You are here: Home » Features

Arrupe trip shocks, inspires

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on February 25, 2010 9:04 PM

By Stafford Oliver, Gavel Writer -

Over winter break, I, like many other Boston College students, participated in a service trip. I know how many students partake in the “service culture” and that you may be thinking, “Yeah, I know. You’re going to talk about how your trip was so great and so special and so life changing, and blah blah blah.”

So what new information or perspective do I have to offer that you haven’t heard from countless friends? Continue reading.

I started the whole process in March of last year when I was selected to co-lead an Arrupe International trip to Agua Prieta, which is right on the border of Mexico. The whole thing feels like a whirlwind, from the information sessions, the hours of interviewing, and group selection to the weekly two-hour meetings. There was so much material to talk about and information to cover. If I uttered the words “let’s go over some logistics” one more time, the Arupe group would probably have mutinied against me. We did so much reflecting throughout the pre-trip phase, I felt like I was a CURA leader.

After submitting my last paper with the arrival of winter break, the thought that I was actually going to a different country within the next few days finally dawned upon me. Late in December, it was unclear if we would still go due to increased levels of violence in the nearby city of Nogales. Growing up in Baltimore (which is not exactly like The Wire, please don’t ask me if it is), I did not bat an eye upon learning of the shootings and drug deals, but our itinerary was indeed changed at the last minute. I returned to BC hoping and praying that I would be ready to accompany 12 others on a complete roller coaster.

The trip was organized by Borderlinks, an organization from Tucson, Ariz. Borderlinks was founded to educate groups about the conditions and the multiple perspectives of living at the border. I spent seven days rolling around in a van stuffed to the ceiling with book bags, sleeping bags, and 12 other mostly unwashed bodies. We slept at migrant shelters, visited a horrifying low-wage factory, met with a multitude of social justice organizations working on the behalf of migrants, visited a coffee co-op, witnessed a mass-deportation trial and were stopped by border patrol.

The most heart-wrenching moments came when we were putting those foreign language core classes to good use, talking with people who were deeply affected by the border wall and its many implications. My heart plumeted when I saw a 17-year-old youth group leader who had us singing and dancing on a Friday night, robotically working on an assembly line Monday morning. I can’t describe the shock of learning from a minister that the man I sat next to at Church used to smuggle human beings for a living. This comes after completing a seminar class and writing a research paper on human trafficking.

This trip went beyond meeting gracious people in Mexico, being inspired by dedicated folks who are actually making a difference, and engaging with an academic subject beyond a book or an essay. I was able to get real (in a way that is difficult inside of this ivory tower) with 12 incredible and insightful people that I would probably not have otherwise known. Not only did we share lots of disinfectant and powder, but lots of songs, hugs and most importantly, friendship.

I’m not sure if what I did or how I feel is representative of all those who have or will go on a service trip. I am, however, sure that I am too engaged and too inspired to let go of my experiences and simply move on.