Building a house, taking more home
Compiled by Crystal Boyles
Office of Creative Services
Just after finals wrapped up in December, 16 fraternity and sorority life members and two leaders hopped a plane to the Dominican Republic where they spent the next eight days building a home. Most of the group didn’t speak Spanish, but it didn’t matter. Locals still welcomed them into the community.
They left thinking they were going to change the lives of others; they came back changed. They laughed. They cried. They learned. And their leaders had them keep it all in a daily journal. Below are excerpts of three of these (unedited) journal entries.
Angelica Fowler, sophomore, elementary education, Alpha Delta Pi
Day 2
After we got done working on the house for the day we got to visit a local river where we all cooled off and got to swim. Once we got there I saw a boy on a mule a few hundred yards away from where we were swimming. I began to walk over to him. He was filling up large jugs of water from the dirty river. This boy, who was no older than 6 or 7 years old, came down to the river in which I saw a cow drinking from moments before to get drinking water for him and his family. I tried to talk to him in Spanish but he had probably never seen an American before and I could tell he was very taken aback that I had even come up to him. I began to help him fill his jugs up in silence. I helped him load the jugs in the satchel that was laid over the mules back and I hoisted the boy on top of the mule when we were done. It was probably the most humbling experience I have ever had. It was a nearly silent encounter that lasted no more than 10 minutes, but an encounter that I will absolutely remember for the rest of my life.
I have already realized this trip is not the “haves giving to the have nots.” It is not the rich American students coming into save the day. Instead, it is almost the opposite. These people have saved me! They have saved me from a life where I take things for granted. They have saved me from not appreciating all that I have been blessed with. They have saved me from being close-minded and sheltered from the horrible poverty that the majority of the world lives in. I am already astounded with how generous the people in the village are. Even the children, who have very few belongings, will share the little that we give them between each other. I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to come to the Dominican and serve His people.
Peter Choi, senior, health service and administration, Phi Delta Theta
These ‘communities’ are exactly that. A community. They live and work amongst their neighbors. Here, we often compete against our neighbor, be it a fraternity, peer, or even friend. Sure, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in society, but these people defy that notion. They live in a world where community is above all else. …
As a future officer in the United States [Army], I pray and hope my desire to SERVE continues to grow. … my passion for Clemson is infinite, with great respect for Greeks, because these men and women are not only students at Clemson and a member of an organization, but ambassadors for what humanist, civil leaders should be. Although I was the oldest person on the trip, perhaps I was the youngest in terms of maturity and had the most to learn.
Rachel Stiglbauer, sophomore, elementary education, Delta Zeta
Monday, Dec. 13, 2010
I was a little challenged today when a worker sat with me and attempted a conversation. I was surprised that I could understand most of it, but really wish I knew exactly how to respond. I’m so happy he was brave enough to bridge the language barrier and get to know me. I was so afraid that that language would hinder developing friendships, but I have definitely learned that actions form stronger bonds than any amount of verbal communication could. For example, the Dominican workers are constantly teaching us how to do different tasks and don’t care if we make small mistakes and there are imperfections. A few of us were talking today about the differences in our cultures and how Americans would NEVER let a bunch of college students build a house because they are too focused on perfection. We are too caught up on perfecting everything and competing with one another rather than paying attention to the things that matter. Here, people work in the fields to earn enough to live and then enjoy their lives and families. They sit on their porches and actually have relationships with their neighbors. The Dominicans have what they need and are grateful rather than wasting their lives looking for bigger and better things.
Know something or someone you’d like to see us write about? Contact University writer Crystal Boyles at boyles@clemson.edu.
Tags: community service, fraternity, sorority