Students rove fair for opportunities, meaning

Driven by the desire to bring good into other people’s lives, freshman Jacob Vanzin wandered… Driven by the desire to bring good into other people’s lives, freshman Jacob Vanzin wandered through a maze of booths and colorful posters, interspersed with blue and gold balloons.Accompanying Vanzin in his quest were other Pitt students working toward the same goal: finding the community service project that was right for each of them.

The Student Volunteer Outreach program assisted participants by organizing the ninth annual volunteer fair, which allows students to get information on a variety of community service organizations, all in one place.Held on the William Pitt Union’s patio and lawn Thursday afternoon, the fair brought in organizations, ranging from Goodwill Industries to the Foxwall Emergency Medical Service, that displayed posters and handed out brochures to inform students of their services.

“If you have time to volunteer, you certainly should,” Vanzin said.

Though he just began college, Vanzin has had ample experience with previous community service projects. He’s worked in soup kitchens, traveled on mission trips and tutored Hispanic people in England.

This year, he’s looking into tutoring again, possibly with inner-city kids or Spanish-speaking people.

“I’m very blessed in my life, and I feel I should pass that blessing on,” Vanzin said. “I think your obligation to volunteer your free time [should correlate with] how much you’ve gotten for free in your life.”

“I’ve gotten a lot,” he added. “But I always wish I could do more.”

For others who feel their free time could be better spent, the Alternative Spring Break program might be just right.

“Instead of going to Cancun and getting wasted the whole week,” the group does service projects, Kelly Markel, the vice-president of the Alternative Spring Break program, said.

You get to “make a difference, not just get a tan,” added Jessica Genetti, the public relations officer of the program.

In the past, Alternative Spring Break has gone to Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, Arizona and Florida.

Amanda Moresco, a sophomore, stopped by the booth to look at pictures taken during a trip she attended during last year’s spring break.

Moresco traveled to Tuba City, Arizona, to work on an Indian reservation. While there, her group tutored Navajo children in math, reading and writing.

“My sister actually decided to do it,” she said. “I just went along because I’d never been west of Chicago.”

While on the trip, Moresco also got to see the Grand Canyon.

“It’s beautiful out there,” she said, adding that the trip was a life-changing experience. “You’re completely submerged in the culture.”