By ABBY BRAVO
Editor-In-Chief
The Office of Spiritual Life is entering their last chapter of spring break service trips with the college after decades of trips both domestically and internationally.
Throughout the years, the college has taken students on spring break service trips to multiple places such as Washington D.C. San Francisco, New Orleans, and Guatemala among other places. Now, for its final act of service, this year’s spring break trip is staying in Albany to work with Habitat for Humanity from March 2-6 to build homes for families in need.
Director of Spiritual Life Joan Horgan is heading this bittersweet “staycation,” as she calls it, and is encouraging Saint Rose students to help the dear neighbor one final time as a college community.
“Once we got the announcement of the college closing it felt differently important to say we can have this last semester be a time when we really try to shine, and not just trudge through and get out,” said Horgan.
Christine Hmiel Schudde, the executive director for Habitat for Humanity Capital District, is a former graduate of Saint Rose and is looking forward to working with current students. “Some of my finest memories are from working with my peers on service trips,” wrote Schudde in an email.
Shudde had been involved with Habitat for Humanity during her time at Saint Rose and stressed how much overlap. “ I hope that this experience, as the College’s final service trip, will inspire students to continue the Saint Rose legacy of service and justice,” she wrote.
Previous trips to Washington D.C. have had a great impact on students in the way they view various social issues such as food insecurity and homelessness. They are also able to form bonds with other Saint Rose students that they may not have known prior to these service trips.
A big aspect of the service trips that makes these bonds possible is that students spend most of their time together reflecting on what they have learned, having meals together, having nightly reflections, and simply getting to know one another. This atmosphere heavily contributes to the sense of community most feel on these trips.
Horgan wants to keep this same atmosphere even though the group will not be traveling. She hopes that students will be able to live together for the time that the build is taking place and have this same sense of community.
“Last year’s trip really made me open up and actually enjoy group service trips and hanging out with strangers who also love helping out,” wrote Milo Smedley, a junior who went on the service trip to Washington D.C. last spring. “This year I feel like it will be a bit more sad, but I’m still sure we’ll have a sense of community, and hopefully we’ll be able to help out as much as possible,” added Smedley.
Students will be able to meet the families they are building for and get to know them as the families will also be participating in the build. Horgan is also planning for an advocacy day where students will learn about affordable housing as well as get a chance to speak to New York elected officials about these issues.
The topic of affordable housing is a growing issue around the world. “In particular, at a time when we are losing our ‘home,’ our college home, we can do this thing where we are literally helping someone else have a home,” said Horgan.
She hopes that this will be a positive experience for students as they leave Saint Rose. “As many folks are leaving Albany, we wanted to do something concrete, to say that Albany is different because we were here,” said Horgan.
“Habitat brings people together to build homes, community and hope. Saint Rose students will bring that mission to life on the construction site,” wrote Schudde. “For more than 100 years, the College exemplified what it meant to care for our ‘dear neighbor,’ and I hope this Habitat build empowers students to carry that tradition forward.”
If students want to participate in this spring break experience a suggested fee of $50 used for food and transportation expenses is requested, but if students are unable to contribute the full amount reach out to Horgan to work out an alternative price. There are 10-15 spots total and a link to sign up is listed in the In The Know newsletter that is sent to students every Sunday. The deadline to sign up is Feb. 20, but can be flexible depending on the number of sign-ups at that time. Please contact Joan Horgan at horganj@strose.edu with any questions.
