ASB team FiTting in brings upbeat atmosphere to Lafayette

The Alternative Spring Break FITting In team’s upbeat mood seems to be contagious. As Lafayette students come out in droves to enjoy sunny afternoons on the quad surrounded by friends and good music, people are hard-pressed to find a reason not to smile—and that warrants a high five.

Every year, ASB sends groups of Lafayette students all over the world to do service work. Upon their return, each team organizes a reorientation program to educate the campus on the social issue their trip focused on. This week, Durham, North Carolina ASB team hosted a series of events entitled Week of Inclusion.

Throughout the week, the group has been running events in and around Farinon ranging from free high fives and random acts of kindness raffles to a foursquare tournament, a game the team enjoyed playing with the kids during their trip, Rossi said.

Their mission statement is to promote a healthy community by encouraging a positive mentality through inclusion, mutual respect and the power of language, according to team member Marissa Rossi ‘17.

“This week we are hoping to bring the positive atmosphere that we found in Durham back to Lafayette,” Rossi said.

Over spring break, the eight-member team traveled to Durham to focus on a project focusing on childhood obesity and self-esteem. Playworks, a nationwide non-profit that uses the “power of play to bring out the best in every kid,” according to their website, hosted the team.

The Lafayette volunteers aided in cleaning and revamping of a local school gym and playground over the course of the week. They also spent time playing with the students during recess, Rossi said. Their focus was on keeping the kids active and involved in the hope that it would nurture their self-esteems and encourage good exercise habits.

The Week of Inclusion, according to team members, has been a successful reorientation project.

“This week has surpassed our expectations,” team member Monica Meng ‘18 said. “We have hear lots of positive comments and feedback…[We] are really excited about the impact we’re making.”