Alt. Spring Break unites students, West Virginia Coaling Community
Tama Moni
The Daily Campus
March 27, 2017
OAK HILL, W.Va.—Dilapidated. Decrepit. Destitute.
Those were the first three words that came to my mind when I arrived in West Virginia for an alternative spring break. I went with 52 other UConn students on a coach bus that would take us to Oak Hill—the town where our volunteer service was located. As the bus moved through the state, I could see mountains stripped from their vegetation by the winter weather. Rocky rivers, with a teal tint, flowing through the valleys. Unlike some homes in the northeast, the homes in West Virginia were vastly spread out. About one or two homes per hill, that were mostly one one-story with zinc roofs, peeled paint—they looked like shacks. Most of the homes I passed by were run-down or abandoned.
It was an interesting contrast. The beautiful scenery from the surrounding nature along with signs of poverty all interconnecting. You see the full picture; not just the good parts and not just the bad parts.
In order to get on an alternative spring break trip, you need to apply. This can be done through Community Outreach, Habitat for Humanity or in the Honors Program. I applied through Community Outreach.
So, I should probably tell you a bit about me. I am a sophomore and journalism and human rights double major here at UConn. I wanted to go on this trip because I wanted to observe and know more about rural poverty in America. I think it makes a journalist look better if they report from a hands-on experience instead of just reading or hearing or watching something.
I would say the best part of going on an alternative break trip was interacting with the locals and connecting with the students in your group. This is the type of trip that if you put your effort and heart into it, you will gain much out of it.
John David, is the director of the Southern Appalachian Labor School, also known as SALS and an AmeriCORPS VISTA worker. SALS was one of two local organizations we partnered with, to help with construction work of rundown, abandoned homes. He works for AmeriCORPS, which is a national organization that takes volunteers and puts them in impoverished neighborhoods in America, to help locals rebuild their community.
David gave us a lecture on the history of West Virginia and how the state went from a booming coal mining industry to economically and socially disadvantaged. He said West Virginia was a labor state with large influence from unions. He said after WWII coal was not used as much, which was the first hit and then it was used for electricity instead to make products, which was the second hit. He said that Jenny Lind Houses were built for families of the coal miners near the coal factories. These houses are still there, but are now abandoned.
He said that the coal mining decline has left many feeling hopeless, because of employment and poor government infrastructure.
““There are a lot of people that are hopeful that coal will come back,” David said.
I would say much of this hopefulness comes from the recent election of President Donald Trump.
Since there were 53 of us on this trip, we were divided into 4 groups. They were blue, purple, yellow and orange teams. I was placed in the purple team. That included me and 11 other UConn students. Each team had a team leader and learning partner that would tell us what building site we were going to and reflect with us each night on what we learned on the trip and our general feelings.
Scott Seigle is a Senior and Healthcare Management major at UConn. This was his third alt break. He said he liked going on alt breaks because you learn more about a community and yourself.
““I wanted a trip with people … like [I] never met,” Seigle said.
The leader of my team, Heather Knorr, is a senior and environmental engineering major at UConn. She was in charge of providing questions for our group reflection and directed our group’s activities.
She described how this alt break trip impacted her through the people she met and the work she did.
““It was an eye-opening experience and I learned immensely from the people in West Virginia, as well as all of my team members,” Knorr said. “I am so grateful for all of the growth and the bonds that will last a lifetime.”
Since this was my first one, I would say that meeting new people and listening to their stories was the best part of the trip.
At our building site, we met up with four youth builders that helped us paint and prime a house that was being remodeled. The youth builders worked in SALS.
Jonathan “Swaff” Swafford was one of the youth builders that we worked with. He is 26 years old and has three children. In between the jokes and the working, at times it would get serious when he talked about his past.
He said that his children’s mother does not live with him and that they have a difficult relationship. Yet, he reminded us of his love for his children.
““I want my family to grow up knowing they have a father,” Swafford said.
On Wednesday night, SALS had a country singer come and entertain us. His name was Billy Payne and he described his style of country music as outlaw country.
Payne, a native of West Virginia, said he’s been playing music for about 26 or 27 years. He said that his biggest concert was for a Texas internet radio station, in which 6.8 million people heard his music.
He described how he writes his music.
““You don’t just start writing immediately,” Payne said. ““You gotta [got to] live it.”
One of the favorite people I met, would be Paul Corbit Brown, who is a photojournalist that now works for Keeper of the Mountain Foundation, or KOMF for short. KOMF raises awareness about mountain top stripping and how the toxic minerals that come from that affect the environment and then the people living in the area.
He gave each team a string that we could tie on our wrist. He said the reason for the string was to show us that humans are a part of nature, not separate of it.
““We need you to be there to help hold this together,” Brown said. ““Many fibers make the rope.”
During the week, we had a routine every day. We had to wake up around 7a.m. or 8a.m. and would be doing work for almost a whole day. There are times you might feel uncomfortable, because you’re in an environment you’re not used to. But that goes away quickly once you push that aside and remember why you decided to be on this trip.
As I boarded the coach bus heading back to Storrs, I reflected on the quick week that I spent in West Virginia. I have now acquired knowledge of a State, of a community that I would never have met before. I have observed another part of America that most don’t get to see and took what I learned and will bring it to my own environment. Also, I now have connections with more UConn students instead of it being limited to my usual circle of friends.
Now, my three words that I would use to describe this experience: Insightful. Interwoven. Inspiring.