A change of scenery

The wrath of Hurricane Katrina still is recognizable in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.

“It actually reminded me a lot of Detroit,” said University of Michigan-Dearborn sophomore Aayat Ali.

But it wasn’t just blight that brought back memories of the “Motor City” for Ali and other students who visited New Orleans in March for Alternative Spring Break.

Residents there are proud of their community and many of them returned home after the floods subsided. Much like Detroit, New Orleans residents long to see their community return to prominence.

“The people in New Orleans have so much hope and resilience and love,” she said. “People are not joking when they say ‘southern hospitality.’”

Ali was one of about 40 UM-Dearborn students who volunteered as part of Alternative Spring Break. Students passed up a week of relaxation, and instead led volunteer efforts in Detroit, Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana.

“The main reason why we do it is to get students to experience a community outside of their own,” said Kris Day, UM-Dearborn’s director of student activities. “This is the biggest trip we’ve ever taken. We’re now figuring out how much we can grow the program.”

Day joined students in the “Big Easy” and also was astonished by the destruction that remains seven years after Hurricane Katrina.

“The disrepair was amazing and frustrating,” she said.

Phil Dean also headed south for spring break, but his travels took him to the “Sunshine State.” The UM-Dearborn senior and other students got their hands dirty in the Everglades.

Students removed invasive plants, photographed alligators and fed monkeys, an experience that stuck out for Dean. He prepared lunches at Monkey Jungle, a protected habitat for endangered primates.

“We got to go into the cage of monkeys and hand deliver it to them,” he said.

There, Dean also met his first primate, King, who has an affinity for March of the Penguins and The Ellen Degeneres Show. Monkey Jungle staff built a hut for the 43-year-old gorilla, equipped with an air conditioner, high-definition TV and special remote, which he used to toggle between his favorite programs.

“King lives much like us,” he said.

Ryinta Brown joined Dean in Florida, and took pride in her group’s volunteer efforts.

“Just the response that we received from the leaders at each of these sites … they were very, very impressed,” said Brown, a UM-Dearborn junior.

Another group of students headed to Harlan, Ky., where they weatherized homes and planted 1,200 trees as part of a communitywide beautification project.

“That was the amount of trees at the site, so that’s how many we planted,” said UM-Dearborn sophomore Branden Nathan. “I can go back in there in like 50 years and probably see a forest.”

And while many students traveled beyond Michigan’s borders for spring break, Heather Ballard drove about 10 minutes to her volunteer site.

Ballard and other students worked on beautification projects and volunteered at soup kitchens in Detroit. The UM-Dearborn senior helped clean up an abandoned parking lot in northwest Detroit in hopes the space someday can house an urban farm.

The entire experience left Ballard with a greater appreciation for her hometown.

“That’s still our backyard,” she said. “That’s still our community. We identify ourselves as Detroiters. Everybody has a commitment to the community.”

Students also posted photos and videos of their Alternative Spring Break experience.