It must be all those spring break advertisements. You know, the ones that proclaim that you can go to the Caribbean for less than $300 -- better yet, rope in six or more friends and get to go for free yourself! Damn travel agents, there's always some catch involved.
When my application to go to Trinidad was accepted for an alternative spring break trip with Habitat for Humanity, I knew the preparation wasn't going to be a walk in the park. I candidly admit that the behind-the-scenes work and overall effort has far exceeded any of my initial expectations. At times, it can be extremely tiring and I always have to make an unconscious effort to keep the bigger picture in mind. When it comes down to the hours spent in planning and personal fundraising, the fundamental fact that never fails to motivate and spur me on is that we represent a group from the College on the Hill, trying to make a difference (as small or as large as that may be).
Building structures, let alone entire houses, isn't the most enjoyable endeavor at times. I once went to Sarawak in East Malaysia to build a bridge as part of a community service project I participated in -- manually mixing cement, I am wholly convinced, is one of the most backbreaking physical activities known to man. You shovel the mixture, add water and you start shoveling again. In the equatorial regions the sun frequently is high in the sky and the heat makes repeating this process a necessity to ensure that the cement does not dry. I've dug furiously for four days and three nights to construct military trenches before, but when this ever-growing, amorphous gray pile is constantly in front of you, it can be taxing on the nerves. When you consider that one could be kicking back at home on a couch and watching television instead, it almost shatters the romanticism that surrounds the collective objective of the trip. Yet this effort is miniscule when juxtaposed with the gargantuan task that raising money plays in realizing our dream.
Ultimately, fundraising is the thing that defines the trip in so many ways: it provides a host of opportunities for the trip members to bond as a group, it raises awareness among the local community of the need for volunteer work in such regions of the world and it even dictates how much needs to come out of our own pockets. As the only '05 going, I must admit that at times I feel a bit intimidated by the ideas and energy of all these battle-hardened seniors and juniors who obviously know from their previous experiences what ideas work and don't work. It would be very easy to just go along as a passive member, to ride on their coattails; instead, I find my ears pricking up during each of our meetings and conversations, trying to pick out useful details and insights that would serve me well when I pass on my experience to future groups of Dartmouth students that I might have a chance to lead in the years to come.
Even personal fundraising raises a crop of problems -- which organizations do we write to and exactly what do we include in our letters? Very often we end up turning to those closest to us -- that's right, our own parents and relatives -- for money. I tried to apply for financial aid, but was told that since I was originally not on financial aid I thus was not eligible for funding. Very graciously, the '05 Class Council granted me some monetary assistance and for that I am extremely grateful. Despite the best efforts of all parties, it looks like all of us will still have to dig deep in our pockets for the funds necessary.
I called the trip a dream in my title, but by no means is this dream solely ours to share and hold. Rather, this is a collective vision that all of us in the Dartmouth community have an active share in. (Hey, a little bit of idealism never hurt anyone!) I strongly urge all of you to make it a point to come out and participate in all the future fundraising events we have planned for the rest of the Winter term. Help us, as students and representatives of Dartmouth College, to mold this dream and our bid to bring back a part of Trinidad and its needs to our community so that we will all have an enhanced understanding of the world beyond the bubble that is Hanover.
