Alternative Breaks
As an undergraduate who has spent a good amount of time working with the Leadership & Community Service-Learning office and the Alternative Breaks student leaders, I must say it is a fantastic experience that can absolutely shape the lives of university students. These programs can provide much exposure to parts of this country and the world that many students would otherwise be incapable of, or unwilling to try, exploring through other means.
However, I would offer three main critiques to the program that I believe could not only further its cause, but also be to the betterment of the people who are engaged in the programs. Note: I am not opposed to Alternative Breaks, but I see some key areas that could be changed for the better.
1. Location of the breaks: As I was looking through the list of areas that this university has gone to in recent years, I noticed a pattern among many of the destinations. Whether intentional or coincidental, there seem to be mostly trips to locations in the Americas or surrounding islands. To expand the program, I believe it would be best to expand the trips to some African and Asian countries. This would serve to vary not only the locations, but also give students a different perspective of what life is like beyond this part of the world.
2. For locations that are set in the United States, again, try expanding the horizon a bit to take on different regions. Some locations are known for their socioeconomic and civic differences, especially at this time. Some might not be considered the most popular of locations, but I feel as though much could be learned from an Alternative Break trip to Compton, California, Detroit, San Antonio or even right outside the campus — somewhere like Suitland. There are many parts of the U.S. in which Alternative Breaks could definitely be of service, and that could give students another perspective as to which parts of the country need help.
3. A petition to change the duration of breaks. This might sound like an outside shot, but as most trips cost more than $1,300, I feel that students perhaps should have the ability to determine the length of these trips. Either reduce the costs of the trips and push for more funding from the university or increase the length of certain trips per student requests, especially for trips with extended travel distances.
Alternative Breaks is a wonderful program that offers students exposure to many different walks of life and opportunities to volunteer on a variety of issues.
Yet much more can be done, with university support, to expand the reaches of Alternative Breaks and give it a more diverse trajectory. As a student who has yet to attend an Alternative Breaks trip but possesses a strong desire to do so, these are just some requests I’d have for the program’s future.
Rhys Hall is a junior sociology major. He can be reached at rhyshall2144@gmail.com.
