Some students are trading in their swimsuits and sunscreen for T-shirts and jeans this spring break.

The Campus Activities Board and the Leadership and Volunteerism Committee is putting together an alternative spring break for students staying in Bowling Green.

Eight to 10 students will be selected to stay at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and do various service projects throughout the community and on campus. The week will end with a day trip to the Nashville Zoo.

“The goal is to bring students together who may not be together otherwise,” said Azurdee Garland, CAB assistant. “They need to use each other as resources to work as a team and work through challenges .”

The activities that are scheduled for the week are a visit to the Salvation Army to help sort clothes to get ready for a yard sale, a visit to the Alive Center, a speech from Dean Howard Bailey about leadership, and a campus wide clean-up.

“We hope that the students will be able to see what Western has to offer,” Garland said. “Most students may not be able to see that if it weren’t for the program.”

CAB is planning to accept eight to 10 students for the trip. That number will double what it took last year.

“We have decided to add more people because we want to give more students the opportunity to get involved with leadership,” Garland said.

Although CAB is only taking a small number, anyone who wants leadership experience can apply for the alternative spring break.

However, they are mainly recruiting students in the Dynamic Leadership Institute, which is a group of students who take classes concerning leadership. Applications can be picked up in the CAB office in Downing University Center.

“We try to target groups that we know are already involved or interested in leadership and want that type of spring break environment,” said Amanda Demarest, Leadership and Volunteerism Coordinator.

The alternative spring break has been successful in the past and this year CAB projects it to be even better. In the past students have gone to local agencies and volunteered their time; this year the leadership component has been added.

“This year we want the students to gain something that they would not have gained had they not participated in the spring break activities,” Garland said.

Reach Catherine Melvin at [email protected].