WORKING VACATION
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Watch some MTV, and you might think spring break is nothing but a week-long excuse to party. Not at Ohio State. This spring, a diverse group of design, architecture, engineering, and theatre students went to Brazil to contemplate the "classroom of the future." Other spring breakers helped out at a domestic violence shelter and worked at an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. Read their stories below...
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Rethinking the "classroom of the future"
During their spring break, a diverse group of Ohio State students set out to tackle inherent problems (lighting, visibility, air flow) in so many university classrooms. Students from a range of disciplines (design, architecture, theatre, dance, biology, and engineering) within the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences' Arts Scholars program took part in a "think-tank" with students from Rio's Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial (ESDI). Students collaborated on a host of issues with an eye on how our cultural differences can inform the process. In addition to day and evening trips around Rio taking in the sights, performances, and cuisine, students prepared project proposals--ideas that will be carried though in subsequent courses at Ohio State and ESDI.
According to design senior Angie Yahn, "The most rewarding part about the trip was meeting design students from another part of the world, allowing me to open my eyes to see beyond the needs of the United States. Not to mention experiencing Rio from a local's perspective rather than strictly as the 'tourist'."
Chicago, Illinois: Lending a hand to familes affected by domestic violence
Eleven Ohio State women helped out at Southwest Women Working Together, which provides counseling, job training, and subsidized housing to women and children affected by domestic violence. The group met weekly throughout winter quarter to discuss the misconceptions that surround domestic violence, and learn how to talk to survivors. In Chicago, they worked at the Amani House, a shelter for homeless women and children.
"At the shelter's playground, we raked leaves, picked up trash and large tree branches, and cleaned the playground equipment," said trip leader Meg Wiegand. "We all had a wonderful time playing with the young kids residing at the shelter house and giving them the attention they needed. I think many of us expected to interact primarily with the mothers residing at the shelter; however, our deepest connections ended up being with the children. We all left feeling as if we'd made a difference, however minor, in someone's life. We were all pushed out of our comfort zones on many occasions, and most (if not all) of us left Chicago with a greater understanding of the depth of social injustice in the United States."
Hohenwald, Tennessee: Working with endangered elephants
When she graduates in 2007, animal science major Abbi Fickes plans to go to grad school, study reproductive sciences, and eventually do research and develop breeding programs for endangered species. For her, being part of an Ohio State group that went to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee--a 2,700-acre natural habitat for endangered old and sick elephants--was a natural choice for spring break.
She worked at the African Elephant Barn, shoveling feces, powerwashing the barn, preparing diets, and cutting logs and branches for food.
"I've always been interested in exotic and endangered species and elephants are one of my favorite animals," she said. "The Elephant Sanctuary is truly a special place for the enormous creatures and it's wonderful to see how much love and devotion is shown to them on a daily basis."
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(text: University Marketing Communications / images courtesy of Ohio State students and faculty)
