ALTERNATIVE BREAKS: NOLA
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Meet Izzy, a GW sophomore who mixed it up during her Winter vacation and got involved with GW’s Alternative Breaks, “Alternative Breaks. Change the world. Go alternative.” To make you feel a little guilt trip and get you inspired to do some manual labor of your own, here’s a look at Izzy’s trip to New Orleans where she began building 2 houses with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the construction homes for displaced residents of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
When did you get involved with Alternative Breaks? I got involved this Fall. I have been on two other trips like this to Appalachia but this was my first one with GW. There were 52 students, a professor, and 2 faculty members on the trip for a total of 55.
Daily regimen? I: We would wake up at 6:30 am, eat breakfast, and be at the work site at 8 am. We spent the rest of the day building till about 3:00 pm for a total of about 7 hours a day.
How did you find using a hammer and saw? The work was hard! I didn’t know that hammering was a full body activity or maybe I am just wicked weak. Even though it was tiring it was still really cool to work with friends, old and new, on something so important. The weather was weird. It rained, then was really hot one day, and dropped down to the 40s some other days.
What did you do during the trip? My group spent the trip building all the walls for two houses so we were unable to finish the house because we were the ones starting it. There were several finished Habitat for Humanity houses in the area we were able to see though!
What else did you do during your trip? We visited a KIPP school near the French Quarter in New Orleans. Our group was split up – some people did outdoor cleaning like raking, some people lamented all day, and others worked in the office. I was able to work in a 1st grade classroom with some adorable children. My friend Hanne and I sorted all the papers, went to recess and lunch, and just spent time learning about the school.
How long was the trip? The trip lasted a total of 8 days, two of which were spent on the bus.
Did you bus it? The bus ride was 20 hours there and 20 hours back. It was a lot easier than I expected! A lot of movies, playing Mafia, napping, and chatting. I was also able to experience IHOP and Waffle House for the first time during the ride!
Highlight of the trip? Seeing the LSU and Alabama fans was really cool! For my first time in New Orleans I was able to truly see the city’s culture and pride and I loved it! But my cliche favorite part was being introduced to so many great people at GW that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. I met some of the funniest and hard working students who I can now see all the time back in DC.
Suggestions of what to do during the trip? If you ever go to New Orleans you must go to Cafe Du Monde! It has the best beignets. Also, try fried alligator! I was a little nervous but I loved it!
(Photos and Copy: Rep-Star Izzy @ GW)