Still need ideas for your spring break? In the past, Whitman students have participated in an array of trips that included everything from humanitarian aid to meditation. Here, three Whitman students share past experiences that may inspire you.
Last spring, senior Jonathan Goldenberg helped organize a student trip to the Mexico-Arizona border sponsored by the student club Justice Beyond Borders. The students worked with the advocacy group No More Deaths to provide humanitarian aid to individuals in need of medical assistance in the Sonoran Desert, learning about critical immigration issues in the process.
“The combination of service and education has been really valuable,” said Goldenberg. “Learning about these issues is important because it helps focus future advocacy work.”
Goldenberg also helped organize and lead a 2008 spring break trip focused on immigration issues in the Pacific Northwest.
Senior Susannah Lowe spent her sophomore year spring break living for a week in a monastery. The trip was organized as part of an alternative break led by Whitman students. Life at the monastery was strictly organized; Mornings began early at 4:30 a.m. and included three to four hours of meditation, time spent doing outdoor chores and ritual meals, all led by the monk in residence.
“At first it was kind of a culture shock,” said Lowe, “but after a while I didn’t want to leave. The trip gave me the chance to really get to know the group of students and form a spiritual connection.”
Sophomore Kiley Wolff canoed on the Green River during a spring break trip to Southern Utah last year. The week-long trip was sponsored by the Whitman Outdoor Program and was student-planned and led. Going on a trip with the OP has its advantages, Wolff said.
“I didn’t have to do any work for it, planning-wise. All the planning was done, all the arrangements were made, which was really nice. I didn’t have to worry about any of that,” said Wolff.
Although the trip focused on canoeing, the students found time to hike, read and relax.
“It was pretty idyllic,” said Wolff.
