| VIDEO |
 * Purdue University Residences students reflect on their 2007 spring break trip to rebuild Katrina-damaged homes. (3 minutes, 12 seconds) |
| RELATED INFO |
| * Purdue University Residences |
March 3, 2008
University Residences students head to Louisiana to rebuild Katrina-damaged homes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
Two busloads of volunteers will leave from Shreve Hall about 7:30 p.m. Friday (March 7). Teams will be sent for one week to two locations on the bayous south of New Orleans, Houma, La., and Dulac, La.
This is the third year that Purdue University Residences has participated in the Ultimate Spring Break Challenge project. Last year 59 students and staff gutted, drywalled and painted homes in New Orleans, including several homes in the hard-hit 9th Ward.
Trip adviser Sarah Casares, residential life manager at Hilltop Apartments, said the spring break project complements University Residences' mission of fostering citizenship and leadership in young adults.
"These immersion experiences have proven to be life-changing for the participants and provide an opportunity to reflect on the privileges that we have while helping those in need," Casares said. "I've seen students develop life skills and increase respect for themselves and others."
Each team member was required to attend multiple training sessions that covered teambuilding, cultural awareness and construction technology.
Head student team leader Kevin Tait, a sophomore in aviation technology from Warrenville, Ill., rebuilds aircraft in his classes. He enjoyed putting his mechanical skills to more down-to-earth purposes last year.
"I could have been sunbathing on a beach, but I was given the chance to make a difference," Tait said. "This year it's an opportunity to utilize what I have learned to make maximum impact."
The team assigned to Houma will live in the Good Earth Volunteer Village, a camp of huts erected by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to house the rotating bands of volunteers from around the nation. While in the largely Cajun community, the Purdue volunteers will partake in the local culture with swamp boat tours and an evening of Cajun dancing. The team in Dulac will live and work in a largely Native American community that has been heavily impacted by two hurricanes, Katrina and Rita.
Trip advisor Kristin Smith, residential life manager at Wiley Hall, led a tour of the Gulf Coast for some participants last year. They encountered extensive damage. Smith said she is pleased to be assigned to more rural areas that often have received less disaster relief than metropolitan areas. She said it's also a welcome opportunity to further explore life in one of the most colorful and diverse parts of the country.
"We purposefully build cultural interactions into these trips," Smith said. "Last year, students had several encounters with African-American culture while working in the neighborhoods, dining at local colleges or touring the French Quarter. Those were genuine highlights of the overall experience."
Student team leader Ben Carlisle, a junior from Indianapolis, particularly enjoyed the interpersonal aspects of the New Orleans trip.
"It's not every day that you get to smash down walls with a sledgehammer," Carlisle said. "But long after the dust settled and the photos were filed away, I'm still enjoying several relationships founded on that trip. "That's what has most impacted my life, and I think the same is true for many of the students who have been through this experience."
Trip participants cover large portions of their expenses. A series of fundraisers culminates on Friday (Feb. 29) when participants deliver previously purchased Krispy Kreme donuts to buyers across campus. The trip also is a candidate in the Grab Life, Give Life contest. The first philanthropic project to receive 20,000 votes at https://www.grablifegivelife.com/contest will receive $20,000.
Last year's trip gained state, regional and national media coverage along with personal thanks from New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a Purdue University graduate.
"Being recognized for doing good work is nice, but I didn't sign up for another week of dirt, sweat and sore muscles because of headlines," said Katie Krasowski, a junior in health and fitness from Schererville, Ind. "It's the smiles on the faces of people we helped that I'll always remember."Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Sarah Casares, (765) 494-2391, scasares@purdue.edu
Kristin Smith, (765) 494-2174, smith 237@purdue.edu
Kevin Tait, (630) 885-1011, ktait@purdue.edu
Ben Carlisle, (317) 691-7257, bcarlisl@purdue.edu
Katie Krasowski, (219) 614- 7921, kkrasows@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Kevin Tait, head student team leader for Purdue's Ultimate Spring Break Challenge 2008, knocks out a ceiling during University Residences' 2007 trip to New Orleans to help rebuild Katrina-damaged homes. (Purdue News Service file photo/Jim Schenke)
A publication-quality file photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2008/Tait-NewOrleans.jpg
Note to Journalists: Ultimate Spring Break Challenge volunteers leave by bus from Shreve Hall about 7:30 p.m. on Friday (March 7). Photo and interview opportunities are available. Similar opportunities will exist when the buses return on March 15. For more information, please contact Jim Schenke at (765) 494-6262.
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