KU, Pélathé prepare for national Alternative Break training conference

LAWRENCE -- About 35 students from 16 universities nationwide will attend a 2002 Alternative Break Citizenship School training conference, one of two nationwide, at the University of Kansas from June 21 to 28.

Alternative Break Connection Inc. in Tallahassee, Fla., selected KU and the University of Vermont, Burlington, as hosts for its ninth annual summer training programs for student and staff leaders of the college community service program. KU's conference will focus on Native American issues; Vermont on rural poverty.

Students attending KU's ABC training session will split their eight- to nine-hour days between serving at the P³lath³ Community Resource Center, Lawrence's Indian Center, 1423 Haskell Ave., and attending workshops in the Kansas and Burge unions on conducting Alternative Break programs on their campuses.

Jessica Mester, May 2002 KU graduate in genetics from Topeka, attended an ABC school last summer in Detroit.

"It's a pretty jam-packed week," said Mester, who will be working as a site leader for the ABC school in Vermont. "You meet people who are interested in Alternative Break programs at their own schools. You can wind up staying up late into the night talking about programs and ideas."

KU's ABC school directors, Michele Bennett, Lawrence, and Kendra Seaman, Wichita, both May 2002 KU graduates, have invited Lawrence residents involved in Native American issues and communities to address the ABC trainees at 7 p.m. Monday, June 24. The location will be announced later.

Native American representatives, including Felicia Mitchell, Topeka junior and president of KU's First Nation Student Association, have been invited to attend a community dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 23, at the South Park Community Center, 1141 Massachusetts St.

A total of 29 students will participate, and six will serve as conference staff. They will spend approximately three and a half hours volunteering at Pelathe and four to six hours each day in workshops on the KU campus. Students will stay at Lewis Hall, 1530 Engel Road.

Three students attending from KU, Erin McCall, Michael Payne and Willow Robin, received free registrations to attend the conference. Conference registration ranged from $350 for the earliest applicants to $550 for those registering by June 1.

Students from the following schools will participate in the KU Alternative Break conference: Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine; Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti; Florida State University, Tallahassee; Fort Hays State University, Hays; Indiana University, Bloomington; Johnson State College, Vermont; KU; St. Norbert College, DePere, Wis.; University of Florida, Gainesville; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Missouri, Columbia; and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.

KU's award-winning Alternative Break program began in 1994 with a trip to El Paso, Texas. Since then, more than 600 KU students have spent spring, winter and weekend breaks serving community needs such as hunger and homelessness, health and wellness, environment concerns, cultural diversity and education.

More information about the KU Alternative Break program or the national program is available online at http://www.ku.edu/~albreaks/ or at http://www.alternativebreaks.org/.

KU students and graduates participating and their roles include:

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence
Michele A. Bennett, May 2002 graduate in English, is daughter of Michele Ann Bennett and is a Lawrence High School graduate; co-director.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Overland Park
Brooke E. Smith, May 2002 graduate in English and in journalism, is daughter of Glenn and JoAnn Smith and is an Olathe East High School graduate; Break Away program assistant and an ABC facilitator.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita
Kendra Leigh Seaman, May 2002 graduate in biology and psychology, is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Seaman and is a Wichita High School South NW graduate; co-director.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka
Jessica Lynn Mester, May 2002 graduate in genetics, is daughter of Joe and Julie Mester and is a Topeka West High School graduate; ABC site leader.

COLORADO
From Colorado Springs
Michael David Payne, senior in business, is son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Payne and is a graduate of Rampart High School in Colorado Springs; participant.

MISSOURI
From St. Louis
Willow W. Robin, junior in social welfare, is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Robin and is a graduate of Webster Groves Senior High School, Webster Groves, Mo.; participant.

OKLAHOMA
From Tulsa
Erin Michele McCall, senior in microbiology, is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill McCall and is a graduate of Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa; participant.