University of Memphis Alternative Spring Break 2014: Another Great Alternative Spring Break Experience

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Another Great Alternative Spring Break Experience

Hello, my name is Darian Perry. I am a sophomore at the University of Memphis pursuing a nursing degree. Also, I am the student coordinator for Alternative Spring Break Staycation. I can’t fully explain how great of an experience ASB Staycation was for me. Every day of ASB Staycation consisted of service, fun, and new experiences for every one of us. I am so thankful to have the group of people that participated in ASB Staycation because they are the ones who made this week a memorable one for me. Each and every one of the participants had their own personality which made the group diverse yet perfectly bonded. I admired their hard work and dedication which made every service project productive and successful. One of the greatest aspects of every service project we did was the fun that we had while serving. We really enjoyed each other’s company which made it easy for us to work together and make the best of every moment. After participating in ASB last year, I knew that Alternative Spring Break was going to be my plans for Spring Break this year. That is how much of a great experience ASB was for me! Being able to devote my entire Spring Break to serve in the community has been more fun and more memorable than any other Spring Break. I really urge students to participate in Alternative Spring Break. Not only are you serving the community, but you are getting the opportunity to experience new things that you never have before. While participating in ASB Staycation, I learned and experienced A LOT in Memphis. Memphis has so many different things to offer. Throughout the whole week, we were able to explore Memphis. When I say explore Memphis, we were able to get a “taste of Memphis” by going to different local restaurants/dessert places such as the Memphis Pizza Café, the Trolley Stop Market, A. Schwab, the Bar-B-Que Shop, Gus’s Fried Chicken, the Cheesecake Corner, Jerry’s Sno Cones, and Boscos. We were able to experience Memphis by doing a lot of things that Memphis is known for like going to see the Peabody Duck March, touring Beale Street/Cooper Young/ Overton Square, going to the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, taking photos at the three “I Love Memphis” walls (that was definitely an adventure), going on the Memphis

Riverboat Cruise, and going to see The Diary of Anne Frank at the Playhouse on the Square. The places we went to and the things we got to do most of us had never done before. I definitely enjoyed everything about ASB Staycation. It is great to know that there are other universities who have an ASB for their students. Thursday, we had an “ASB collaboration” with Sam Houston State University’s Alternative Spring Break

group serving for Promise Development Corporation. We were able to accomplish our task of tidying up a community garden that was buried beneath leaves, sticks, trash, and grass. We were all amazed at the beauty of the community garden after we had finished the project. Sam Houston State University was a great group of students and thanked us for letting them join our service project. Honestly, all thanks went to them because we definitely couldn’t have tackled that project as swiftly and successfully without their help. Our last service project was with Habitat for Humanity on Friday. They are gearing up for their 2014 Spring Build and we were able to take part in building one of the homes. Many of the participants were able to experience the hard work and dedication it takes to build a home. We participated in roofing, siding, and nailing. I honestly never want to see a hammer and nail again (laughing, but very serious). Overall, our hard work and dedication paid off after we saw the progress that was made toward the completion of the home. Looking back over the week, I must say that I am proud of the way ASB Staycation turned out. It was an AMAZING week!! I would like to give thanks to the people at Knowledge Quest, Shelby Farms, St. John’s Soup Kitchen, Door of Hope, Promise Development Corporation, and Habitat for Humanity for allowing us to serve with them and making their service projects a great experience for us!!! Also, I would like to give a special thank you to Latorria Griffith, our ASB Staycation Advisor, for getting us to our service projects and contributing to all the fun we had this week!

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The most impactful thing about ASB Destination was...

