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Alternative Fall Break Mission

Due to the Gulf Oil Spill, the U.S. is facing its largest environmental catastrophe ever. Unfortunately, what we have learned about the scale and reality of the oil spill and its impact has been minimal. The goal of AFB 2010 is to provide Shippensburg University students, faculty, and staff opportunities to serve gulf coast communities while learning first-hand how the region has struggled in the wake of recent hurricanes and the the oil spill. This blog is dedicated to our efforts to share what we learn.

Friday, October 15, 2010

AFB Mississippi

This was such an awesome experience. I'm so glad I was given the chance to go on this trip.
It has taken me a few days to really understand what I have gotten out of the trip. I've only learned small bits of information, but have realized that it has changed my perceptions of the world. Perceptions about people, industry and nature.
I'm most surprised by people's resiliency. Why would people want to return to an area that was destroyed by Katrina and the oil spill? Hurricanes will come that way again. Wouldn't it be just as easy to buy a home and find a stable job away from the coast, rather than totally start over? I guess if my home had been destroyed, I'd probably try to pick up the pieces myself, instead of moving many miles away in unfamiliar territory. This is one perception I gained from the trip. People need the security of their homes and family, even after a terrible disaster, to correct their lives. It seems crazy, but in a similar situation, I would feel the same way.

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