Two years ago members of the student organization Global Service Learning traveled to Kansas City over the winter break to take a firsthand look at poverty.
The experience was impactful and ignited students鈥 passion for activism. Global Service Learning will return to Kansas City in January where they will turn their attention to food insecurity and homelessness.
鈥淣early everyone in our group has been to Kansas City before, but the reason for visiting was very different,鈥 said Skyler May a junior from Lincoln. 鈥淲e have traveled the short trip to go to concerts or to shop at the Plaza, but we have never truly experienced the city.鈥
The group will spend six days in Kansas City serving a different agency each day including Sleepyhead Beds, Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Family Services, Lazarus Ministries and Harvesters Community Food Network.
鈥淔or us, service is more than handing out meals at a food pantry, even though it is an important aspect of it. Service allows us to gain the opportunity to spend time with individuals and populations that we wouldn鈥檛 normally get to learn from,鈥 said May. 鈥淏y working alongside another individual, it allows us to learn more about them and their personal lives.鈥
The group returns on January 10.
On January 2 biology professor Jerry Bricker will move his classroom from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Belize. Biology students who are enrolled in Tropical Biology will spend 15 days in Belize. Students will hike through the rainforest, explore the Mayan ruins, snorkel on the coral reef, and participate in research and lectures.
鈥淚n Nebraska we live in a very monotone environment,鈥 said Bricker. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the diversity of tree species and structure and we don鈥檛 have howler monkeys. In Belize, it鈥檚 a more dynamic environment. Students need to see how different the environment actually is and get to interact with the people.鈥
The Biology Department has led the study abroad experience since 2005.
The University Choir will perform its annual winter tour January 6-18. This year the choir travels to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. The will conclude their winter tour on Sunday, January 18 with a 7:30 p.m. concert in O鈥橠onnell Auditorium.