Original Press Release

This is the Press Release that was sent out to first promote our trip.

Students to Join Civil Rights Pilgrimage During Spring Break
RELEASED: Jan. 31, 2008
EAU CLAIRE — A group of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students will spend their 2008 spring break on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage to the South, visiting sites of historic importance to the U.S. civil rights movement.
The March 14-23 trip will include stops at the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta; the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Ala.; the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Ala.; the Community Bakery and Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.; and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.
The trip also will include a stop in New Orleans, with visits to Tulane University and the famous Preservation Hall, home of New Orleans jazz. While in New Orleans, students can participate in volunteer work to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Informational meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Feb. 6 and at noon Feb. 11 in the Arrowhead Room of Davies Center.
January Boten, Putnam Hall director, learned of a similar project organized by another campus and suggested UW-Eau Claire try it. Jodi Thesing-Ritter, associate dean of student development, said she loved the idea, as did Boten's students.
The Civil Rights Pilgrimage was planned by students Chris Neilson, Katie Lashua, Sarah Gonzalez and Tim Kenney, with the assistance of staff advisers Thesing-Ritter and Boten.
"As soon as I heard about this trip, I knew it would be an amazing experience and a great opportunity to learn more about our nation's history," said Lashua. "It will be a great opportunity to meet some amazing people, travel to new places, and expand our awareness of the world in which we live. This is a guaranteed unforgettable journey."
The $200 trip fee includes transportation, lodging and tours. Students must register by Feb. 15 in the Student Senate office, Room 132, Davies Center. A $75 deposit is required at registration.
The Civil Rights Pilgrimage is sponsored by the UW-Eau Claire Student Senate, the Office of Student Development and Diversity and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.
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NW/JB