When Jenna Turner was looking for work clothes she could wear on a Habitat for Humanity build, a well-worn T-shirt in a Value Village bin caught her eye.
āIt said, āHelping others never gets old,āā says Ms. Turner, a nurse at the I.W.K. as she loaded her luggage on a bus bound for New Orleans. āThat sentiment fit perfectly.ā
On the eve of study break on Friday morning,Ģż33 students, mainly law students from the Schulich School of Law, steeled themselves for the 40-hour trip to the southern U.S. aboard a Trius charter bus with Merrill Trefry behind the wheel. They pulled out ahead of three buses of undergraduate students from Dalhousie, set to leave later in the day.
Daniel Pink first went to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans with the Dalhousie chapter of Habitat for Humanity two years ago. Now a second-year law student, he thought there would be enough interest among law students to organize their own trip.
The students will be staying at Camp Hope and working on a Habitat for Humanity build site in a West Bank neighborhood of New Orleans. Besides working, thereās some fun on the schedule; theyāll stroll down Bourbon Street, explore the French Quarter, take in a NBA game and catch Jay-Z in concert at the New Orleans Arena.
āHaving had that experience, I really wanted to go back to New Orleans. Even all this time after Katrina, thereās still a lot to do,ā says Mr. Pink. āAnd, within the law school thereās a big emphasis on community work, so I thought it would be a good fit.ā
Erin Fowler, co-chair of the Habitat for Humanity campus chapter, has packed a lot of reading material for the trip. Even though a break to catch up with school work is welcome, she says sheād rather be building. āItās the mentality of law students here; everyoneās really into giving, being part of the group and contributing.ā
Like most of the students boarding the bus, she doesnāt have much experience wielding a hammer, but is eager to learn. Jonathan Hughes, however, has plenty of experience working in construction and is bringing along his tool belt.
āIāve never been that far south, so I thought, why not?ā says the first-year law student and Cole Harbour native. āItās a chance to go somewhere on spring break and do some good.ā