Eating breakfast in a co-op in Winnipeg, Monique Kelemen learned what it meant to be a “professional radical” and to be an agent of social change.
Third-year Faculty of Information and Media Studies student Monique Kelemen (top) and third-year Science student Saurabh Gupta’s were among the many students who shared their experiences in the Alternative Spring Break Program. Some students will be travelling in May to three destinations after their visits wee cancelled in February due to bad weather.
Kelemen, a third-year Faculty of Information and Media Studies student, was among University of Western Ontario students participating in the 2010 Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. A showcase was held March 23 in the David S. Chu International Student Centre.
There were many lessons to be learned volunteering at the Winnipeg Harvest and Siloam Mission, but a big part of the service-learning experience were the unplanned opportunities.
Nick Ternette, a well-known Winnipeg-area activist, sat across from Kelemen and shared his motivation for advocating for social change.
His battle with a flesh-eating disease that resulted in an amputation of both legs didn’t stop Ternette from continuing his work; he told Kelemen “how he could not, not act.”
“I realized what it meant to be radical – how I could be radical,” she says.
“Especially in this university environment, we all have opinions; we all have things we are passionate about. But when it comes down to it, we have our excuses. We have sometimes such literal obstructions, such as not having legs or losing your legs, but the true radical keeps walking forward in spite of that.”
Keleman was inspired by Ternette to turn excuses into action.
ASB isn’t just about flying across the country or travelling to exotic locations; the same service-learning experience can be achieved closer to home.
Saurabh Gupta, a third-year Science student, has volunteered in the jungles of Ecuador and in small villages of Costa Rica and India. But nothing could have prepared him for what he found in his London backyard.
Within the walls of St. Leonard’s an agency supporting adults and youth in conflict with the law, Gupta had a revelation. By listening to youth talk about their experiences, he realized the stereotype he had in mind of troubled youth is distorted. Although their reality may be in stark contrast to that of a university student, he found they still could find common ground.
“We were invited into their home,” he says. “It was a great experience to just be there. You just realize all these youth wanted was someone to talk to and all we wanted to do was sit there and listen.
“Having experienced things we did at ASB London, I promised to the team and to myself that not only would I make a change globally, but also locally.”
Students also participated in ASB events in New Orleans, LA; Little Rock, AR; and Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic.
Harsh winter weather hit the United States on the departure day in February and forced a cancellation of three trips – Urubamba, Peru; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Managua, Nicaragua.
Rather than forfeiting the experience, the trips have been rescheduled for May and 51 of the 56 people are able to participate while at a slight additional cost.
To fill the empty spaces, students who participated in previous ASB programs volunteered to replace them and in doing so allowed for those unable to attend to receive almost a full refund.
“I couldn’t believe how remarkably they handled themselves,” says Stephanie Hayne, Experiential Education Co-ordinator, of those whose planes were cancelled. “Change and transformation, as we talk about, can happen in the most unexpected circumstances and places.”
For the first time, Western partnered with McMaster University to provide trips to Little Rock and Winnipeg. Students and team leaders from both universities worked at the Winnipeg Harvest and Siloam Mission, and Heifer International and Habitat for Humanity in Little Rock. As in past years, students from Oakridge Secondary School joined Western students on the New Orleans trip.
“This is a very important stage in your life – a formative stage – and what you do and learn now will shape your future,” says Western President Amit Chakma, noting his strong support for expanding service-learning experiences.
“I believe all our young students can benefit for these experiences. It is a wonderful opportunity to give you a taste of what the rest of the world looks like.”