Spring Break for everyone!

While many students are packing their things to head off to exotic locations for their Spring Break, there are a number of students at the College that have decided to do something a little different. Instead of going to the beaches in Florida and the Caribbean, the Religious Life Office of the College, which includes Chapel, Newman and Hillel, has put together five alternative options for the upcoming week.Sixteen students will be traveling to Prague with Dr. Brian Mello, Assistant Professor of Political Science. The group will visit a number of spectacular and religious sites, and participate in studies and services. This is the second year that students have traveled to Prague on Spring Break.

Nine students will be traveling to Lexington, VA with David Rabold, Capital Projects Manager, to participate in Habitat for Humanity. Students will work on building projects with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. This is the fourth year that this trip has been put together for students.

Twelve students will be traveling to New Orleans with Beth Halpern, Director of Community Service and Civic Engagement. They will work on projects related to the recovery effort after Hurricane Katrina for the second year in a row.

About fifteen students will travel to Juarez, Mexico with Michelle Hummer, Leadership Gift Officer of the Development and Alumni Relations Office. This group plans to continue work from previous years, building a school and working on homes for members of the community. This is the fourth year for the Juarez trip.

The alternative Spring Break to Israel has ten students attending. They will visit holy sites of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Students will spend two nights in Yoav, Allentown's sister city in Israel where the trip participants will do service work at a residential treatment facility for troubled youth.

The trip itinerary was planned by and is being run by an Israeli tourism/education agency called Da'at. There will be a Da'at educator on the trip with the group at all times.

"I think that these trips are important because they allow students to see the world beyond their hometown, or Allentown. They also provide an opportunity to spend Spring Break providing service to a variety of communities in the US. And beyond," said Peter Bredlau, College Chaplain.