bland, Virginia go through and what dreams, aspirations, stories they may have.  

 

(Picture of me and Mike, who owns the gym I go to)

Hi, I'm Matt Wong, and I am a freshman here at Maryland.  I’m from Rockville, Maryland, and I am currently undecided, but plan to declare as a chemical engineering major at the end of the spring semester.  I am really excited for my engineering class this semester because we will be building a hovercraft.  It is both challenging and fun.  This is my first time doing an alternative break and I am excited to make an impact on a community.  I played football in high school and I am a huge Ravens fan.  Ray Lewis is my favorite player of all time and I can’t wait for the super bowl.  This is my first time doing an alternative break and I am excited to make an impact on a community.  I have never done a lot of community service and I am looking forward to learning more about poverty, and applying that to other service projects in our area. 

Kemi Ageh, Trip Leader

 

 Picture[Me (on the left), My Sister, and My Cousin]

Ciao! My name is Kemi Ageh, I am a junior Geography major. Speaking of Major, I have a confession to make. I have a Major addiction to Kit Kat candy bars, I think there is something in them, besides the thin crispy wafers covered in rich milk chocolate , that makes them really scrumptious and irresistible . Now that that’s out of the way , I live off campus with my sometimes wonderful, sometimes annoying family that I love sometimes(just kidding they’re annoying all of the time and I love them like crazy). My favorite colors are Pink and Orange. I ate squid once and unfortunately it tasted like a rubber band. I am the other trip leader for the ASB to Bland, Virginia on the social issue of Rural Poverty. I am an outdoors kind of person, being inside too long makes me crazy, so I like to consider myself as an explorer. This will be my second time going on an alternative breaks trip; I attended the trip to the Chesapeake Bay last spring break (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dES-PNZgZBE). This is my first time as a trip leader, I am incredibly excited to further explore the causes and implications of rural poverty in Bland, Virginia with everyone; to see how the community is impacted and to complete service and volunteer work in anyway the community requires. Not to mention having loads of fun while doing so.

I love the passion that all of the Alternative Breaks’ trip leaders and participants have for service and I’m very excited to be a part of that.