By Ryan O'Connor
Staff Writer

Courtesy Photo Goffstown High School students take a rare moment of relaxation along the Mississippi waterfront during their February vacation, which they spent cleaning up the remnants of Hurricane Katrina. Pictured are Heather Barss, Brian Doucet, Heather Emerson, Alise Greenfield, Mike Kelley, Kaitlin Koffink, Ashley Lafond, Mikyla Lasher, Zach Morris, Rebecca Norklun, Dan Politz, Laurie Politz, Leo Roy, Sarah Tostevin and Kyle Winston (West High School) and Joe Beachy (Pembroke Academy).

While many Goffstown High School students may have spent their February vacation basking in warmer climates or hitting the slopes, 15 students – 14 from GHS and one from West High School – decided to spend their break doing something a little more constructive.

The students, all juniors and seniors, spent six days in Mississippi helping to rebuild houses and ball fields that were decimated by Hurricane Katrina.

“I’m a really big skier, so in the winter, it’s pretty much my life, and I am out there as much as possible. But for me, it was a handsdown easy decision,” said junior Zach Morris, 17, of going to Mississippi. “I didn’t think twice about it. I had no problem giving up my vacation to go down there and help out.”

According to alternative learning teacher Matt Leonard, who chaperoned the trip, Morris’ attitude was reflected by all of the students who participated.

“I’ve never been with a better group of kids. They worked hard, and they were very reflective of everything they did down there,” said Morris, who has chaperoned more than 20 previous school trips. “The kids were awesome. They really were amazing.”

Of their six days in Mississippi, the students spent five days hard at work. The first two days were spent completely gutting out two homes, which Morris said were brand new before the hurricane destroyed them, and the next three days were spent rebuilding ball fields which were also severely damaged by Katrina.

“We cleaned them all up. There was just trash everywhere,” said Morris of the ball fields. “We rebuilt dugouts that had totally been ruined so the kids could play there for the rest of the year without having to worry about the damage.”

According to Morris it appeared that little had been done since the hurricane because the beaches were just lined with debris and houses down to their foundations.

He said that while the locals said there had been significant progress, there was still plenty to be done, and he encouraged anyone with some free time to go there and help.

“For me, it was just a really rewarding experience and I would do it again in a heart beat,” said Morris. “It felt like we didn’t do that much because there was so much to be done, but the people down there were really praising us because to them they just appreciate the help.”