Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Eto Eto Eto Masses GUARANTEED! Sandcastle Oceanfront Resorts in Myrtle Beach 1-866-857-4061 Toll free Please mention Code 3-4 Oceanfront accommodations featuring indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Lazy River, hot tubs and poolside cabana bar www. sandcastleresorts. com Students to help in Haiti during break BY ADAM BEAM THE GAMECOCK When second-year business student Amanda Pepper went to Haiti last spring break to drill a well for a disease-ridden village, she was told there was no way her group would complete the project in a week. They were right—the group only need ed four days. Despite a broken water pump, no train ing and lackluster equipment, Pepper, along with five other students, dug a 60 foot well to give the grass hut village clean water. “Everything just came together as easy as it all fell apart," she said. “We worked from sunup to sundown for four days.” Now Pepper is helping lead a group of 53 people, 42 of which are USC students, back to Haiti this spring break to pick up where her group left off. “It changed my life to the point I think every American needs to experience a Third World country,” she said. Wes Church, college minister at First Baptist Church of Columbia, said the rea son for the increased interest in this year’s trip was the amount of publicity. “We did a lot of video footage with the Haiti trip, and these 18 students who went last year, it kind of changed their lives,” he said. “Plus, we showed the footage at the beginning of the year and had over 80 people sign up right away.” The total cost of the trip is $45,000. Church said $32,900 has already been raised, and that every person going is asked to raise about $900. “In a perfect world, $900 a person is what we would have paid, but we are going to try and sneak by with a little less than that.” Also, Church said everyone is asked to make a personal sacrifice of their own money towards the trip. Some give $500, while others give $25. “There’s no specified amount, because we know everybody can do different things,” said Church. This year’s group will be drilling wells, distributing Bibles translated into Creole and working with the city police depart ment to help fix their facilities. Most of the USC students going on the trip belong to USC’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, who of ficially sponsors the trip. The group will meet at 6 p.m. in the Bates paring lot on Friday, March 7. From there they will take a bus to Miami and fly to Port au Prince, Haiti. The group returns on Sunday, March 16, giving the students seven days in Haiti. “I have heard a couple of them (stu dents) say they have a test the following Monday when they get back, so they will have to bring school with them,” said Natalie Bishop, who serves on the trip’s leadership team. This will be Bishop’s second trip to Haiti and her fourth mission trip overall ♦ HAITI, SEE PAGE 6 PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Haiti Is the poorest country In the Western Hemisphere, with an average annual Income of $250 and an unemployment rate of 70 percent.