Alternate School Break Reflections

Having $6 a day in D.C., nine cots in a church basement in Nashville, rice and beans for 12 days in La Fortuna, Honduras…does any of this sound like a typical college student’s ideal way of spending a school break? For many students, breaks are a time to travel with friends, spend time with family, or earn some extra spending money; but for nearly 60 students who are members of the Alternative School Break (ASB) Club, breaks become a time for hard work and transformative learning experiences.

As the ASB Advisor, I have the privilege of working with this dedicated group of students as we plan and coordinate six different service trips each year. I challenge them to reframe their thinking about service, to construct a philosophy of service that is centered on justice rather than charity. We work together to set goals and expectations that are achieved through education about complex social issues combined with direct service and meaningful reflection.

I often reflect personally on the work we do, and I wonder whether our students really “get it.” Do they fully grasp the importance of their work and the potential they have to make change? Upon his return from a two-week stay with Engineers Without Borders in a remote Honduran village, I sat down our team leader Nate Parker '08 to find out how we can continue to improve our trips each year. I was struck by his thoughtful account of his trip, by his complete selflessness as he vividly described the difficulty in living so far outside his comfort zones for two weeks. To some people, ASB may sound like another way to travel to new places, but the students in our club and to me, ASB is an opportunity to transform our perspectives and shape new realities where we come to understand our place in the world in relation to others. Amidst a week of substance-free laughter and new friendships, our ASB students learn how they can change the world. If your student is interested in service, he or she can apply in September to join an ASB team!

Amber Zuber
Assistant Director
Landis Community Outreach Center
(610) 330-5653
zubera@lafayette.edu