U. Mainers Opt for Civil Service Over Tropical Spring Break
WASHINGTON, March 18–With four separate and deliberate strokes of her red magic-marker, Mary Conrad drew the letter “M.”
“Great ‘M’ – good job,” an energetic voice chimed in.
Conrad, whose thin hair is blond and whose wrinkled cheek is a rosy pink, had a more difficult time with the letter “A.”
“Keep going – good,” prodded the young woman sitting beside Conrad.
Two strokes have debilitated Conrad, 77, who sits in a wheelchair and lives at the Washington Home, a long-term care and hospice facility in the nation’s capital.
“R” was an even harder letter for the older woman, who maneuvered the marker the way a five-year old would. It took her almost a minute to write the letter.
“Almost done,” urged Conrad’s supporter.
Then Conrad tried the letter “Y.” Oh, how she tried. Her brow tightened. She held her hand to her lips in contemplation. She burned the paper with her eyes.
“One more line, Mary. You need one more line.”
Conrad’s helper, Lindsey Rice a 21-year-old student from South Portland, reached for a different pen and drew the single line that completed Conrad’s first name. “You did it,” Lindsey said, gently rubbing Conrad’s shoulder.
Like a geyser, Mary erupted in smiles. Her eyes teared. She hid her enormous smile with her hand like a Japanese geisha. She had done it – She had spelled her name.
Lindsey, who spent only 10 minutes with Conrad that day, elicited laughter reminiscent of a child’s. That was, among other things, Lindsey’s job.
The elementary education major is also the site leader for a group of 11 students from the the University of Maine, Orono, who spent their spring breaks doing volunteer work rather than roaming the sandy beaches of Florida or sipping cocktails in Cancun with many of their college comrades.
In Washington, the students conversed with patients, performed administrative duties and helped with planned activities at the Washington Home for five days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The University of Maine sponsored what it calls the Alternative Spring Break, which is part of the national Break Away program.
Break Away is a nonprofit organization that promotes social service among college students by sponsoring volunteer programs. The Washington group is one of six from Orono, with the others traveling to Atlanta, Georgetown, S.C., New Orleans, New York City, and Ustes, Fla., for various volunteering programs.
Each of the Orono students was assigned to one of the seven programs. At the beginning of the semester, they met weekly to bond with each other, and raised $20,000 through fundraisers to finance the six trips – including the 18-hour bus ride to Washington and the one-room accommodations at a downtown-Washington hostel.
Lauren Fenney, the long-term care volunteer coordinator at the Washington Home, said she was worried at first because the students did not choose to work at the home. But she called the Orono students “self-motivated, creative and responsible,” and in the future, she said, she would ask for 20 students instead of 11.
The students, who all live in Maine, were in the Washington spotlight. A reporter from the Washington Post followed them around for a day, and asked why they chose volunteer work over a tropical spring break. To them, the answer was obvious: Volunteer work is more rewarding.
“You can drink anytime,” said Michelle LeClaire, a round-faced 21 year-old senior from Winslow. She devoted past school breaks to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center in New York City, and the Save Our Sons and Daughters program in Detroit. “This is so much more rewarding than getting drunk on the beaches of Mexico.”
Soon after Michelle said this, Holly Barter came into the room on the verge of tears. She sat down and cupped her face in both hands.
Referring to a resident who had been dropping in and out of coherence, the 19-year-old sophomore from Brewer said: “From Monday until now, I’ve seen such a huge difference – he’s so brilliant.”
Holly’s connection with the residents is not much different from most of the other students in the group, who tell stories of playing cards, singing or just chatting with residents.
“We have all connected with one or two residents here,” said the group’s adviser, Silverio (“Ace”) Barrero, 22, of Belfast.
The students stressed the importance of listening to the residents. “You need to learn how to communicate with them – and do it in a way so they don’t feel lower,” said Misty Smith, 22, a senior psychology major, who also participated in the Detroit program. Misty, from Winslow, said she was trying to overcome her discomfort with some of the residents.
In addition to increasing their listening skills, the program has been beneficial, some students said, because it helped them decide on future plans.
Kristy Townsend, a 22-year-old senior from Orono, said she now intends to study Alzheimer’s Disease and pursue a doctorate in neuroscience after graduating with a degree in biochemistry.
At the end of each day, the students discussed their “highs and lows.” Many said the same thing: the low was observing an uncomfortable situation, and the high was overcoming the discomfort.
Joe Kilch, 22, said that it’s difficult when the residents’ physical appearance does not mirror their mental capacity. But he said he respects their tenacity and is glad he can help.
The residents “are totally connected, and we’re watching them deteriorate.” It is “a transformation with such humility – it’s a high and a low.”
Published in The Bangor Daily News, in Maine.
