Saint John’s University freshman Raphael Ignacio wanted to step outside himself and gain a better awareness and understanding of a culture different than he’s accustomed to.
That’s why he and a group of seven other Bennies and Johnnies spent their spring break volunteering with Re-Member, an independent nonprofit working to improve the lives of members of the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
“This was a different kind of service than I’d ever been involved with before,” said Ignacio, who served as a student leader on the trip sponsored by SJU Campus Ministry.
“But I came away feeling it was so worth it. It was a real eye-opener to be out there and see what’s really happening on the reservation. You can sit in a classroom and read about it in textbooks. But it’s not the same as immersing yourself in the culture and experiencing what their lives are like on a daily basis.”
The students and Campus Ministry assistant director Carter Howell departed on March 16 and returned to Minnesota on March 21. They and similar groups from other schools helped with tasks like delivering beds, farm work and chopping wood.
They also got to know members of the Oglala Lakota community.
“What really jumped out at me was how parallel their view was to that of my own Catholic faith,” said Ignacio, a graduate of Holy Angels High School. “There were many moments when we really had the chance to come together. One of the elders talked to us every night and a common theme was unconditional love – how we need to love everyone despite difference we may have or different situations we may face.
“It was really about listening with the ear of our hearts and paying attention to the views of the younger generation.”
Ignacio’s group was not the only trip Campus Ministry sponsored over spring break. Another group traveled to Chicago to volunteer at the Br. David Darst Center , which focuses on justice, peace, spirituality and education.
There, the group of 10 spent time at StreetWise, an organization that creates magazines and provides homeless individuals a job selling them; Cornerstone Community Outreach, a homeless shelter; the St. James Food Pantry; the Saint Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen; the Kolbe House Jail Ministry; and in bond court.
CSB sophomore Grace Dresser said the trip showed the kind of impact one can have by serving directly in the community while also remaining aware of the bigger picture.
“A major takeaway (for me was), you are going to want to change the world, but you can’t,” Dresser said. “Settle for changing one life at a time. At the same time, though, question the systems that underpin our society. Who is in power? Who is marginalized? Will you fight for those without a voice?”
SJU sophomore Sam Nolan said the education he received on the trip was incredibly valuable.
“I’ve been on service trips in the past where the focus was just on serving,” SJU sophomore Sam Nolan said. “Then I went on a Campus Ministry trip to Denver over spring break last year and the focus was on learning and serving. I don’t know that I fully appreciated the learning aspect last year because I was focused on being there to serve. But this time, I really leaned into it.
“I think it’s really important to learn and understand current events, and to see how they impact people directly. Because that’s how you learn how to better serve those in need.”
Margaret Nuzzolese Conway, SJU Campus Ministry’s executive director, said the two trips allowed students to experience pilgrimage, co-curricular education, community building and faith while putting the Benedictine values that are a cornerstone of the CSB and SJU experience into practice.
“I’m proud of (all these participants) for taking a leap to go outside of their comfort zones and to do the hard work of getting to know one another and a new community,” she said. “They dedicated their break week to continued learning and servant leadership and this is truly admirable.”
Outdoor U travels to Montana
Campus Ministry was not the only organization on campus to sponsor a spring break trip. Outdoor University sponsored an excursion to the Bridger Bowl Ski Area in Bozeman, Montana.
The trip was led by Lucas Wade, who was finishing up as CSB and SJU’s assistant director of outdoor education (his last day on the job was March 24), as well as by CSB and SJU students Caroline Kitchen and Finn Hannula, who are staff members at the Outdoor Learning Center.
Kitchen, a senior accounting major at CSB, has helped lead Collegebound excursions and day trips in the past, but this marked her first time taking on the responsibility of leading a larger, overnight trip.
“I’m a big skier and this was a trip I really wanted to lead,” Kitchen said. “Skiing can be an inaccessible sport because of how expensive it is and the quality of the hills we have in Minnesota. So this was a great opportunity to let more people get out there and experience being on the mountain.”
The group of eight – who departed on March 15 and returned on March 21 – stayed in an Airbnb and each of the students helped with cooking duties each night. While some of those on the trip were experienced skiers, others were learning the sport for the first time.
“I loved the idea of people from different skillsets taking one big trip together and learning from one another,” said Hannula, a global business leadership major. “While at the same time having a lot of fun.”
Biology students travel to The Bahamas
Meanwhile, students in the Biology 341: The Natural History of The Bahamas course spent their spring break exploring that nation’s San Salvador Island.
The 20 students and two faculty members – Kristina Timmerman and Trevor Keyler – departed March 14 and returned March 24. The group spent a night in Nassau after arriving and another before departing.
But the bulk of the trip was spent on San Salvador Island, snorkeling, exploring and observing plant and animal life.
They also split into smaller teams to conduct independent research projects on various topics, and will spend the rest of the semester analyzing data and producing scientific posters and paper to be presented on Scholarship and Creativity Day on May 1.
“It was really cool because we learned how to identify the plants and animals there before we went,” CSB junior biology major Casey Fredrickson said. “Then we actually had the chance to see them.”
But the students also got to experience the culture of The Bahamas.
“Just seeing their way of life and how they appreciate the world around them,” Fredrickson said. “That was my favorite part of the trip.”