Spring Break Students "Pay It Forward"

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2011

Abstract

Spring Break Students "Pay It Forward"

by Sean Lee, student reporter

Looking for an adventure for this spring break? Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF), a student group at UND, has a trip for you.

Two buses departing UND Friday morning will be traveling to either Washington D.C., or Denver, Colorado. Each bus will stop at six intermediate cities along the way, allowing students to preform service projects at each location.

Hidemaru “Ted” Shibata, a senior at UND from Lihue, Hawaii, will lead the trip. “I’ve met well over a thousand people and seen dozens of cities. It’s a great way to travel.” Along the way, each student will receive a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the country from a very unique perspective.

It’s more than just the service.

On this eight-day trip, students will interact with fellow students en route to each destination. “It’s good bonding time among students,” junior Emily Christian said. “When you are on a bus for eight hours at a time, it ‘forces’ you to carry on a good conversation with each other.”

“Day one can be challenging for some,” Christian, the Denver-bound coordinator, said. But, after a few days on the road, students begin to open up and get to know each other. “By the end of the trip, we will have over 700 best friends.”

Besides chatting up fellow students, participants on the trip will have the ability to interact with all sorts of people along the way. Most students will feel so accomplished that they even go on the tour again the next spring break.

Each of the two buses will stay connected while on the trip via Twitter (@UNDstlf.) Each bus will have at least one student-run blog while on the road and will update at each city stop.

Follow the Pay it Forward Tour: twitter.com/undstlf and on Facebook “STLF UND chapter.” Adam Svercl (Washington D.C) and Hannah Bahnmiller (Denver) will be blogging about their trip while en route the UND STLF blog.

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Media contacts:

  • Hidemaru “Ted” Shibata: Trip coordinator (D.C Bus) 808 652 5920; hidemaru.shibata@und.nodak.edu
  • Emily Christian: Coordinator (Denver bus.) 218 791 9834; Emily.Christian.1@und.nodak.edu
  • Adam Svercl: blogger (D.C bus) 763 458 1439; adam.svercl@und.edu
  • Hannah Bahnmiller: blogger (Denver bus) (218) 230-0522; Hannah.Bahnmiller@und.nodak.edu

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