Posted Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007, The OG, features & photo galleries

[Feb. 28 UPDATE: We've added information about 1972 Uni graduate Rob Zych. See Bill Sutton's comment at the bottom of this page.]

DURING LAST WEEK'S Agora Days, 18 Uni students participated in the school's annual Habitat for Humanity trip to Clarksdale, Miss. They were accompanied by history teachers Bill Sutton and Chris Butler, PE teacher Doug Mynatt, 1972 alum Rob Zych (who served as construction supervisor), and 2002 alum Helen Miller. The students and their chaperones met up with 2006 alums Colette DeJong and Katie Carmody, who have taken a year off before college and are spending a month in Clarksdale. Throughout the week, the students worked on siding, drywalling, mudding, and sanding. Overall, despite the hard work (or maybe because of it), the Uni contingent found the experience not only enjoyable but memorable.

The students who participated were juniors Rachel Hurley and Ruthie Welch and seniors Emma Anselin, Jonathon Baron, Benjamin Fu, Mandy Grill, Maddy Hamlin, Nicole Helregel, Bethany Hutchens, Devin Johnson, Emily Kamm, Josh Mitchell, Krista Olson, Nick Pratt, Emily Rosengren, Scott Sapp, Abby Sobh, and Bianca Zaharescu. Sapp and Zaharescu were part of last year's trip as well.

photos by Devin Johnson, Amanda Grill & Jonathon Baron

Seniors Krista Olson and Mandy Grill proudly display their work.

The siding crew — made up of Uni alum Helen Miller, Clarksdale resident and Habitat volunteer Bryn Ellis, and seniors Abby Sobh and Krista Olson — hammers away.

History teacher and Habitat sponsor Bill Sutton takes a well-deserved break, albeit a short one.

Seniors Jono Baron and Emily Rosengren are happy and satisfied after a long day's work.

A front view of the house that Habitat is building, after the Uni volunteers contributed their week of labor.

Seniors Benjamin Fu, Jono Baron, and Bianca Zaharescu relax their muscles back at the dorm.

Senior Mandy Grill enjoys the company of her kindergarten class at Sherard Elementary School, where she spent time when she wasn't working at the Habitat site.

At the end of the school day, Mandy Grill musters up the energy for one more picture.

Uni students go on a trip to a levee, where they take full advantage of the warm Mississippi weather.

Seniors Abby Sobh and Bethany Hutchens carefully sign each other's T-shirts on the last night of the trip.