...helping; being of service
...(working with the) Lighthouse; that's the next generation
...an abundance of knowledge that I can take back home and share with others
...renewed motivation
...the selfless hearts of those on this trip and the appreciation showed by those we served
...helping the people of Greenville (housing)
...the group
...each project had a different dynamic that impacted me; the trip as a whole
...preparing learning tools for the kids
...packaging food
...each project offered educational components and I learned something at each
...kids
...Heifer Ranch--it only takes one step to get a domino effect going
...learning to appreciate cultural differences and learning to value differences more
...Heifer--to see how different other countries are
...the Greenville tour
...Little Rock Central High
...that Heifer's focus is on sustainability for future generations
...being with the kids; I could see myself in them and I never had anyone come work with me
...the video at Heifer Ranch

Today I Learned (Destination)...

...there are still good people in the world

...Greenville is really small, poverty stricken

...Greenville is where they make Uncle Ben's rice

...I have much to be grateful for

...to remain positive in every situation

...I can put the knowledge my dad passed to me to good use and teach others

...I have more patience than I thought

...what a deep socket is

...a bank in Greenville will sell foreclosed homes to the Greater Greenville Housing & Revitalization Association for $1.00

...we don't have to finish a task to help

...it's ok to get dirty for a good cause

...that there was a severe flood in Greenville in 1927

...a lot of people are willing to help the kids

...you can use lemon juice to clean a rabbit's fur

...you surround yourself with people and never really know how much you have in common until you really talk to them

...you have to have patience with kids

...how much extra Volunteers of America does for the kids (extra clothes, transportation to the center, washing machines, day trips)

...you feed off of the energy around you

...to look at the big picture

...Lighthouse learning system is a lot like Montessori schools

...the expectations placed on 5 year olds is much higher than when we were kids

...anything can be a team building experience

...about taking initiative and decision making; sometimes it doesn't matter how you get it done as long as you do it

...how important it is to stay positive around the kids

...you can really impact a kid in a short time

...that some people have never seen blue eyes

...that the direct, firm approach is sometimes best

...listening is just as important as being verbal

...confidence is a huge part of leadership

...even when I am not physically able to do work, I can still contribute

...that housing authority donates space to organizations like the lighthouse

...a lot about St. Patrick

...we have a lot in common

...in order to be a leader you have to be a follower

...to be resourceful

...it's ok to step outside your comfort zone

...getting out of my comfort zone has way more benefits than staying to myself

...military trains- civilians would ride and have to stay on for a day and would pretend to be married to soldiers so they could get off
...the Central High Museum gets 200 people per day
...a new level of gratitude
...to appreciate where I am
...that water buffalo and pigs don't sweat
...Heifer International is not a relief program
...in the 50's, segregated black schools had classes to learn how to be a maid
...about Feed America's network across the country
...about slums around the world
...Heifer animals stay alive and serve as food and income
...the 7 "M"s of what animals contribute to society (meat, milk, money, muscle, motivation, material, manure)
...not to live in the bubble of my perception of the world
...that animals contribute so much to a community
...a greater sense of appreciation for my education
...that people consume camels
...that manure can be used to produce biofuel
...how Heifer International stresses so much more than giving animals
...seniors are really serious about their sports
...seniors have an appreciation for youth, but have not lost theirs
...just because you're a senior citizen, doesn't mean you have to just be in your house
...your quality of life is seriously determined by the community in which you live
...all old people aren't grumpy
...about Meals on Wheels
...how to play Bean Bag Baseball
...a semi truck can get up to 115 mph
...how powerful community really is
...that Meals on Wheels deliveries run entirely on volunteers
...seniors like to have fun too
...that Arkansas is #1 in senior hunger

Today I Learned (Memphis)...

