Spring Break 2023 was different for some Regis College student-athletes and coaches, as they traveled to different parts of the country and the world for unique experiences during the week.
Regis track and field student-athletes Micah Bowen (Springfield, Mass.) and Bryan De Souza (Everett, Mass.), as well as assistant field hockey coach Lexi Crites, took part in the Civil Rights Pilgrimage, traveling to Alabama and Georgia to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. Maddy Robertson (Athol, Mass.) and Ambar Rodriguez (Lynn, Mass.), also members of the track and field team, headed to Los Angeles and the U.S./Mexico border to learn first-hand about the different issues affecting our country, including gang violence, immigration, addiction, homelessness, and income inequality.
On the academic side, Olivia Bell (Poland, Maine) and Gracie Marsh (Orange, Mass.) from the field hockey team traveled to Northern Ireland, visiting Ulster University for presentations within nuclear medicine and exercise science. Below are thoughts from some of the participants regarding their unique experiences.
Olivia Bell: "My takeaway from the trip was how beautiful the country is! My favorite part had to have been the coastline along the way to get to the Giants Causeway and the culture. One of the best parts was that we were able to learn about the history of Northern Ireland and got to visit the sports facilities at Ulster University. It was also very refreshing to see how big field hockey is in Europe! The people there were so welcoming and made us have such a great time while educating us on so many aspects of their country! I will definitely be going back!"
Gracie Marsh: "Northern Ireland was incredible, between the people and the country itself it made for a wonderful place to explore for a week! Not only was it amazing to experience the culture, but it was also amazing to see the technology and equipment that is available for exercise science students at Ulster University. I also got to be involved in a class where they teach their students how to coach, which was interesting to witness. It was also very refreshing to see how big field hockey was to them. I would 100% travel back to Northern Ireland, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that the school gave me to be further educated in my degree and get to experience a different culture at the same time."
Bryan De Souza: "The biggest takeaway this time is to dedicate myself to serve as a reminder of what happened in our country's history. The history that is now being banned to teach about in schools and in books through legislation. This is my second time on the Civil Rights Pilgrimage, this time as a leader. Even with having a previous experience with this trip, once you've emerged yourself in this time of learning it's like it's your first time learning it. Your eyes are immediately glued to the pictures in the museums, and your ears are glued to personal accounts from people who lived during the Civil Rights Movement and who knew figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That is knowledge that no one can ever take away from me."
Lexi Crites: "The Civil Rights Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Unlike other service trips, it is more about becoming better educated and informed. We went to understand America's true history and what we are founded on. It's hard to pinpoint one moment that stood out to me, but The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, was a fantastic experience. The way the museum is laid out makes it more of an interactive experience than just reading facts off a wall and seeing photographs. They actually had quotes from enslaved people (including the one below), and the emotion you can feel through reading these quotes is profound. This museum is run by the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that works to end mass incarceration, overall fighting to protect basic human rights. The last room was about incarceration, where they had phone booths set up where you could talk to someone wrongfully accused. This was a critical room showing how injustice lives on today and that the work of fighting for change is not over."
"When my wife was sold, I asked leave to shake hands with her which (the trafficker) refused, but said I might stand at a distance and talk to her. My heart was so full that I could say very little... I gave her the little money I had in my pocket, and bade her farewell. I have never seen or hear of her from that day to this. I loved her as I loved my life." - M. Grandy
Students and staff will share stories from this year's service immersion trips at the annual Regalos Community Celebration and Fundraiser, held on Thursday, March 30, at 5 p.m. on campus. All proceeds support the service immersion trips and all are welcome to attend.