By Sarah Thomack
St. Joseph Post

The sounds of paint rollers and power tools are not typically what you would expect to hear during a college student’s spring break trip.

Twenty-one students from Salem State University in Massachusetts were part of an alternative spring break trip this week. The students were in St. Joseph helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity.

Kylie Capalbo is a freshman at Salem. Capalbo said the trip was put together and advertised on campus by Community Service Initiative.

“I thought it was a better option than sitting around, doing nothing at home,” Capalbo said. “It’s a lot of hands-on, it is hard work and you’re going to get dirty, but it’s so worth it at the end, seeing the results and knowing that you made a difference… It’s definitely been a good way to spend my spring break and I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat.”

The rain and wind this week didn’t stop the students as the projects were based indoors. Habitat Construction Supervisor Harlan Woodward said the students are painting the inside of one house in the 1000 block of S. 16th Street and hanging sheetrock at another.

“We’re on the painting crew here and we’re having a good time,” Woodward said. “Working with these kids is a neat experience, they spend their spring break here instead of partying somewhere so I appreciate them coming and helping us.”

The students will wrap up work on the houses Friday morning.