Name: Logan Saliga
Year: Sophomore
Major: Information Communication Technology
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
There are several ways in which college kids spend their spring break; generally speaking, many use the week as a means of relaxation before the oncoming stress of final exams, taking vacations on cruises, in the mountains or on the beach. For Logan Saliga, the week-long escape from classes provided her with the opportunity to team up with BLUE Missions in helping stop the water crisis in the Dominican Republic, alongside 13 fellow FSU students of all ages through the program Alternative Breaks.
Alternative Breaks at FSU sends students off to different communities through varied organizations to engage in service, and to build leadership skills and a greater understanding of the world. Students can select the specific trip of their choice, contributing to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Saliga got involved with the program last spring break, in which she traveled to Boulder Creek, California with YMCA Camp Campbell, and worked with children and taught them science. “When I was in high school, I wanted to do a mission trip but my family was not super religious. I went to the international programs fair here [freshman year] and it was one of those last minute freak-out applications. I just filled it out and went from there,” she said.
BLUE Missions is based in Miami and recruits employees both locally and from the Dominican Republic. Communities around the world petition for the organization to come and help them build aqueducts and sustainable water sanitation systems. The program took Saliga and her peers three hours out from the capital of Santo Domingo to El Limón in “el campo,” or the countryside, where she served as one of two Site Leaders that helped to oversee and supervise the trip. For eight days they slept in cots in the host home of Bella and Luis Jose Rosario, with their two sons Pedro Luis and Jason. “Our host family made us feel so special and welcome. Bella and Luis Jose took such great care of us – they were basically our parents,” Saliga said. “Their sons gave us special names and felt like brothers.”
Upon arrival, the students were denied use of their phones, as BLUE Missions upholds the statement “live in the moment.” Volunteers are pushed to immerse themselves in the communities that they interact with to get the most out of their experiences.
“Once we got to the community, all of the families came out to greet us. It was super intimidating, overwhelming and amazing all at the same time,” Saliga said. After settling in, the team went right to work, getting their hands dirty alongside community members digging and picking trenches and carrying and laying pipes.
“We woke up at 6:30 every morning, got ready in ten minutes, and had our meditation before breakfast like we do before every meal, where we would discuss certain lessons that we had learned through our experience,” Saliga said. “Then we would work until lunchtime, with a two hour break to go hike or speak with other families in the community.”
There is great skepticism about community service; some consider service trips counterproductive, witnessing privileged individuals say that they “give back” when they build systems for communities but take off before they can even teach the inhabitants how to use them, leaving them with a false sense of hope and dependence – not to mention the fact that they leave before they take the chance to learn about their ways of life. Alternative Breaks, however, focuses on education, giving people a more approachable view on service and trying to make more meaningful impacts. The program is going through a remodel, letting students plan their own trips.
“It’s not about helping people who need help,” Saliga said. “It’s about learning about what people want. [Alternative Breaks] taught me a lot about what actual volunteering is. If you’re not really seeing the physical impact of whatever you are doing, you at least learn what service should look like. I hate the word ‘inspiring’ that people use to describe volunteers. I enjoy getting the whole ‘Humans of New York’ feel and learning about why they want this different lifestyle, like helping the people of the Dominican Republic get cleaner water consistently. You work WITH them.”
Because the water in the Dominican Republic would not be safe for the immune systems of the students, BLUE Missions provided water for drinking and bathing. Bucket showers were a thing, and yes- they were a hit. “You fill up a bucket with water and go into a tent and take your shower like that, with someone on the outside handing you your clothes. It was amazing and we found that we all used less water as the week went on,” Saliga said. “I miss those showers, quite honestly.”
Saliga’s sorority sister Tori Montemurro accompanied her on the trip. “It was my first trip with the program and I feel like my priorities and values changed,” Montemurro said. “I haven’t been sweating the little things since I’ve gotten back. I’ve put my phone away. I made such an amazing group of friends that I probably would not have crossed paths with otherwise.”
On the last day in the Dominican Republic, the students paid a visit to the beach and immersed themselves in the culture by dancing and learning how to merengue. “These were moments that you really can’t recreate. I felt like you were forced to truly live in the moment, and I never felt like I needed my phone. I haven’t even re-downloaded Twitter since getting back,” Saliga said. “It was more of a culture shock coming back than going there. They allowed us to be a part of that experience for them, for them to have water for their community. We can say that we were part of the experience. ‘Giving back’ is privileged to say. What are you giving back? It’s just a different lifestyle than yours- I’m more about giving because you enjoy it.”
Both Saliga and Montemurro plan to continue their experiences with Alternative Breaks down the line. “I’d give anything to look up at those stars again,” Saliga said. “The people of El Limón did so much more for us than we could’ve done for them.”
For those interested in becoming a Site Leader (now called an FSAB Student Coordinator), applications are due by midnight April 6.