Students Use Break to Make a Difference

The Student Life section of Utah State Today highlights work written by the talented student journalists at Utah State University. Each week, the editor selects a story that has been published in The Utah Statesman or the Hard News Café, or both, for inclusion in Utah State Today.

 

By Seth Brakcen in The Utah Statesman, Wednesday, March 4, 2009

 

Add Curticiba, Brazil, and Galveston, Texas, on the list of the hottest Spring Break locations for college students. Some USU students will be devoting their much-needed time off to helping others, said Lisa Vaughn, community service coordinator at USU.

 

“It’s an opportunity for students to get out of the everyday service,” Vaughn said. “This type of service really builds team work and leadership skills.”

 

Vaughn is a faculty adviser who will be going to Galveston to help with hurricane relief. Vaughn said there are 15 students going on the trip, and they have been doing fundraising for months. She said to become involved in a Spring Break trip of this caliber, students need to start thinking and signing up in fall semester.

 

Utah State has sponsored other similar trips in previous years to New Orleans, Hawaii and New York, Vaughn said. Each year the planning begins in the fall, or sometimes before fall semester even starts, she said.

 

Volunteers Involved in Development Abroad (VIDA) is an international service organization that began at Utah State and has been sponsoring Spring Break and other service trips since they formed seven years ago, said Jessica Cox, VIDA vice president.

 

This year, 14 VIDA members are going to Curticiba and Morretes, Brazil, Cox said. They will be there for nine days, she said.

 

They are planning on painting three schools, donating 150 school supply packets and 150 first aid packets, teaching some classes and playing games at the elementary schools and giving a presentation at Don Boscoe University, said Casey Allred, VIDA president.

 

“It’s a great organization,” Cox said. “It allows people to experience other cultures from outside of the United States.”

 

The club began at Utah State, but migrated to the University of Utah when the founders went to do their graduate studies, Allred said.

 

“We’re on our own and we basically started everything from scratch,” Allred said.

 

And while there are only 14 people going to Brazil, the club has about 70 members, Allred said.

 

“Recruitment was easy,” Allred said. “Once people realize what we do, they are excited to join.”

 

Cox said to raise money for the trip, the club held benefit dinners, a volleyball tournament and a dance competition.

 

“We’re still short,” Cox said. “It’s been really frustrating. With the economic times, no one is donating.”

 

VIDA is also involved in local charity organizations and plans to continue to serve the Cache Valley community, Cox said.