NEXT WEEK, the University will be participating in the college event that has long inspired National Lampoon straight-to-DVD movies. Though spring break has been portrayed as an excuse to get intoxicated, some around the University are challenging this image. Alternative Spring Break was established in 1992 with the goal of providing students a gateway for an alcohol-free service week. The group's intentions mean well and can be very constructive, but its efforts are misdirected.
Apathy has spread among college students because of desensitization from periodic catastrophes and daily struggles, social media comforting our increasingly isolated worlds, and a lack of resources to help those who are less fortunate. ASB deserves credit in confronting all three of these causes. Its members understand that their mission is not to change the world, for as the group's website says, "ASB participants realize that one week of service cannot possibly solve all of the problems in the world." They have combated the lax social media environment with their aggressive fall recruiting campaigns. Lastly, they serve as the liaison between volunteers and work sites.
ASB's efforts have been rewarded. In 2006, there were 15 trips involving 238 participants; in 2009, there were 60 trips involving over 750 participants. Nevertheless, there are still some questions about ASB's methods.
ASB extends beyond the University and is national at this point. Yet, of the ten domestic sites that UVA's ASB offers, only one of them besides the Charlottesville site is within 900 miles of the University. This adds up to eight extremely remote domestic sites along with ten international sites.
Ironically, the focus area of eight of these sites is environment conservation. Taking an eight-hour round-trip plane ride for this purpose is akin to driving a Hummer to the farmer's market - local would farmers benefit, but the environment is still paying the price. Likewise, these ASB sites will be in better condition than before the volunteers arrived, but the carbon footprint offsets much of the conservation effort.
The greatest concern, in addition to the un-green transportation, is what is not being done. In its mission statement, ASB states that its aim is to "bring together members of the University community, who might not otherwise interact in their usual social spheres, in the common goals of service to and education about the global community, in order to promote and train future service leaders of Virginia." That goal is missed on many levels.
Before jumping into global problems, participants should acknowledge and concern themselves first with local issues. And the most glaring shortcoming of ASB's mission is its conception of the University community. Theoretically, its goal of bringing together members of the University community would establish a collaborative effort involving non-resident students and local residents. In reality, by placing participants in sites such as Treasure Beach, Jamaica, ASB is removing student-participants from Charlottesville and effectively ensuring that only a small subgroup participates in local activities.
The added benefit of working close to home, besides reducing the environmental impact, is that it builds more perspective than working abroad. With the current volunteer-vacation set up, participants are more likely to travel, work, return and forget. On the other hand, volunteering for opportunities in Charlottesville will have a greater impact. Participants might recognize a former stranger in need or pass by their worksite two years from now and look back on their spring break experience.
Being regularly reminded of how fortunate they are should serve as a tool for humility.
Instead, ASB's current practices allow the participants to play the role of travelling saviors. The chances are greater that they will feel as if they were called upon to rescue some helpless village, and that once their job was finished they could leave as heroes.
There is not a lack of opportunities for service in Charlottesville. The city has a higher poverty rate than the state average in almost every demographic subset, not just among college students. There also are numerous opportunities for environmental conservation, even if that means helping at local reservoirs.
Students considering Alternative Spring Break should take it upon themselves to volunteer locally. Just by walking downtown, it will be evident that there are many nearby areas that could use a hand. It may be uncomfortable acknowledging the state of affairs in one's immediate surroundings, but comfortable situations do not prove a leader's worth.
Hung Vu's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reaced at h.vu@cavalierdaily.com.
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