Spring Break means service-learning for Huntington College students
Huntington, Ind. " For many college students, Spring Break is a time for relaxation, rejuvenation and fun. Dozens of Huntington College students, however, will invest their time away from school serving the needs of others.
Every spring break, Huntington College's Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service offers students a variety of service-learning trips in the United States and abroad. During Spring Break 2000, (March 10-19), Huntington College student teams will serve in Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Northern Ireland, Mexico, and New Mexico.
Sixteen Huntington College students and two staff members will travel to the Haiti. The team will conduct Vacation Bible Schools each morning in different villages of the Caribbean nation. In the afternoons, the team will participate in a variety of work projects at Hope Missions. The Haiti team includes:
Emily Baer, Junior, Business Management, Archbold, OH
Leanne Carsten, Sophomore, Oral Communication, Ft. Wayne, IN
Julia Dungan, Junior, Graphic Design, Greenfield, IN
Cristina Gascho, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Archbold, OH
David Kline, Sophomore, Education Ministries, Huntington, IN
Sarah Lightcap, Senior, Psychology, Woodburn, IN
Tiffany Lloyd, Senior, Educational Ministries, Huntington, IN
Molly McLean, Freshman, Elementary Education, Toledo, OH
Josh Middleton, Freshman, Graphic Design, Sugar Land, TX
Kristy Miller, Sophomore, Educational Ministries, Nappanee, IN
Erin Predergast, Senior, Art Education, Huntingdon, PA
Troy Sands, Senior, Business Management, Goshen, IN
Andy Senter, Sophomore, undecided major, Sikeston, MO
Layla Slowik, Freshman, Youth Ministries, Fowlerville, MI
Kristin Smurdon, Junior, Art Education, Valparaiso, IN
Eva Swan, Junior, Communications, Campbellsville, KY
Sam Ward, Admissions Counselor, Huntington, IN (Staff advisor)
Sara Ward, Library Assistant, Huntington, IN (Staff advisor)
Another Huntington College team will serve in Highgate, Jamaica. The group will work with Christian Service International (CSI) to build two small houses for impoverished families. The Small House Project was started several years ago by CSI in response to the desperate need of many families for housing, especially following Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Since then, CSI has built over 100 houses, including six by past Huntington College service teams.
Dr. Norris Friesen, director of many such trips to Jamaica, explained that when service teams have built houses in the past, the actual building process became a local spectator sport in the community. This enabled the college students to build positive relationships with many Jamaicans.
In addition to the house building project, the team will visit youngsters at two nearby orphanages, the Lyndale Home for Girls and the Swift Parcell Home for Boys.
The Huntington College Jamaica team includes:
Dustin Abshire, Junior, Youth Ministries, Markleville, IN
Mindy Arnold, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Huntington, IN
Jennifer Bowman, Junior, Biology, Peru, IN
Christine Brunicon, Sophomore, Business Education, Kouts, IN
Kevin Byerley, Senior, Recreation Management, Ft. Wayne, IN
Melinda Cook, Sophomore, Psychology, Huntington, IN
Angela Dickson, Junior, Psychology, Huntingburg, IN
Andrea Dunbar, Freshman, Psychology, Montague, MI
Norris Friesen, Dean of Students, Huntington, IN
Jennifer Hill, Junior, Elementary Education, Archbold, OH
Carissa Huber, Junior, Elementary Education, Archbold, OH
Kara Kauffman, Freshman, Psychology, Ashland, OH
Jeffrey Keiser, Sophomore, Educational Ministries, Knox, IN
Melissa Kendall, Senior, Elementary Education, New Castle, IN
Bartholomew Koester, Freshman, Youth Ministries, Watseka, IL
Clara Masters, Sophomore, undecided major, Bryan, OH
Rebecca Paul, Junior, Elementary Education, Albion, IN
Patrick Pettyjohn, Junior, Educational Ministries, Auburn, IN
Adam Setmeyer, Freshman, Youth Ministries, Noblesville, IN
Gary Skeel, Sophomore, Physical Education, Oak Harbor, OH
Susan Stoneking, Freshman, Elementary Education, Kokomo, IN
Amy Williman, Sophomore, Youth Ministries, Bellfontaine, OH
A third Huntington College student team will visit the Dominican Republic. The group will work under the auspices of the Orphanage Outreach organization. Team members will stay at Hope of a Child, an orphanage in Monte Cristi housing 22 children. The team will bring donated shoes and clothing to the children, present a Bible school, teach English, and participate in a variety of work projects.
