2013 Mississippi Delta
Alternative Spring Break
Register for Delta History Service & Experiential Spring Break: HI 4990 Sec. 1
Imagine a class so powerful that it allowed you to understand the past, see the future, and realize your potential to make a difference in the world - today. Imagine knowing that you were transformed in some fundamental way before the class was even over.
During Spring Break, 30 MSU students will travel to the Mississippi Delta to live history, see the future, and make a difference in the lives of others. They will begin their week with Sunday worship experiences in traditionally white and black churches. In the days that follow, the students will further embrace the rich history and culture of the Mississippi Delta during Blues, Civil Rights, and Native-American history experiences.
Students will feel the contrasting power and peace of the Mighty Mississippi while paddling in 30-ft handmade canoes with Quapaw Canoe Company. Participants will explore the Delta’s complementing and conflicting facets of natural resource management, modern agribusiness, local fresh-food initiatives, and high-tech manufacturing.
Most importantly, throughout the entire week, students will be making a positive difference in the lives of others by completing a range of service-learning projects with youth development programs, Mississippi River conservation groups, locally grown food initiatives, and health education organizations.
Upon returning to campus, students will continue to meet weekly to engage recognized local, regional, and national experts who will guide them in developing an even deeper understanding of a variety of topics affecting the Mississippi Delta, including: religion, public health, race relations, poverty, education, natural resource conservation, and public policy.
Finally, students will complete their semester-long intellectual voyage with a greater understanding of how a small swath of Mississippi can open a window to their soul and serve as a microcosm for every community in our Nation by highlighting achieved dreams, missed opportunities, and the power that each of us holds to make an authentic and significant difference in the world.
Class information: HI 4990 Section 1: Delta History Service & Experiential Spring Break
Instructor: Dr. Jason Ward, Assistant Professor, History
Maximum enrollment: 30 students
Required Reading: The Senator and the Sharecropper: The Freedom Struggles of James O. Eastland and Fannie Lou Hamer by Chris Myers Asch. ISBN: 9780807872024
Cost: $200 (covers all trip expenses, including food, lodging and transportation)
Click here to view photos from the 2012 trip
For more information contact:
Dr. Jason Ward
Assistant Professor of History
662-325-3604
jward@history.msstate.edu
Dr. Cade Smith
Director of Student Leadership & Community Engagement
662-325-0244, 662-418-0140
cade@saffairs.msstate.edu
Courtney Allen
Graduate Assistant for the Maroon Volunteer Center
2012 MS Delta ASB Alternative Spring Break Trip Coordinator
Office of Student Leadership & Community Engagement
662-325-1820
cma103@saffairs.msstate.edu
