Spring break more than relaxation; Some students volunteer and others train

While many CMU students look for warm weather and relaxation for spring break, others have something else in mind.

Whether as a time to revisit history, spark reform or prepare for physical workouts, the opportunities are plentiful these days.

Alyssa Geerts looks forward to growing in her spirituality. The Hudsonville junior is one of two students traveling to Israel with His House Christian Fellowship.

“It’ll change my life,” Geerts said. “It’s an amazing, once in a lifetime experience.”

The students will spend eight days touring different religious sites including the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, Jericho, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Geerts is especially looking forward to Jerusalem.

“It’s more than just a city — a lot of Bible stories happened in Jerusalem,” she said.

The group researched Israeli culture to prepare for the trip. Students will spend each night at a different four-star hotel for safety reasons.

“I’m a little scared,” Geerts said. “I’m not used to seeing people walk around with guns.”

As a woman, she said she will need to keep her shoulders covered to not offend natives.

The trip costs about $3,000 and is the most expensive of nine spring break trip His House is offering.

Other trips include Louisville, Denver, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Detroit and Atlanta.

Bronx reformation

Samantha Bryant will spend her break with criminals in the Bronx.

The Battle Creek junior is among around a dozen students headed to Queens, N.Y. as part of CMU’s Alternative Spring Break program.

The students will work with the Fortune Society, an organization that promotes prisoner reformation and alternatives to incarceration.

“We’re staying in a community center in the Bronx, on the floor of a dance studio,” Bryant said. “At this point, I’m not scared, but I might be when I get there.”

This is the first time the Alternative Break program has worked with criminal justice reform.

Bryant said the issue of prison reform is new, so not much information is available.

“We’re kind of going in blind,” she said. “We will possibly be evaluating the people, to see the person’s progress in their program.”

The students were told to read The Fortune Society’s informational Web site to prepare and Bryant said she read personal testimonials.

Training in Mount Pleasant

For Williamston freshman Nick Rainey, spring break is a time to train.

Rainey, a member of CMU’s men’s track and field team, will stay in Mount Pleasant during break to concentrate on working out.

“I’m excited to stay here for spring break,” Rainey said. “I get to train and get a step ahead of people.”

Rainey’s training regimen includes sprinting, weightlifting and running. His diet will consist strictly of healthy food.

He regularly dedicates his holidays and school vacations to train and hopes to gain a reputation as a talented pole vaulter.

Staying on campus during break is not mandatory for the team, however. Many of his teammates are going on vacation andm when school starts back upm Rainey said the extra training will pay off.

“I’ll get ahead of the game,” he said.