University students in new HabitatBy Stephanie Caruso

University of Denver students travelled to Gulfport, Miss. from Dec. 8-15, 2013.

Working with Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the group of 15 worked on a total of three worksites during the week. The students worked with the local community to rebuild homes that had been destroyed in the wake of 2007’s Hurricane Katrina. All the students are affiliated with different fraternities and sororities on campus. Each year, a new group comes together to go on the same trip and help the same towns along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

Waking to see the sunrise over the Gulf, students arrived early at their worksites every morning. During the short December days, they also saw the sunset after eight hours of work.

From breaking ground for the driveway, to painting detail work, there was plenty to be done for eight hours every day. Of course, there was never a dull moment, thanks to Habitat leaders who inspired through jokes and tales of past volunteers.

Students got schooled in

construction 101, learning tools from

the speed square (pictured right) to

drills and table saws.

Other site tasks included assembling scaffolding to paint the second story and the wraparound porch.

Learning quickly and on the fly, it wasn’t long before students took projects into their own hands and completed them faster than expected.

The worksite, mid-week.

With so many power tools in use,

hard hats and safety

rules were a must.

In no time, the Habitat staff and DU students became friends and shared a lof of laughs throughout the week.

Worksite bonding between different Greek house members happened quickly, too.

Students experiencing Southern cuisine and culture at Liz’s Where Y’At Diner for breakfast.

After all the efforts put in by the DU students, only touch ups and fine details remained.