Photo courtesy of Tabitha Phillips.
For all you students who are planning on binge-watching TV for your fall break, you may want to consider an alternative break option.
Alternative breaks are opportunities for students to give back and participate in service projects.
Spencer Richardson, a senior exercise science major from Hurricane and the alternative breaks coordinator, said Dixie State University is offering Lake Powell and Kanab trips that run Oct. 17-20.
If you choose to participate in the Lake Powell trip, you will be working with the city of Page, Arizona cleaning up hiking trails. If you find that Kanab is a better fit, you will be volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and help in making the living conditions better for the animals, Richardson said.
“Total, we have eight to 10 people for fall and we had a projected goal of 27 students,” Richardson said. “There is still room to grow for both trips.”
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Photo courtesy of Tabitha Phillips.
Richardson said the limit of students that can go to Kanab is 17, and the limit for Lake Powell is 12.
Kanab costs $150 and Lake Powell costs $250, which covers food, transportation and lodging.
Richardson said the Kanab trip has been in higher demand, possibly because of its cost, and a lot of people have been consistently signing up. This trip has also sold out every year prior.
For both of these trips you can expect to put in about two to five hours worth of volunteer work, but the rest of the time is yours, Richardson said.
“The purpose of these trips is to culture students, to give them something to grow and learn from, to see a need, and then learn how to fill it,” Richardson said.
Anilee Bundy, assistant director of student involvement and leadership, gives insight about her experience with being a part of this program.
“It is an opportunity for students to do something meaningful over their regularly scheduled spring and fall breaks,” Bundy said.
Bundy said she has seen this program positively affect students who were struggling during their time at DSU.
“I had the opportunity to see students who were considering leaving college participate in these trips and find renewed purpose and passion for [DSU] and go on to serve in leadership positions,” Bundy said.
This semester only local alternative breaks are offered, but in the past students have had the opportunity to participate in worldwide alternatives.
“I feel like a lot of us have the desire to serve but we don’t know how to go about it.”
Tabitha Phillips, junior physical therapy assistant major
Tabitha Phillips, a junior physical therapy assistant major from Santa Clara, said the first alternative trip she went on was to Puerto Rico during her freshman year, followed by Belize during her sophomore year.
“It was a great opportunity to serve people, but what I love most about it is that [DSU] made it easy for us to find service opportunities,” Phillips said. “I feel like a lot of us have the desire to serve but we don’t know how to go about it.”
Phillips said after she had the opportunity to do these projects, she felt more connected to the school and far more involved overall.
“It definitely gave me a new perspective and it made me realize how blessed I am and how there is so much that we can do to help others out there because we are so fortunate,” Phillips said.
If you are interested in an alternative break option, contact Richardson at [email protected] or visit his office located in the student government office in the Kenneth N. Gardner Student Center.
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