Rather than sneaking into SXSW shows or relaxing at home this spring break, participants of St. Edward’s University’s Alternative Spring Break program will soon be travelling with a group of St. Edward’s students to ten other cities to perform volunteer work. As part of the program, each of the ten groups is required to organize two fundraisers for the trip and participate in one community service project.

Each member in an ASB group takes on a certain duty by joining a committee. Each committee within a group must complete a task together like planning a menu of meals for the trip, educating the team about the their service area, organizing fundraisers and planning the team’s service project.

Some groups have already completed their service projects, while other “day-of-service committees” are still planning. Liza Manjarrez, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and Coordinator of the Spring Break Experience program, said, “Each group has catered their day of service to reflect the community they will work with on their (Service Break Experience).”

For example, the Urban Immersion ASB group who will be serving meals to Chicago’s homeless prepared goodie bags for the Keep Austin Caring Club, who will distribute the bags to homeless people in Austin.

Toward the end of last semester, all ASB group members began attending weekly meetings with their teams, coordinated by student leaders who will also attend the ASB trips. Ali Martinez, a sophomore leader of the Apache Awareness group traveling to Whiteriver, Arizona, said that weekly meetings are based around four pillars: building community, engaging in spirituality, doing justice and living simply.

“It’s crucial to teach your group the importance of each pillar so that they can go on the experience fully or mostly understanding what they’re doing and why,” Martinez said.

In addition to weekly meetings, ASB participants are required to meet other members of their team outside of the meetings for buddy-dates, which allows group members to learn more about each other before they depart on their trip together.

 Valentina Morales, a freshman traveling to Chicago with the Urban Immersion ASB group, enjoys the buddy-dates.

“On the dates you learn more about (other group members) than you do from the meetings,” Morales said.

On Jan. 31, the ASB program held a retreat in the Mabee Ballrooms for all Service Break Experience participants. 

During the retreat, students participated in community-building activities, learned more about their specific committees, and engaged in conversation about spirituality. They also had the chance to speak with former ASB participants who had gone on their trips.

Spring break is less than one month away and Manjarrez said, “in the weeks before departure, (the groups) focus more intently on the pillars. We commission ourselves to go out in service by reading our group’s mission statements and reminding ourselves that we represent the entire St. Ed’s community as we serve.”