Do you have the same boring old plans for this year’s spring break? Why not spend the week off doing something that will make you feel great and provide an invaluable service those that lack the essentials in life we take for granted? If this idea sounds appealing, fear not. There is a way to get plenty of sun, enjoy the great outdoors and travel abroad this March.

No, it’s not a week vacation in the Caribbean. Those looking to do something out of the ordinary this year should consider the alternative spring break trip to Nicaragua, sponsored by the Albert Schweitzer Institute.

Those who take part in this experience will be stay with families in Leon, Nicaragua. Christina Hood, senior English and sociology major is one of the four students selected from last year’s trip to act as an organizational student leader.

“It’s a real learning experience; you get to see what the conditions are like for people living outside of the U.S in a poorer country and be compelled to make a difference,” Hood said. “[The experience] bonds people together very closely.”

Hood said students participating in the program can look forward to activities such as hiking up a volcano, touring a former prison and becoming totally immersed within the underdeveloped areas of the country.

Students can expect to get their hands dirty as most of their efforts will be spent building and planting vegetables for their Nicaraguan hosts.

“It’s fulfilling to know that you can have an impact and help provide homes and food for people in need,” Hood said. This is the third year that the Albert Schweitzer has sponsored a trip to Nicaragua and in the past, Quinnipiac students have also traveled to the elementary schools in the surrounding area to play with the children and deliver school supplies which the Quinnipiac students acquired prior to March.

Any student interested in this program must attend one of two information sessions; Wednesday, September 21 in Buckman Center 129 at 9:30 p.m. or Tuesday, September 27 in Buckman Theatre at 9:30 p.m. Sessions will be approximately one hour in length and will provide information regarding costs and fundraising opportunities.

Students with questions regarding the trip to Nicaragua are encouraged to email Christina Hood at [email protected].

As Hood suggests, “Follow the words of Mahatma Gandhi – be the change you want to see in the world.” Truer words were never spoken.