Members of the West Point Civil Engineering Club took a trip to New Rochelle Nov. 21 for a full day's work on a housing project with the Westchester Habitat for Humanity program.
Some used jackhammers to destroy some of the concrete floor to allow a fora trench system in the basement to solve the flooding problem.
Others worked outside cutting down trees. Another group was on the first floor gutting a room that will eventually have new sheetrock installed throughout.
When asked why they went on the trip on one of their few days off, the replies were "It was kind of a stress reliever after a hard academic week" and "This was a great opportunity to serve those less fortunate and to give a helping hand for those in need and to spend time with some of my close cadet friends."
As to the actual jobs they completed, one cadet commented "The house looked a lot better afterward and it will be much more livable after the final touches are made to it."
One member of the jackhammer crew said "I've never used a jackhammer until that Saturday and I give a lot of credit to those guys who do it every day. That was one of the hardest forearm workouts I've gotten in awhile."
The Civil Engineering Club does numerous other community service activities to include the biannual highway cleanup, working with the Special Olympics and Boy and Girl Scouts and teaching some engineering classes to Cornwall high school students.
The club is looking to build on this project and is hoping to have much more support in their upcoming community service events.
"Not only did I get the opportunity to help out the less fortunate, especially for such a reputable organization, I got a little taste of civil engineering. This will definitely help me next year when I have to declare my major," Plebe Rachel Kim said.
Social Sharing