Students advertise their programs at the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) Lottery on Sunday evening. Madelyn Rindal | The Appalachian

Instead of hitting the beach or visiting home for spring break, sophomore public relations major Tommy Wrenn will join several other students to volunteer his time, thanks to Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT)'s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program.

"It just seems like a really good opportunity," Wrenn said. "I've been wanting to do more service work this semester."

Domestic ASB offers Appalachian State University students the chance to do service work within the United States.

"Unless you're taking your education outside of the walls of the classroom, you really aren't getting the full breadth and depth of what's possible as part of your education," ASB Director and Coordinator Selena Hileman said. "So what we like to say is that Alternative Spring Break is a great avenue...to learn about different communities, different social justice issues that are going on in our nation."

The first ACT-sponsored ASB trip took place in 1988 in Boston and the program has only grown since then.

"When we first started this, the popularity grew exponentially," Hileman said. "It used to be first come, first serve. Signups would happen at 7 a.m. and students were literally coming at 4 a.m. to get their spot because when it's first come, first serve, it matters where you are in the line."

ASB has since adopted a lottery system. Each student is assigned a number and picked at random to choose a location. This year, the program offers 16 different locations, with two peer leaders in each group.

The 2012 lottery was held Sunday in Plemmons Student Union's Blue Ridge Ballroom. There, students like Wrenn and sophomore psychology major Allison Neese they waited for their numbers to be called.

"It was nerve-wracking," said Neese, who ended up being the 15th person picked.

Neese will travel to New York and volunteer with Part of the Solution (POTS), a program that works to combat homelessness in the Bronx.

Wrenn, on the other hand, is going to Savannah, Tenn. He'll take care of abused and neglected dogs at the Horse Creek Wildlife Sanctuary and Animal Refuge.

"It looks to me that I spend a certain amount of time each day with a dog... just so they can experience that kind of relationship and bond with a person rather than just walking them for like 10 minutes," he said.

Wrenn's peer leader, senior business management and human resources major Allison Shumpert, spent a previous spring break at Horse Creek and wanted to make sure ASB stayed involved with the organization.

"The people who work there are absolutely amazing," she said. "They give up so much so these dogs can recover from their past and have a good life. I wanted to make sure App continued to be involved in that."

Story: MICHAEL BRAGG, Lifestyles Editor
Photo: MADELYN RINDAL, Photographer