Mungano’s Civil Rights spring break trip provided students with the opportunity to tour some of the nation’s most prominent historical sites.

Eleven students and three faculty members traveled in one van from Baldwin City to sites in Little Rock, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., Montgomery, Ala., Birmingham, Ala. and Atlanta.

Director of Multicultural Affairs Ron Holden said the trip more than exceeded his expectations.

“I was very pleased that the experiences resonated with the students so much,” Holden said.

Students visited the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

The motel since has been transformed into the National Civil Rights Museum.

The last portion of the motel tour takes visitors through King’s actual room in the motel.

“We saw the view that (King) had during the last moments of his life,” Holden said.

One of the sites that Holden said elicited many emotions was Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Ala.

In 1963, police confronted black protesters with high-powered fire hoses and dogs.

Among the demonstrators were many children and elderly citizens.

“I had students who commented to me that they don’t know if they could have lived back then and remain committed to nonviolent retaliation,” Holden said.

Holden said since not every student who went on the trip was black, the group depicted King’s dream where people of all races could come together and bond.

“We were able to talk about the experiences we shared and relate to each other,” Holden said.

Kaitlin Emig, coordinator for service-learning and volunteering, said she proposed the service-learning aspect to the trip after her original spring break plans failed to generate enough student interest.

While in Atlanta, the group volunteered with Our Lady of Lourdes Church and served lunch to the city’s needy and homeless population.

The group also volunteered with the Xposure Youth Foundation’s after-school program.

Emig said the experiences the students had in learning about the Civil Rights era translates into their service hours.

She is very moved by the passion these people showed despite their struggle.

“I hope I can transmit that same passion for different causes through my work here at Baker,” Emig said.

Sophomore Robert Woodall said one of the most unexpected experiences the group had was meeting a woman boycotting the National Civil Rights Museum.

The woman claimed the museum is a waste of money and is not fulfilling King’s dream, Woodall said.

Overall, Woodall found the trip to be beneficial.

“The trip was very valuable,” he said. “It got repetitive at times, but then you also got to see how much you actually knew about the events.”