Check out the amazing Colby Cares Day display in Diamond! It includes information, images, and relics from past Colby Cares Day events.
For spring break, 10 Colby students went to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands to help with environmental conservation work in U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. We camped all week at Cinnamon Bay Campground in tents on platforms just a two minute walk from the beautiful sand beach. Each morning, our volunteer coordinator, Nick, who works for Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, would pick us up and take us to our work site in the park service van. Most of our work involved cutting branches and removing brush that disrupted trails throughout the park, specifically on l’esperance trail. Our first day, however, was my favorite. We drove to a spot on a more secluded road, and met with the National Park Service archeology crew. We followed them through the forest, ducking under trees because the old danish roads that dated back to the 1700s were completely overgrown. We eventually came across ruins of a former plantations, where the archeology group was collecting items, such as old glass bottles and pottery, and taking measurements to try to have this site added to the national registry of historic places. Our job was to cut small plants and trees that hindered their ability to take measurements and photographs, which are necessary to register this site. With all of us working together, we were able to accomplished what was needed in a short period of time. At the end of the day we were hot and exhausted, but we rewarded ourselves with some swimming and snorkeling back at Cinnamon Bay. The rest of the week continued in a similar fashion, with trail work throughout the day and some swimming and relaxing later in the afternoon. The members of the group fed off of one another’s excitement as we stayed motivated despite bug bites and physical fatigue. We bonded over roasted marshmellows and learned some new drumming skills. We even were able to visit the Virgin Islands Environmental Research Station and see a museum dedicated to the NASA tektite project that took place there. It was an exciting week exploring a new environment and efforts to better understand and protect it. By the end of the week we had cleared numerous areas for recreation within the park service, keeping them as sacrificial corridors for visitor enjoyment, so that the rest of the park would remain intact and protected.
This past week, a group of ten Colby students with an eclectic mix of class years, majors and backgrounds traveled to Nicaragua through the CVC’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. The group spent the week building the foundation of a small school in a small rural community called Las Cebitas, about 45 minutes outside of the capital of Managua. After helping local masons by digging six-foot holes, mixing dozens of loads of concrete, and bending countless meters of rebar, the group had the opportunity to visit Nicaraguan historical sites including the former national palace, the Sandino memorial, and Coyotepe, a 19th century fortress used as political prison and torture chamber by the Somoza regime up until the early 1980’s. Even more than volunteering their time and learning about the history and culture of the beautiful Central American nation, the group enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the people of Las Cebitas by working side-by-side the masons and playing with their kids. Each and every Colby student on the trip was profoundly impacted by the experience and (reluctantly) left Nicaragua with a new understanding of both the culture and people of the area and the global processes of inequality and service.
The journey to Las Cebitas, however, began long before the group departed Mayflower Hill towards Logan. The group has been engaged in educational seminars led by Colby Professors and staff in order to be better prepared to reflect on their experience in Nicaragua. In addition, one of the goals of ASB is to offer the experience to all Colby students regardless of their socio-economic situation. The CVC is able to do this principally through the Goldfarb Center ASB Financial Aid Initiative, and with strong support from the Latin-American Studies Department, Student Government Association, Campus Life, and the Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation. The group raised their remaining fee through bottle drives and coat checks on campus and through various off-campus donors. The trip would not have been possible without the contributions of these parties, and the participants are incredibly grateful for this support.
If you would like to learn more about leading and participating in Alternative Spring Break next year, please contact cvc@colby.edu.
Check out the Colby Echo article featuring our Alternative Spring Break trips for this year. To do so, click here.
On Friday, the Best Buddies headed to Sparetime to go bowling! After grabbing our bowling shoes, we picked our lanes and started playing. We took a quick break for some delicious french fries and soda. With a lot of spares and strikes and subsequent excitement, everybody seemed to really enjoy bowling!
Here is a quick update from Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Today, James Bean 4th graders made some “be” statements and wrote them on the whiteboard.
Last Sunday, Colby volunteers helped out at the dog sledding event at Viles Arboretum in Augusta as part of a partnership with Heywood Kennel Sled Dog Adventures. Colby students shoveled the path to ensure smooth rides for the guests. Two of these students, Victoria Feng and Darcy Ahern, are even featured in a WABI TV5 video about the event. To learn even more about the event, check out this article from 92 Moose.
We just wanted to thank all you brave volunteers who came to the Polar Bear Dip last Saturday and took the plunge into the freezing outdoor pool! Not counting day of sign-ups, we had 58 students sign ups. In addition to the football team, we had around 30 Colby students. We surpassed our fundraising goal, raising over $200. Thanks again to everybody who made this event such a success!
The Colby Football Team’s Blue Team Community raised over $400 and had 19 members participate at the Polar Bear Dip. Here are a couple more photos courtesy of the football team:
To learn more about the Polar Bear Dip, check out this article by Danielle Waugh of WCSH 6 Portland by clicking HERE.
Opportunity: Dog Sledding Round II
Do you like dog sledding and arboretums? Then we have the volunteer opportunity for you!
What: Volunteering at Dog Sledding Event at Viles Arboretum at part of the Colby Volunteer Center’s Good Deed of the Week
Where: Viles Arboretum, 153 Hospital St., Augusta, ME
When: Sunday, 17th, 10 AM – 3 PM (2-4 volunteers for any time block within this period)
Numbers: Viles wants 2-4 volunteers during each time slot, so on Friday once everyone has signed up we’ll figure out numbers. Priority will be those who did not get in last week then first come first served.
How: SIGN UP HERE
Congratulations to our Volunteers of the Month of February!
Katie Curran:
Matt White, program leader for MulePrep, wrote us and said that, “Katie has been with MulePrep since day 1 and has done an incredible job running a fantastic and focused classroom. In addition to bringing in math expertise, Katie has been an incredible helpful tool as students navigate SAT IIs in addition to SATs. Katie has also put in countless hours creating curriculum and breaking down the test into specific question types. In short, Katie is an all-star!”
Courtney Laird:
Laura and Brittany, Hardy Girls Healthy Women Program Leaders, wrote us and said that, “Courtney has done a wonderful job as a new facilitator with a group that has had many hardships in the past few months. She has been able to keep the environment in group positive for the girls yet support all of the issues. She is dedicated to helping all of the girls in her group prosper.”
Jennifer Hale:
Kassy, Maine General Program Leader, wrote us and said that, “I would like to nominate Jennifer Hale from our Maine General program. She has been a dedicated volunteer at Maine General for years, even throughout her summers and breaks. She is a great leader and teacher, training other volunteers in the emergency department. The nurses love having her help and she is always on top of her duties in the emergency room. She is also involved in other CVC programs, and her commitment to and passion for community service are really inspiring.
Jared Scharf:
Priscilla and Peggy, program leaders of Hospice/Hope’s Place, wrote us and said that, “Jared just completed his first Hope’s Place session, and already he has proven himself to be a caring, responsive, and energetic facilitator. He does a great job interacting with children one-on-one and when directing the larger group. He’s always remarking on how much he enjoys working with kids, and it really shows! We are grateful for such an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer.”
