Written by Jena Thralls, SMWC Journalism Student

What is your ideal college spring break? For some it may be spending the week on a hot beach and simply doing nothing but relaxing. For others it may include working for pay or catching up on work in general.  Not every college student might prefer to spend an entire week serving the community for no pay. During spring break seventeen Saint Mary- of-the Woods College students traveled to New York City where they worked in a soup kitchen to serve the homeless.

                  The severe weather conditions in NYC swarmed the news only days before the group was bound to leave for the trip. Jeff Malloy, Campus Life Director and chaperone of the trip, said that he had been following the weather very closely. “I decided that we were going to get there no matter what. If it got to the point where we were uncomfortable driving we would stop off and stay somewhere.”  To everyone’s surprise, the weather wasn’t too bad. Though there was some snow on the way there, the group was fortunate enough to have just missed the severe storm.  Students said that when they arrived to NYC they were surprised to see how clear all of the roads actually were. “The weather was actually really nice,” Malloy said. The students and chaperones all arrived safely and on time, late Saturday night.

                  All seventeen students slept in a church chapel on floor mats.  All students attended mass on the morning following their arrival.  They were to share one shower for the entire week. Kathleen Flynn, SMWC freshman, said, “I think living like that for a week made us a lot more conscious of everyone around us.” To many it may seem rough to have to share one shower between seventeen girls and sleep on the floor in a sanctuary, but SMWC students said they were lucky. “After serving the homeless and seeing how they live, I think we all realized how lucky we were,” Flynn said.  The Trinity Lutheran Lower Eastside Parish was located by Thompson Square Park on the lower east side of Manhattan. 

                  After church on Sunday, the students spent the day observing NYC from the top of the empire state building. Students spent the rest of their day enjoying Times Square. Kathleen Flynn, SMWC freshman, said, “Spending time at Times square was really cool. Some of us went to see a Broadway show.”Time square was filled with people, lights, laughter and lots of entertainment.

                   Come Monday it was time to get down to business. The students woke up early to meet their “boss” for the week. A small woman of Hispanic origin who spoke broken English and held a firm attitude walked into the room and impacted the SMWC students more than they had expected.  She spoke very firmly and loudly. According to several of the students and chaperones, Gloria was not bashful nor afraid to tell orders.“On the first day I think we were all very intimidated by her, but by the end of the week she had really opened up to us. She’s one of those people with a rough exterior, but a soft inside. There couldn’t be a better person to run a soup kitchen,” Malloy said.

                  Students spent Monday thru Thursday cooking and serving food to the homeless. Each day they woke  up around 6:30 AM in order to prepare meals and set up for the soup kitchen. When Kathleen imagines a spring break for college, she imagines relaxation. “Hanging out with friends and enjoying nice weather seems ideal.”  However, these students hardly relaxed. “ We still got to see the city. There was still some aspect of traveling, but no relaxation.” Flynn said, “But we all knew that’s how it was going to be.”

                  While working in the soup kitchen and spending time in the city, several students said they were greatly affected by the atmosphere and the people they were meeting. “I learned to never assume anything about another person’s situation. You don’t know their story so just can’t assume what they might be going through.” Malloy said. “Everything about [New York City] was much more fast pace. You can tell that the people there are very used to a busy atmosphere.” Flynn noted.

                  In previous years, Jeff Malloy has taken a group like this to Louisiana in order to restore homes damaged by hurricanes. This year he chose to try something different. “It’s always good to have options,” Malloy said. “I brought it up last year and everyone jumped at it so I decided to look further into it.” The work was very different from what they had been doing in previous years. “We were busy from the time we opened to the time we closed. Sometimes, in Louisiana, we’d be standing around. That didn’t happen once in New York.

                  Jeff Malloy has taken several students on an alternative spring break trip in recent years and all have turned out to be a success. Malloy said he enjoys the experiences. “It’s energizing. I’m not just the guy behind the desk. I can connect more with the students.” 

                  Malloy plans to take another group back to Louisiana for spring break 2011 and back to New York in 2012. He also said that if students had other ideas for an alternative spring break trip he would be glad to look into it. Each year has turned out with a success.  Students and chaperones who traveled to New York said they felt this year was an “eye-opener” and also a successful learning service week.