The Dominican service team includes:
Jo Weller, Junior, Elementary Education, Shippensburg, PA (student leader)
Sharon Alderman, Junior, Elementary Education, Middlesex, VT
Nathaniel Baumann, Freshman, Youth Ministries, Sturgeon Bay, WI
David Blaser, Freshman, undecided major, Brownsburg, IN
Chad Byers, Sophomore, undecided major, Sharpsville, IN
Justin Clifton, Freshman, Communications-Broadcasting, Grabill, IN
Tina Dimitrova, Freshman, Computer Science, Karlovo, Bulgaria
Trista Guillaume, Junior, Psychology, Huntington, IN
Lindsey Hamer, Freshman, Educational Ministries, Baldwin, IL
Vicki Hamer, mother of Lindsey Hamer, Baldwin, IL
Andrea Heffelfinger, Freshman, undecided major, Huntington, IN
Julie Magrum, Junior, Graphic Design, Northwood, OH
Kristi McClung, Junior, Elementary Education, Portland, IN
Brooke Owens, Sophomore, Business Economics, Kokomo, IN
Heather Prater, Freshman, Music-Instrument Education, Roanoke, IN
Jessica Salsbery, Sophomore, Psychology, Sharpsville, IN
Brandon Schall, Freshman, Business, Kokomo, IN
Christine Slagel, Sophomore, Communications-Broadcasting, Del Haven, NJ
Kara Storey, Sophomore, Exercise Science, Muskegon, MI
Courtney Taylor, Sophomore, Exercise Science, Kokomo, IN
Erika Helm, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Waynesboro, PA
James Elliot, Huntington College community relations director,
Huntington, IN (staff leader)
A fourth Huntington College team will serve in Dublin, Ireland. The group will work through Project Evangelism, an organization based at Murlough National Nature Reserve, Dundrum, Northern Ireland. Staying at the Murlough House, the team will be trained in church-based evangelism and in the customs of Northern Ireland. Following training, ministry opportunities in local villages will include church services, school assemblies and classrooms, American nights, coffee bars, children's services and open air meetings. The Northern Ireland service team includes:
Amanda Barnes, Freshman, Business Management, Huntington, IN
Carolyn Benjey, Sophomore, Biology Education, Dexter, MI
Tim Caldwell, Freshman, Recreation Management, Mansfield, OH
Rebecca Ensminger, Junior, Psychology, Grand Rapids, MI
Bill Fisher, Director of Christian Faith and Life, Huntington, IN (staff leader)
Victoria Groetzinger, Junior, Recreation Management, Akron, OH
Jerra Johnson, Sophomore, Psychology, Peru, IN
Josh Kesler, Resident Director and Mens Soccer Coach, Huntington, IN (staff leader)
Rachel LeVeck, Senior, Business Management, Grand Haven, MI
Kenneth Miller, Sophomre, Youth Ministries, Bluffton, OH
Christina Moore, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Winchester, IN
Linda Neely, Junior, Sociology, Meadville, PA
Kelly O'Roark, Freshman, undecided major, Beaver, PA
Jeremy Rufener, Sophomore, Business Economics, Lima, OH
Rachel Stemen, Junior, Elementary Education, Butler, IN (student leader)
Angie Swanson, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Findlay, OH
Keisha Vowels, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Holt, MI
Josh Whipple, Freshman, Pre-Law, Caro, MI
A fifth team of students will serve in Morelia, Mexico. The Huntington College group will stay at the Morelia Home for Children. They will continue construction work on a new facility that will be used as a church and a school. In addition, the team will minister to children at the nearby orphanage. In the evenings, the students will attend several different church services.
This is the second consecutive year in which Huntington College students have served in the Morelia community. The 2000 Mexico team includes:
Josh Bean, Junior, Communications - Broadcasting, Olivet, MI
Julie Buist, Freshman, undecided major, Grandville, MI
Lauren Cargill, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Troy, OH
Amanda Garde, Junior, Graphic Design, Huntington, IN
Jody Grieser, Senior, Biology, Archbold, OH
Sarah Hays, Senior, Educational Ministries, Alliance, OH
Evie Lower, Senior, Educational Ministries, Youngstown, OH
Jennie Mishler, Junior, Elementary Education, South Whitley, IN
Matt Ritter, Sophomore, Business Management, Huntington, IN
Kara Sheridan, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Greentown, IN
Leah Snoddy, Sophomore, Elementary Education, Centerville, OH
Amanda Zirkle, Sophomore, Psychology, Knightstown, IN
Jeff Roloff, Manager of the Fund for Excellence, Huntington, IN (Staff advisor)
A sixth Huntington College team will serve in Shiprock, New Mexico. Five students and two professors will travel to the southwestern state from March 10 to 19. During the days, the team will work with Four Corners Native American Ministries to renovate houses on a reservation. A group of students from Southwestern University in Texas will be joining them in this effort. In the evenings, the Huntington team will share the Gospel message with adults in the Native American community. One night, the group will lead worship in one of the reservation churches.
At the end of the week, the team will have the opportunity to travel to Mesa Verde, the site of the historic Native American cliff dwellings.
The New Mexico team includes:
Erin Steury, Junior, Psychology, Ft. Wayne, IN (student leader)
Dr. Wayne Priest, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Huntington, IN
Dr. W. Todd Martin, Assistant Professor of English, Huntington, IN
Katherine Moyer, Sophomore, Findlay, OH
Lauren Dorsey, Freshman, Elementary Education, Kokomo, IN
Catherine Sawicki, Sophomore, Youth Ministries, Cleveland, OH
Jennifer Riggs, Senior, Elementary Education, Wabash, IN
Service learning is a vital part of the Huntington College experience. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College seeks to educate men and women to impact our world for Christ. Huntington College offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in nearly 50 academic concentrations. Huntington College is located in Huntington, Indiana.
