04/01/14
Spring break plans for Fort Hays State University students included backpacking across the Camino de Santiago in Spain, exploring Paris and volunteering in South America, the Caribbean and within the United States.

The FHSU Learning Community Go Global helped build houses and serve the locals in Chimbote, Peru. Dr. Rosa Castaneda, assistant professor of modern languages, led.

"We volunteered at a mission in Chimbote and helped build a house or two and built beds and helped the kids at after school programs," said Cesia Crook, a volunteer for the trip and a senior majoring in Spanish. "I enjoyed the new experience in general and being able to practice my Spanish while helping others."

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is a historical pilgrimage in Spain where the apostle St. James from the Bible is allegedly buried. During the course of the trip, students backpacked about 150 miles on foot and stayed in different hostels along the way, offering an authentic view of Europe. Max Maximov, instructor of Spanish and German, led the trip.

Students traveling to Paris visited the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Christophé Cheroret, a graduate teaching assistant in French and a spring 2013 graduate with a Master of Science in education, led.

Two different learning communities, Everybody's Business and 4C Innovation, traveled to the island of Barbados for service learning. The Opportunity for Education Learning Community also traveled to the Dominican Republic for service learning.

Within the states, Tigers in Service volunteers helped with the long-term recovery efforts from the major flooding last year in Estes Park, Colo., and the surrounding communities.

The FHSU Learning Community L3 volunteered in Kansas City, Mo., at the Kansas City Humane Society, Harvesters and the Ronald McDonald House. The Befit Learning Community also volunteered in the Kansas City area.