Singing College Gospel in South-Central L.A.

Most college students devote their spring break to having fun in the sun by the surf and sand. But for 75 UC Davis students this upcoming spring break will be spent motivating high school students in south-central Los Angeles to consider the value of a college education. These students, members of the UC Davis Gospel Choir, will visit Washington Preparatory and Compton high schools and give community concerts at the Tabernacle Faith Baptist and First African Methodist Episcopal churches during their visit March 26-29. "The choir itself initiated the idea of taking the trip to do the outreach and share their feelings about UC Davis," says John Mims, an associate director of the campus recruitment program in Los Angeles. The students, who have raised money for the trip through public performances, are car pooling to Los Angeles from Davis.