2008 Woodie Awards
Appalachia changes up for Spring Break
Kate MacNair '08
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: News
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Last year the number of volunteers for the Appalachian Experience spiked at 370 students, but with this year's applications at a more expected amount of about 270 students, changes had to be made for this year's trip. Two sites have been dropped, Ivanhoe, VA and Hurley, VA, while two new sites have been added.
Last Sunday night, Sourin Lounge was abuzz with excitement as the 22 Appalachian Experience student leaders found out which site they would be placed at this year.
The student leaders chattered amongst themselves as they readied for the meeting, exclaiming, "Are you excited?" and "I'm so nervous." Throughout the meeting the leaders remained warm and chatty and discussed plans for the service trips to take place over the 2008 Spring Break.
Mary Hrycenko, '08, and Jim Ruddy, '08, co-coordinators of the Appalachian Experience with Head of Immersion Programs, Matt Fullmer, started the meeting by placing leaders in their committee assignment groups: finance, fundraising/transportation, immersion, and education/bringing it back. The leaders broke apart to brainstorm ideas for their assignments.
Finance will collect the money and produce a letterhead for a letter-writing campaign, while fundraising/transportation will raise money for the Experience and even organize "van clean-up." Immersion will arrange free time activities and T-shirt design, while the education group must find ways to bring back the experience one has on Appalachian Experience to campus in a positive way.
While the trip is fun, it is also educational and indeed an experience that the leaders feel should be shared upon return. They hope to create a relationship with weekly service at St. Joe's, making the Appalachian Experience one that students can carry with them throughout the year.
Hrycenko and Ruddy show their commitment to the program by helping Fullmer to rework the system from the point of view of the student leaders. With five leaders to a committee and about two leaders to each site, Hrycenko and Ruddy have their work cut out for them. Hrycenko explained that this year, "We wanted to change the structure and make it more organized. Last year there were just too many chefs in the kitchen."
Last Sunday night, Sourin Lounge was abuzz with excitement as the 22 Appalachian Experience student leaders found out which site they would be placed at this year.
The student leaders chattered amongst themselves as they readied for the meeting, exclaiming, "Are you excited?" and "I'm so nervous." Throughout the meeting the leaders remained warm and chatty and discussed plans for the service trips to take place over the 2008 Spring Break.
Mary Hrycenko, '08, and Jim Ruddy, '08, co-coordinators of the Appalachian Experience with Head of Immersion Programs, Matt Fullmer, started the meeting by placing leaders in their committee assignment groups: finance, fundraising/transportation, immersion, and education/bringing it back. The leaders broke apart to brainstorm ideas for their assignments.
Finance will collect the money and produce a letterhead for a letter-writing campaign, while fundraising/transportation will raise money for the Experience and even organize "van clean-up." Immersion will arrange free time activities and T-shirt design, while the education group must find ways to bring back the experience one has on Appalachian Experience to campus in a positive way.
While the trip is fun, it is also educational and indeed an experience that the leaders feel should be shared upon return. They hope to create a relationship with weekly service at St. Joe's, making the Appalachian Experience one that students can carry with them throughout the year.
Hrycenko and Ruddy show their commitment to the program by helping Fullmer to rework the system from the point of view of the student leaders. With five leaders to a committee and about two leaders to each site, Hrycenko and Ruddy have their work cut out for them. Hrycenko explained that this year, "We wanted to change the structure and make it more organized. Last year there were just too many chefs in the kitchen."
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