Author: Ryan Herrscher

By Liz Crowell

How I spent fall break of my junior year is not what people would typically imagine a college student doing.  This year I was privileged enough to travel to Hartshorne, Oklahoma with SMU Alternative Breaks and work to rebuild a home that the organization Rebuilding Together had sponsored.

Before I delve into my attempt of a lofty and deserving reflection of this trip I suppose I should first provide some background of Hartshorne and Rebuilding Together.  Hartshorne is a small town located just outside of McAlester, Oklahoma and 1,800 people call it home.  Around 26% of the population lives below the poverty line and is subject to the cyclical effects of such living conditions.  You can find vacant buildings lining downtown and four head start centers within the town limits.  Due to the poverty that Hartshorne faces, Rebuilding Together has become active in helping those living in unsound housing throughout the community.  Rebuilding Together is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the country that “provides critical repairs and renovations to low-income homeowners across the United States.”  In comparison to Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together works to repair homes that are in a dilapidated state rather than building homes from the beginning foundations.  In this small Oklahoman town, poverty knows no gender, race, or demographic.  It has plagued the town for years and yet, there is hope.  There is hope from the neighboring community of McAlester, hope in the eyes of Alan and Phillip of Rebuilding Together and while our group was there, hope that we made some kind of difference for at least a few people.  This trip may have only been four days, but oh what a 4-day alternative break it was.

After dropping off our bags at First United Methodist Church, our group immediately head off for the build site.  While we rocked down to Electric Ave. (thank you Hartshorne for that freeway exit and Eddy Grant for that classic) I began to wonder what exactly we would be doing to help these Hartshorne residents.  But once we unloaded the van and met Alan, who worked for Rebuilding Together I immediately realized we would be doing absolutely nothing that I expected.  Collectively we only had the construction experience of hanging a chandelier, and that experience was from our trip advisor Annie Bures.  However, Rebuilding Together did not hold that against us, and immediately entrusted us with the level of responsibility of a somewhat experienced person in construction.  While we were there we repaired two rooms that were in drastic need of some TLC.  To see a ‘room’ with no ceiling, no walls and a floor riddled with holes and be told that we were going to repair it, is incomparable.  The first order of business was to remove the rotten particle flooring and patch up the gaping holes.  Not as easy as it sounds, but with a little help from a crowbar and a circle saw we were able to finish the flooring in one day.  I could explain every detail of what we did and how we did it but I believe a list would suffice.  With 11 people and 209 labor hours we were able to drywall, joint tape, and mud two rooms; we also built a floor and ceiling, insulated, and wired and installed sockets. All in all, we created a master bedroom and front room for an ever-deserving couple.

By the time Tuesday afternoon rolled around, 15 people were able to stand in a room that had previously been a challenge to navigate safely.  I cannot put into words the feeling of not only accomplishment but of gratitude and appreciation I had as we circled up to say our goodbyes to the homeowners and Rebuilding Together.  That insurmountable feeling of knowing that where you stood four days before was a hole leading to the ground will be ingrained in my memory forever.  After this break, I come back knowing more about what man is capable of doing than ever before.  To witness the emotional, physical and spiritual strength of the homeowners as well as the alternative break program gives me hope in the future.  This notion particularly resonated with me as I watched Vicki and Rick display a resilient attitude and high-spirited outlook on life, especially in the face of their situation.  I have come back from this trip with new knowledge about home repair, life and the humanity in helping one another.  As John Wooden said, “you can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you”; and this year, I had four perfect days of fall break thanks to SMU Alternative Breaks.

By Ashley Garner

Fall break is the best time of year. SMU students have the option to go on an alternative break trip, visit with family, take a road trip with some buddies, or simply relax and enjoy their vacation.

I decided to go on SMU’s first ever InterSECTIONS Diversity Retreat. I along with nearly 40 other students chose to spend half of our break learning about how diversity impacts our SMU community.

We spent our time in large and small group discussion talking about the way our diverse campus population impacts our students and our world. We each learned about the of value each person’s experiences and how different backgrounds create a richer SMU culture.

The retreat lasted 3 days and 2 nights and my favorite activity was the “Line of Privilege” activity. Our facilitator had us spread out along the edge of the building and read out a series of statements. If the statement applied to us, we would walk forward. There were some difficult questions that played in to gender, ethnic, and racial stereotypes. Yet, at the end of the activity we debriefed over how we all experience levels of privilege in our daily lives.

It was truly a great retreat and I would recommend to anyone who wishes to attend in the future. Pony Up!

By Bri Strickland

It seems like just yesterday I was a wide-eyed first-year Mustang strolling the Boulevard, unsure of what the next four years had in store for me. I came to SMU without knowing a single person so my first few months were marked by awkward first encounters and countless handshakes. I remember wondering if I’d outgrown the campus or if I had even made the right decision to come over 1300 miles away from home.

Fast forward three years – home is no longer just in sunny South Florida. Half way across the country I’ve made a whole other life with friends that feel more like family. There’s something to be said about one day waking up as a college senior and relishing in the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. In retrospect some of my greatest college nights aren’t reminiscent of a scene from Animal House, but are late nights spent sitting in the halls talking for hours or going home with a local friend for Sunday night dinners with their family. The college experience is stereotyped and marked by an accumulation of social and academic expectations but the interpersonal connections made in these four years are often overlooked and underappreciated. I can honestly say that the people I’ve met at SMU are the kinds of people I want to continue to influence me and help to grow to as a person.

I can’t believe I ever thought I could outgrown the SMU campus or the city of Dallas itself. The ‘bucket-list’ I scribbled down in my dorm freshmen year, is only 25% complete. As a senior, I feel qualified in saying that I’ve never felt like I’ve outgrown my university or its city. Naturally, my first few years at SMU were characterized and filled with on campus happenings like movies on the lawn, sporting events and more. As I became an upperclassman, a whole new world outside of the campus walls opened up. I suddenly myself engaged and exploring Dallas itself more. Whether it was a new restaurant opening, an art gallery walk in Deep Ellum or catching up with recent SMU alums, I felt a reinvigorated surge of curisoity for the city around me.

Even after over three years at SMU, I find myself still experiencing new things and meeting new people. When it comes time to graduate in May, I don’t know if I can bring myself to leave because I feel as if the best is yet to be in this capitivating city and on this enchanting campus.

So I guess it’s time to consider graduate school then?