By LINDSEY WOJCIK

Scene/Mix Editor

Organizing, prepping and serving food, or sorting clothing at a thrift store in New York City doesn’t sound like the standard sun-soaking, beer-guzzling spring break vacation. But 14 Oakland University students spent their spring break doing just that.

The students traveled to NYC on March 1 to participate in the Center for Student Activities (CSA) alternative spring break in which they spent four days doing various community service tasks throughout the city and two days exploring the city.

“I’ve never gone anywhere for spring break, and I thought being able to do some community service and help people, plus see another part of the country, was a really good balance and good way to spend my spring break,” sophomore Lisa Daily said.

The New York appeal was one reason that senior Naved Ali wanted to go on the trip.

“Obviously, it’s New York City; I’ve never been there. I thought it would be a cool way to balance the two things — volunteering and experiencing the hustle and bustle of the city,” said Ali.

The prospect of doing community service in a city as large and diverse as New York left students curious about the experience that awaited them. Though some of them had worked on community service projects before, they still didn’t know what to expect.

“I was going into the experience kind of blind,” said senior Angie Freeman. “I knew I would be working with homeless people and in the soup kitchens but I didn’t really know the setting or what would be happening.”

The setting for the community service was Manhattan and it’s surrounding boroughs.

Students were responsible for navigating their way around the city and used the subway for most travel. They traveled to the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens in addition to the main island.

“I ran that city. Getting on the subway everyday and living life like a New Yorker,” Freeman said.

The Youth Service Opportunity Program helped organize the tasks for students and held a reflection session at the end of each day where the students were able to discuss where they went, what they did and the people they interacted with.

Divided into three groups, they all had different tasks to accomplish every day. Some worked in soup kitchens while others worked in food pantries to sort food.

“They had us put on the gloves and the hairnets and we served the people who came in,” Freeman said. “After everyone was served, we got to eat the food and sit with the guests and talk to them, so that was cool.”

Freeman said her group also went to a thrift store where they sorted clothes, furniture books and toys.

Working in the different boroughs of the city exposed the students to many of the diverse New Yorkers.

“It was a big mix and it was an interesting, eye opening experience and it gave me a new perspective on what I already knew [about soup kitchens],” Daily said.

The assortment of people they encountered included the rich and poor; white, black and Hispanic; the mentally disabled and people who have traveled the world.

On the last day, the students went back to the YSOP to serve dinner to guests who attended by invitation only.

At the dinner, Ali said he talked with an older woman who had an English degree and was able to discuss literature.

“The whole purpose of the dinner was to have interaction with guests,” Ali said.

Community service wasn’t the only aspect of the trip that students experienced. Many of them visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the World Trade Center site, Times Square, the Empire State Building and checked out Broadway shows and concerts.

“Some of the girls went shopping everyday,” Daily said.

Ali celebrated his 21st birthday at The Hard Rock Café in Times Square and took a carriage ride around Rockefeller Center with his girlfriend.

Although the alternative spring break wasn’t the typical tropical fiesta, the community service aspect made it a rewarding experience for all that went.

“It was really humbling experience and it just opened up my eyes,” Freeman said. “They’re on the streets and that’s their life. I try to be thankful for what I have. …those people cleaned their plates and the food wasn’t that good — I tried it. It amazed me that those people look forward to that food everyday.”