Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            Instead of going to the beach for Spring Break, 16 students at Shawnee State University and two AmeriCorps/Vista leaders, Kelly Hatas and Sarah Lowe, helped build a house in Beaumont, Texas, near the Louisiana border to participate in the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge. When they arrived, the group faced a concrete slab and a pile of lumber, by the end of the week, the students had raised nearly all of the interior and exterior walls.
            Ten of the students will be receiving three credit hours for their participation. As a group, the SSU students donated $2,250 to habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County and put in 540 volunteer hours.
            Students attending Alternative Spring Break were from first row, left to right, are a Texas student volunteer, Shayna Cox and Hatas. Second row, left to right, are Kat Westendorf, Texas student volunteer, Chris Eatherton, Sarah Pastor, Megan Paeltz, Ali Noordin, Greg Williams and Heath Stratton. Third row, left to right, are Meaghan Redoutey, Sarah Boggs, Ryan Appleton, Lowe and Nick Redoutey. Back row, left to right, are Cory Smith, Walker Stewart, Jeremiah Thompson and Matt Schiesser.