Some students opt for alternative spring break

Last week nine Duke students opted to “Dive into Durham” instead of your typical spring break spot.

The students spent five days volunteering with local non-profits as part of a pilot program for the Office of Student Community Volunteer Programs’ new alternative spring break.

"The point was to expose kids to non-profits in Durham," said Sadhna Gupta, a sophomore who participated in the program. "[They're] understaffed and underfunded, and they need more hands."

Throughout the course of the program, the students volunteered with six different organizations, including Genesis House and Seeds, whose work related to the week's theme of hunger and homelessness in Durham. They also dialogued about the state of Duke-Durham relations and the idea of service work.

"Duke students are all about big changes -- policy changes," Gupta said. "We don’t take enough time to go out and do the less glamorous things. But I think it’s valuable to stay local and help out your community."