“So if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I'll bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that... And I'd ask you about war, you'd probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, ‘once more unto the breach dear friends.’ But you've never been near one. You've never held your best friend's head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help.”

The above quote, taken from my favorite scene of the movie, Good Will Hunting, has a simple message. That message is that there is a fundamental difference between learning about something…talking about something, and actually experiencing something. Sure, I watched the news and saw that homelessness and poverty housing, amidst the housing crisis, were prominent issues in America. But, until I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and helped cleanout and build-up deserted houses, those problems weren’t real to me. Those problems weren’t real to me until I met the delighted neighbors or, especially, the elated family whose days of not being able to find affordable housing had ended. In other words, until I am able to truly experience something – feel the onset emotions and see something with my own eyes – I know I will never fully comprehend that thing. In order to understand the world around me and what real-world problems are, therefore, I must be able to experience.

I’ve never been outside of the United States or Canada. While some may argue that wealth inequity are huge problems in these countries, it can be taken for granted that those at the bottom end of wealth inequity in a developing country, like the Dominican Republic, are far worse off than those here. It can also be assumed that the education available in a developing country is obviously not what it is here. I’m telling you this, however, based on what I’ve read online. Consequently, when I was given the opportunity to take a trip to the Dominican Republic to truly experience these problems and do something about them, I knew I had to take it. I knew that by teaching English and building latrines the problems of limited educational resources and inadequate plumbing would become real to me and that I would have a chance to combat them. I also knew I had to take this opportunity to be exposed to a different culture and lifestyle. So here I am, waiting anxiously to do something more than learning or talking: I am waiting to experience.

-Tim Felong

Throughout high school, I have always had the yearning to embark on a community service trip. When this opportunity presented itself to me, I was at first hesitant to accept to traveling all the way to the Dominican Republic. However, I soon came to realize that every mile we travel, will make it that much more rewarding. The thought of helping build a community that is in the process of development, seemed greatly rewarding. It is one thing to contribute momentarily to a community in need, but this trip offers an opportunity to long lasting changes and improvements to the community. Such an opportunity, I could not pass up.

Realizing that we would make a significant, long-lasting impact on the community is a great incentive to go on such a trip. However, it is not that simple. Traveling over to a foreign country means that we will encounter not only a new way of life, but also the local hardships. There will likely be no running water, beds, or any other amenities that we consider necessities for any given home. Roughing it out will be a challenge, but the benefits that we could offer this community greatly outweigh whatever hardships we will have to adjust to.

After coming across this trip, making the decision to go seemed like an easy decision. However, the planning and preparations of this trip, will prove a difficult. We will have to undergo multiple vaccines, prepare the supplies for the trip, and purchase the plane tickets. This is one challenge we can not overcome by ourselves; this is why we are asking for your help. All contributions will be greatly appreciated by us, and the community we are serving. Without you, this would not be possible.

-Vincent Alleluia

Hi, my name is David Abplanalp and I'm a sophomore biomedical engineering major at the University of Rochester, and also a member of the Gamma Pi chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity. I'm very interested in going on this trip because I view it as an opportunity for me to help those less fortunate than myself, and to learn about the cultures and customs of the people in another country. We will be building outhouses and tutoring children in an effort to assist the people in this underdeveloped country lead successful and fulfilling lives. I hope you will assist me in reaching our monetary goal so that we are able to go on this mission.

Sincerely,

David E. Abplanalp

Thoughts from Jonathan Fricke

The service trip to the Dominican Republic is an amazing opportunity for brothers to travel to a developing community in order to make a sizable and meaningful contribution to others. Our plan is to build latrines for the community and to setup a tutoring program to teach English to the children in the village. These projects may not come across as "flashy," but they will have a significant impact on the community.

My decision to go on this trip was actually a rather easy decision for me. I have been to other countries in the caribbean, including Belize, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, but have not first-hand experienced the living conditions of the local people. Traveling has always been an interest of mine but I think that you cannot fully experience another country until you have seen all of it, both the parts meant for tourists and the parts almost entirely comprised of locals. I realized that I would miss out on spending time with friends and family from home, but the experiences I will have on this trip will be we priceless. The organization of events like this, to go out into the world and help others, makes me proud to be a Sig. I hope we can raise enough money to go on this trip!

-Jonathan Fricke

Why go to the Dominican Republic?

The Sigma Chi service trip to the Dominican Republic is great opportunity to make a difference in an underdeveloped country, and gain a new perspective on a region of the world we may not have thought twice about before. Our current plan is to work on a tutoring program for the 300 young students in the village of El’Elmo, and work to build more latrines. Though the project we are pursuing may not seem thrilling, in a village where the students can go to school only three hours a day, and do not have enough places to go to the bathroom, our work will make a significant difference.

Our first challenge is reaching our fundraising goal of $10,000 in order to pay for the costs of our project and our airfare. We are each committing around $350 of our personal funds, and are hoping that our friends, family, and alumni will step up and help us with the rest. Our next step will be buying our airfare, getting immunizations, and plunging into a culture none of us have experienced before.

My decision to go was not easily made; nerves about travelling to a new part of the world without running water and electricity, and giving up a lot of time with my friends and family over winter break are two of the biggest reasons I was hesitant. However, I recognize the importance of the work we are doing, and this is the type of work that we as Sigma Chi Brothers can be proud of. We hope that we get enough donations so we can go!

-Greg McKay