The “Souper Bowl”

The Weekend Backpack Program through W&L Campus Kitchens helps many in the community

This Sunday the Campus Kitchens at W&L will be hosting a “Souper Bowl” to benefit its Weekend Backpack Program. The event, which will feature soups from many Lexington restaurants, will help to fund the program which provides backpacks filled with healthy and nutritious food to local children for the weekend. This is just one aspect of the extensive CKWL initiative which is part of the Shepherd Poverty Program. You can learn more about campus kitchens here. Also, check out the Souper Bowl press release here!

Nabor’s Service Day

The Nabor’s Service League hosted a bi-annual service day on campus last Saturday. Students from W&L, VMI, and SVU all came together to volunteer in Lexington for the day. My team went to Yellow Brick Road Day Care center and cleaned up the facilities inside and out! Spending time with good girlfriends made the day fly and I can’t wait for all the kids to come back and enjoy their spiffy new classrooms!

Nabor’s Service Day

The other weekend I participated in Nabor’s Service day with several friends. Every year, tons of students show up to participate and are assigned to various service projects in town. This year, we assisted a group of local paraplegics in taking a stroll along the Woods Creek Trail, and later playing some tennis. Not only was the day rewarding, but it was also an excellent opportunity to talk to local community members and hear about their experiences. On campus it is easy to forget that W&L is part of a larger community, but it’s always great to get a fresh perspective from someone who has been in Lexington far longer than we have. It was also great to get the insight into another way of life, and the determination of these men and women to go on doing the things they loved despite their physical challenges was really inspiring!

Spring Break in New Orleans!

This is the first week of Spring Term and it is every much as enjoyable as anticipated. I now have some time to tell you about my Spring Break in New Orleans. This year I decided to apply for the alternative break opportunity offered by Nabors Service League. This organization hosts two alternative break trips per year in a different city each time. Students spend a week working with different service organizations and hosted by W&L alumni. For Spring Break, we spent two days at Kingsley House working with HeadStart students and senior citizens. The other two days we spent working on a Habitat for Humanity site helping the coordinators construct four houses for four qualified families. I painted a house for the first time. I built a porch for the first time. It was such a rewarding experience because we were able to see the impact that we are making in the community. We also had free time to explore the French Quarters, Bourban Street, a variety of New Orleans cruisine, the Tulane night scene… I can honestly say that this has been the best Spring Break I have ever had, both rewarding and memorable.

Rewarding Experience

Busy exam week is finally over… It’s time to enjoy spring break! I am particularly thrilled about this upcoming week because I am going to New Orleans, Louisiana with Nabors Service League. We will be working with two service organizations: Kingsley House and Habitat for Humanity. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend an entire week providing help to those who truly need it. I believe that volunteering is an extremely rewarding experience. The best feeling in the world is when I see joy in the eyes of other people who are very thankful for even little help that I am able to provide. Fortunately, W&L offers numerous community service opportunities locally, across the country, and even abroad! You can always find something that matches your interests and your schedule!

Washington Break

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the middle of week six of Winter Term. And it’s even harder to believe how much it feels like spring outside! This gorgeous weather has made it extra difficult to stay inside and focus on midterms and term paper outlines. Nevertheless, Leyburn Library has been the hotspot on campus this week as students study the nights away for those midterms before departing for Washington Break (also known as “Feb Break”). We are very fortunate that George Washington’s 279th birthday falls in the middle of Winter Term, giving us a great reason to celebrate his life and legacy at Washington and Lee with a week off from our busy lives in Lexington. Students are very grateful for this break, whether they need to get ahead on school work, escape the cold weather (that we normally have right now!), interview for summer jobs, or just catch up on sleep. I will be heading home to Texas for some much-needed R & R and as many excuses to eat Tex-Mex with my family that I can get. While many of my friends are heading home, some of my friends are participating in W&L sponsored trips. Nabors Service League is sponsoring a service trip to Birmingham, Alabama, and the Outing Club is sponsoring a sea kayaking trip to Everglades National Park. Whether students and faculty will be in a different state, a different country, or right here in Lexington, all of us will definitely be wishing George a very happy birthday next Tuesday!