On April 2, I le� for Nicaragua along with a group of fi�een students. With teachers Sr. John Leary and Ms. Gloria Bustamante, we traveled to the city of Leon for a 10 day trip that combined service, language immersion, and tourism. I can’t speak for everyone who went, but it was one of the best experiences of my life.

The vibrant hues of saris and bold prints of Nigerian tunics whirl across the stage; students applaud as their peers model their cultures’ traditional costumes, and the cheers and roars only get louder as the breakdancing crew flips and freezes and students swerve their hips in rhythm to a belly-dancing number. It is undeniable: the audience is entertained. But is the sole purpose of the Common Grounds Assembly to entertain students?

The earth rumbled and trembled. From its epicenter about ten miles south-west of the capital Port-au-Prince and six miles underground, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake raged on for thirty seconds on the island nation of Haiti. It le�� behind massive destruction, especially in the densely populated capital.