More than 75 K-State students spending spring break working on community service projects throughout the country

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Source: Patrick Simpson, 785-532-3650, pcs@k-state.edu
Note to editors: Quaumee Saunders is a graduate of Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kan.; Christie Besinger is a graduate of Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park; Michael Smith is a graduate of Pittsburg High School; Zachary Ozbun is a graduate of Rose Hill High School; and Graham Fox is a graduate of Salina High School South.
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu

Thursday, March 15, 2007

MORE THAN 75 K-STATE STUDENTS SPENDING SPRING BREAK WORKING ON COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

MANHATTAN -- For more than 75 Kansas State University students, spring break will consist of building or repairing houses for people in need, serving meals at a women's shelter or visiting AIDS patients and their families.

The students are taking part in alternative spring break trips offered through K-State's civic leadership program. The trips will take students to one of four cities where they work on projects benefiting people in the host community. The students will be traveling to and working on service projects March 18-24.

K-State is once again sending students to Dallas, where 13 students will work with an AIDS service. In past years, K-State students have worked on projects involving construction and visiting patients and their families. It marks the fifth consecutive year K-Staters have volunteered with the AIDS service.

"This is our longest-running alternative spring break program and has had great success," said Patrick Simpson, an AmeriCorps VISTA member working with K-State's civic leadership program.

Simpson is joining 49 K-State students in New Orleans, where they will work with Camp Restore, a faith-based agency, to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The repairs come at no cost to the homeowners, who are elderly and/or disabled.

In Chicago, 10 students will stay at the International Hostel in the heart of Chicago, where they will work to improve the community. Their service projects will include serving meals at Deborah's Place, a women's shelter, as well as assisting seniors at a Jewish retirement center. Students also will help with donations at a food depository, work with youth at an after-school program and clean up local parks.

K-State is sending five students to Omaha, Neb., to build affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity.

Each site has student leaders helping coordinate the effort. Students and student leaders participating in alternative spring break projects and their site include:

Coy Macy, sophomore in pre-professional architectural engineering, Alta Vista, New Orleans; Tara Scribner, senior in elementary education, Andover, New Orleans; Chelsey Mueller, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communications, Assaria, group leader for New Orleans; Ben Knoll, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communications, New Orleans, and Kyle Lober, sophomore in pre-professional business administration, New Orleans, both of Baldwin City; Matt Combes, junior in social work, Burlington, team leader for Dallas; Travis Jones, junior in agricultural economics, Conway Springs, Dallas; Ashley Wessel, junior in pre-professional business administration, Council Grove, coordinator for New Orleans; Brian Mick, senior in social science, New Orleans, and Alyssa Provencio, senior in hotel and restaurant management, New Orleans, both of Derby; Stephanie Hoover, freshman in pre-professional business administration, De Soto, Chicago; Andrew Weaver, freshman in environmental design, Emporia, New Orleans.

From Greater Kansas City: Monica Kennedy, freshman in pre-psychology, Kansas City, Kan., New Orleans; Genevieve Ryder, freshman in English, Kansas City, Mo., Omaha; Danielle Wong, junior in pre-journalism and mass communications, Leawood, coordinator for New Orleans; Bryan Warne, senior in mass communications, Lenexa, New Orleans; Kayla Blefko, freshman in pre-psychology, New Orleans, Jenn Crainshaw, freshman in pre-professional business administration, New Orleans, Mark Inman, senior in information systems, Chicago, and Brianna Willard, freshman in pre-professional elementary education, New Orleans, all of Olathe; Claire Cody, freshman in arts and sciences-open option, New Orleans, Matt Goedken, freshman in arts and sciences-open option, New Orleans, Jen Kinkade, sophomore in animal sciences and industry, team leader for Omaha, Tim LaFreniere, senior in biology, Dallas, Hillary Parker, sophomore in political science, New Orleans, Emily Salzman, sophomore in social work, Dallas, Rebecca Sisk, junior in communication sciences and disorders, New Orleans, Shannon Waggoner, junior in life sciences, New Orleans, and Andrew West, senior in marketing, group leader for New Orleans, all of Overland Park; Bryan Cox, sophomore in political science, New Orleans, Samuel Hund, junior in chemical engineering, Dallas, and Nick Piper, senior in finance, New Orleans, all of Shawnee; and Peter Wetzel, senior in elementary education, Westwood, coordinator for New Orleans.

Katrina Cotter, sophomore in accounting, Goodland, Chicago; Dave Bartlett, senior in industrial engineering, Hutchinson, Omaha; Matthew Amthor, junior in mechanical engineering, Leavenworth, Chicago; Shawn Patel, junior in finance, Liberal, New Orleans; Emily Aldredge, sophomore in mass communications, Louisburg, New Orleans.

From Manhattan: Caitlin Arnold, junior in marketing, New Orleans; Graham Fox, senior in English education, New Orleans; Jessica Horvat, junior in family studies and human services, New Orleans; Nicole Marcotte, freshman in music, Chicago; Lessa North, junior in humanities, Omaha; Zachary Ozbun, junior in biology, Dallas; Jaimin Patel, fifth-year senior in architectural engineering, New Orleans; Quaumee Saunders, junior in family studies and human services, New Orleans; and Michael Smith, graduate student in psychology, Chicago.

Abby Noll, freshman in arts and sciences-open option, Nortonville, New Orleans; Kelly Olson, sophomore in pre-professional secondary education, Oberlin, Dallas; Ashley Oehm, senior in modern languages, Oketo, New Orleans; Kate Glanville, freshman in agronomy, Oskaloosa, Omaha; Mindy McMurry, junior in biology, Pretty Prairie, Dallas; Cara Henson, junior in kinesiology, Robinson, New Orleans; Maria Mai, sophomore in pre-nursing, team leader for Chicago, and Harrison Todd, junior in history, Chicago, both of Salina; New Orleans; Sahra Prieto, senior in pre-professional construction science management, Scott City, New Orleans; Jayna Smith, junior in pre-professional business administration, St. Mary's, New Orleans; Julie Stithem, senior in family studies and human services, Stockton, Chicago.

From Topeka: Emily Gardner, sophomore in arts and sciences-open option, New Orleans; Chelsey Kent, sophomore in pre-professional business administration, New Orleans; Jayne Long, sophomore in life sciences, New Orleans; and Darcy Osterhaus, junior in management information systems, group leader for New Orleans.

Joscelyn Stephenson, senior in pre-physical therapy, Wamego, New Orleans.

From Wichita: Allison Childs, junior in life sciences, Dallas; Crystal Jackson, senior in family studies and human services, group leader for New Orleans; Ashley Newman, junior in biology, Dallas; and Gina Wagle, sophomore in pre-professional business administration, Dallas.

Amanda Moore, sophomore in pre-dentistry, Winchester, New Orleans; and Ali Johnson, senior in mass communications, Winfield, coordinator for New Orleans.

From out-of-state: Melanie Moore, freshman in animal sciences and industry, Englewood, Colo., New Orleans; Erica Lester, junior in interior architecture and product design, Raytown, Mo., Dallas; Emerald Taylor, freshman in pre-professional secondary education, St. Joseph, Mo., New Orleans; Kim Riege, sophomore in interior design, Omaha, Neb., Chicago; Erika Owen, sophomore in pre-professional business administration, Springboro, Ohio, New Orleans; Casey Anderson, senior in biology, Helotes, Texas, Dallas; and Christie Besinger, junior in management, Virginia Beach, Va. New Orleans.