Difference, January part 1

Here it is!

To Give and Sacrifice for Others: A Year of Service
by Greg Calhoun

We all know how to give gifts; many of us are privileged to have received them as well over the holiday season. If you are Christian, you recently celebrated God’s gift of his Son in Jesus. We all, whatever our faith tradition, have in common a different gift. Whether you interpret it as a divine gift or a natural process, we all share in the gift of time on this planet. As students, faculty, and staff at a university that charges us to learn lead, and serve, we know what it means to use our time well, whether in pursuit of an education, in the service of others, or in the providing of essential needs for those who depend on us. In a New Year of unseen opportunities and potential for growth, now is a perfect time to explore the phenomenon of the year of service as we decide how to spend our time after moving on from the University of Dayton. This is especially true for seniors contemplating what to do after graduation, as most programs require an application including recommendations and personal essays to be completed in your final semester. Many UD students have chosen to give back to the community through a post-graduate year of service, but it is important for those reflecting on this commitment to know what they are actually doing and why others have deemed it a worthwhile and fulfilling commitment.

Students give many different reasons for joining year of service programs. Many hope to grow in their understanding of the world or in their personal faith. Some have learned about injustice and human rights abuse during their college experience and want to do their part to right society’s wrongs. Others value community and believe that a year of service will be a mutually beneficial experience, and one that meets others’ needs while transforming the servant into an active and concerned citizen ready to make an impact in any community. Still others simply are not yet interested in a regular job or pursuing further education. The shared trait of these divergent groups is the desire to help out other people, especially those with the greatest needs. This means that many volunteers in these programs work as teachers in under-funded schools, as coordinators of food banks, in inner-city or rural health care institutions, in programs for individuals with disabilities, or overseas for groups trying to meet the basic needs of the poor.

There are many different groups that provide year of service opportunities, and this gives the applicant the choice between faith-based and secular programs. Groups with federal funding tend to provide housing stipends along with the freedom to choose your own living arrangements. Faith-based programs differ, but many call upon the Gospel values of simplicity and community by providing their own living arrangements. These often take shape as small intentional communities that live and serve together in simple housing with a limited budget that prioritizes need. These groups also usually use retreats as formative experiences that serve to educate volunteers and maintain strong communities. While these groups value prayer, most do not require applicants to be of any certain faith tradition. Many groups provide their own incentives or government-funded incentives, such as the Americorps grant that assists with student loans or the cost of a graduate education. Former Peace Corps workers have preference in government hiring, while the Jesuit Volunteer Corps partners with Loyola University of Chicago in a Magis program that provides tuition costs in return for an extended commitment to the organization. With many options available, a year of service is becoming an opportunity that is more and more available to recent graduates due to the ability to find a program that fits specific service interests, shares their personal beliefs, and provides the incentives needed to suspend their career for a year or more.

The University of Dayton welcomes people of diversity to share in its traditions, especially the fundamental encouragement of servant leadership grounded in the moral imperative to love. A year of service is an experience that enables young people to give back and learn how to incorporate service into their personal and professional lives. If, after your time at UD, you feel the need to go out in the world and make a difference, consider one of the many year of service opportunities. You will change the lives of others, and find yourself forever changed.

Alumni Interview - Travis Rindler

1. What are you up to these days?

Currently, I live in San Antonio, Texas. I am working through the Marianist Volunteer Program and Americorps doing a year of service. I am living alone and working with a non-profit that works primarily with foster children from 1-18 years old. I educate them about accessing their benefits and aid them in planning for their future. I teach them things like how to open a bank account and how to use public transit in Basic Life-skills courses.

2. How did UD's emphasis on social justice change you?

It helped define who I am. It is easy to think that the world is filled with amazing, caring, and compassionate people who care about everyone’s future, but it isn't the case. Yes, there are some people like that, but there are many more that are more focused on themselves or their family. UD helped instill values in me that will stay with me through all of my trials and tribulations.

3. What experience at UD made you think "we truly made a difference in the community"?

Without a doubt, it was the trip to Lubwe, Zambia. This trip changed my life forever and forever changed the lives of the locals in that village. They now have a library and an emerging economy. The children have more access to education and received items to play with during their time off. The HIV awareness celebration was unbelievable and it is crazy to think that we as students took the intitative to do this... and did it... and did it well. We and they are forever changed.

4. Who was your mentor(s) on-campus? Who should students get to know better?

The Majkas, for sure. They both teach in the sociology department. They are always there to listen to anything you have to say and are very compassionate, reasonable and understanding. Ricki Huff was also an angel. If you are truly a motivated and passionate student, she will be your best friend because she will take it upon herself to make sure that your dreams come true.

5. What is next for you?

I am thinking about buying a house in West Dayton with some friends from UD, and we are going to try and start a community there. We plan on paying off the house, and after making it nice, we’ll eventually re-sell it down the road. Our group will live with an intentional emphasis on simple living, community, personal and communal growth, and you better believe its going to be fun too.

A Voice for Darfur
by Lauren Etzkorn

On Monday, December 3, 2007, two Darfuri refugees spoke about their harrowing experiences to an engaged audience of over three hundred guests in Boll Theater.
Darfur is a region in western Sudan, the largest country in Africa. People might be familiar with the conflict in Darfur, thanks in part to celebrities such as George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who’ve done their part to expose the genocide afflicting the region over the past five years. Northern Sudan is made up of mostly Arabic-speaking Muslims, while the south is predominantly occupied by black Africans. These cultural divisions have been fueling sporadic civil wars in Sudan since 1956. However, the tensions and bloodshed reached new heights in 2003, when an Arabic militia known as the Janjaweed began to attack black African farmers in Darfur in an attempt to eradicate them from the region. Today, over 400,000 people have been killed and approximately 2.3 million Darfuris reside in internally displaced persons camps.
The Sudanese government has done little to stem the violence. In fact, it has taken measures to impede outside intervention. Non-governmental humanitarian organizations have raised the battle cry, but until recently their efforts have only been superficially supported by other countries and governments. However, things are beginning to change. Recently, a US bill has been passed that protects states’ rights to divest. This means that the states, without penalty, are legally able to withdraw investments from companies who economically fuel the Sudanese government.
The University is making its own humanitarian efforts on behalf of Darfur with the presence of UD’s brand new chapter of STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur). So far this year, STAND members have organized a number of events, among them hosting Darfuri refugees from the Voices from Darfur tour—put on by the Save Darfur Coalition. Earlier in the year STAND held a Die-In, a silent protest during which students lay in Humanities Plaza to represent the lives lost in Darfur. Over thirty students participated and many others purchased STAND t-shirts which were made to raise awareness about the conflict. In addition, STAND officers met with University financial officials, who helped to make a list of the offending corporations (a large percentage of their revenue in Sudan goes to military spending) in which UD either directly, or indirectly, had investments. Subsequently, STAND put together a petition to be sent to one of the University’s mutual investment companies, urging it to withdraw its funds in said corporations. Over 300 students and faculty members signed, and top University officials have pledged their support. The group has raised nearly eight hundred dollars for its chapter alone and a few hundred more for the parent organization whose efforts focus on issues like divestment on a national level.
To learn more about STAND and the ongoing genocide in Darfur, visit www.standnow.org. To get involved with STAND on campus and be added to the contact list, email STAND@udayton.edu. STAND meets on Mondays at 7:30pm in Liberty Hall room 114.