...Knowledge Quest is an after-school program provided to youth in Memphis to promote academic excellence and improve academic performance.
...people care about the youth and give back to the community in order to better someone's life.
...Knowledge Quest vision is to transform lives by expanding minds.
...the establishment and history of Knowledge Quest.
...the history of Shelby Farms.
...Shelby Farms Park once was the Shelby County Penal Farm.
...there are flat screens in the outside tent at Shelby Farms.
...Shelby Farms is the largest urban park in the nation.
...how to plant trees.
...Memphis is a rich city that people should go out and experience.
...homeless people are intelligent.
...there are a lot of churches in Memphis that serve the community.
...there are many different stuff to do in Memphis.
...the history of the Peabody Duck March and A. Schwab's.
...the history of music in Memphis at the Rock 'n' Soul Museum.
...about St. John's Soup Kitchen and what they do for the community.
...the location of the "I Love Memphis" walls
..."Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" you never know what people are going through.
...about Door of Hope and their residents.
...there are smart people who are homeless.
..."It could be me" and the residents of Door of Hope stories.
...about Promise Development Corporation.
...where Sam Houston State University is located.
...about Sam Houston State University's Alternative Spring Break and how it's organized.
...history of Memphis and the Mississippi River.
...the land that was later developed into the city of Memphis was bought for $1,000.
...a lot can be accomplished when working together.
...about Habitat for Humanity.
...about roofing.
...building a house takes a lot of work and dedication.
...the different aspects of building a house.
...where Jerry's Sno Cones is located.
...more about the story of Anne Frank.

Firsts

-Serving with Knowledge Quest (Memphis)
-Serving with Shelby Farms (Memphis)
-Eating pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe' (Memphis)
-Eating the buffalo chicken pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe' (Memphis)
-Decorating door hangers for classrooms at Knowledge Quest (Memphis)
-Doing the NaeNae dance (Memphis)
-Seeing LeMoyne-Owen College (Memphis)
-Serving with St. John's Soup Kitchen (Memphis)
-Seeing the famous Peabody Duck March (Memphis)
-Touring the Rock 'n' Soul Museum (Memphis)
-Going to the top balcony of the Madison Hotel (Memphis)
-Eating at the Trolley Stop Market (Memphis)
-Drinking floats at A. Schwab (Memphis)
-Riding in the trolley (Memphis)
-Touring certain parts of Beale Street (Memphis)
-Serving with Door of Hope (Memphis)
-Seeing all 3 of the "I Love Memphis" walls (Memphis)
-Going to the location of the Levitt Shell (Memphis)
-Walking the Greenline (Memphis)
-Eating at the Bar-B-Que Shop (Memphis)
-Eating Memphis Bar-B-Que (Memphis)
-Going to the Veterans Plaza (Memphis)
-Serving with Promise Development Corporation (Memphis)
-Meeting students from Sam Houston State University (Memphis)
-Eating Gus's Fried Chicken (Memphis)
-Having a picnic alongside the Mississippi River (Memphis)
-Making a public service announcement (Memphis)
-Riding on the Memphis Riverboat (Memphis)
-Eating cheesecake from the Cheesecake Corner (Memphis)
-Going to Brinsons (Memphis)
-Meeting students from Howard University (Memphis)
-Time in Greenville, MS (Destination)
-Trying chicken & waffles chips (Destination)
-Taking a van (Destination)
-Staying overnight with a large group (Destination)
-Pressure washing (Destination)
-Painting parking lines (Destination)
-Seeing police running (training) down the street (Destination)
-Time in Louisiana (Destination)
-Using a leaf blower (Destination)
-Staying in Mississippi (Destination)
-Realizing that Memphis is the same as other cities in a lot of ways (Destination)
-Cementing (Destination)
-Time in Shreveport (Destination)
-Conducting a field day (Destination)
-Seeing an 8-track tape (Destination)
-Trying Mahi Mahi (Destination)

-Being in an environment like Lighthouse (Destination)

-Stepping out of comfort zone to speak to seniors (Destination)

-Being in Little Rock (Destination)

-Not being physically able to do manual labor (Destination)

-Painting a room (Destination)

-Having an educated conversation about my field of work with someone (Destination)
-Time on a farm (Destination)
-Visiting (Little Rock) Central High School (Destination)
-Feeding a camel (Destination)
-Working at a food bank (Destination)
-Bean bag baseball (Destination)
-Frozen custard (Destination)
-Going to a senior center, not a nursing home or assisted living (Destination)
-Climbing a really tall ladder (Destination)
-Riding a lift (Destination)

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Another Great Alternative Spring Break Experience

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