The Hawk

Issue date: 3/14/07 Section: News

Student volunteers in Fries, Va. work to clean up thorny brush by an elementary school.

When the words "spring break" comes to mind, one cannot resist having thoughts of exotic locations, immaculate beaches, and wild nights. This is why it may seem foreign, maybe even absurd, to spend a vacation where there are decrepit, run-down trailers, abandoned trucks, and sullen streets.

Over 300 Saint Joseph's students and 15 adult supervisors witnessed such poverty and destitution this past week when they loaded into 43 vans, each heading to small, remote destinations through Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

This is the St. Joe's Appalachian Experience, a week-long opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a different culture in the more unimpressive regions of America. Here, students sacrifice their spring break to form relationships with the people of Appalachia as they help erect houses, renovate rooms, and construct porches and ramps, as well as help out at local soup kitchens and work with those who are impoverished and in need of assistance.

The program has had enormous success since its humble beginning nearly a decade ago.

"I didn't expect that so many students would be interested in the program this year," said Matt Fullmer, Immersion Program Coordinator. "We had 140 students more than we thought were going to go."

With such an unexpected jump in participants, Fullmer, along with his 27 student leaders, quickly began contacting sites. This year, there were 10 immersion locations spread out over three states: West Virginia (Wheeling and Franklin,a.k.a. Almost Heaven), Kentucky (Neon, Phelps, Cranks Creek, and Hazard), and Virginia (Raven, Hurley, Ivanhoe, and Fries, pronounced "freeze"). Soon, Fullmer and the student leaders began splitting the applicants into groups and the 2007 chapter of the program was underway.

The Appalachian Experience program extends from November all the way through spring break in March. During this time, students meet with their groups once a week to learn more about the town they will be working in, to get to know one another, and develop a sense of camaraderie. They also strategize on ways to raise the $300 per person fee to go to the Appalachian region. Letter writing and events like AE Rocks Out are just some of the ways students are able to cover most of their expenses. As the date of spring break nears, group meetings become more specific, informing students of what supplies they will need, their means of transportation, and other traveling information.

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