NC State University

by junior Kylee Phyllips

“Why in the world do you want to go somewhere cold for spring break?” I cannot count the number of times I received this similar question when I was asked if I was going to places like Florida for spring break and happily replied, “No, I’m going to Alaska!” After hearing stories from friends who had remarkable ASB trips, I went into my Alaska adventure with an extremely open attitude and the willingness to try anything and give my all. Even though I felt like I gave my all with service, I do believe that I received so much more out of the experience that I ever could have given.

Before being accepted on this trip, I never had even heard of the Tlingit culture. Now I cannot stop sharing stories about it. The little island of Hoonah, Alaska which we visited was full of big cultural statements. The hardest part about this trip to Alaska was remembering that I really was still in the U.S.A. I learned so many things from this experience, from sustainability, to culture, to education, to wildlife, and lots more in-between, I definitely came out of this trip with a new train of thought. Considering that this particular trip was the first of its kind, our team dove into all different facets of service-learning to really see what Alaska had to offer. Two huge categories for service work fall into mind for this area – environmental issues and education, and I will reflect upon my experience with both of these.

First of all, in the environmental sphere, we did more learning than service work, but that does not mean there is no need for work in this area. Because of this education, I now have a much better understanding of what sustainability truly means. While on a walk with a member of the forestry service, our team was given the proposal to decide what to do with the forest we were walking through. The common answer, “preserve it,” came out, and we learned how preservation has so many different levels, and at the extreme, it means that even if a damaging fire or storm occurs, nothing can be done by the forest service to help the land. Some people without this knowledge may think they are lobbying to preserve a piece of land for its best interest, but may in fact cause harm unknowingly in the future. Just a little trivia fact like this truly caught my attention on how important it is to stay informed, especially in a voting year like such. Sustainability also sticks out in the fact that in this part of the world, it is possible to live off the land to a much higher degree. Hoonah has no Wal-mart or McDonalds. Instead, fresh fish are always available, and several homes are made from trees right from the forest. In urbanized America, it is hard to think about this being possible, but Hoonah gave me a glimpse at what the simple life is really about. The other thing that truly stood out in my mind is how naturally beautiful Alaska is. Every five seconds seemed like a “Kodak moment” (and the sheer number of photos I took definitely reflected that fact). Although we did not go into much about the oil industry and related problems, this topic could definitely be looked into for future trips. After seeing whales in person, I left with an understanding of why people tout the phrase, “Save the Whales.” After seeing the snow and the forest, I left with a desire to come back and see these same sight years from now and show the next generation. After seeing the most beautiful starry night of my life, I left hoping that air pollution will not dim this miraculous sight in the near future. After I got back to North Carolina, I wondered what else I could be doing for the environment.
Of course, the big part of our service work dealt with the school system. Hoonah is a town of roughly 800 residents, most of which are from the native population. To put this in perspective, I worked with the combined second and third grade class which consisted of a mere thirteen students. The kids were absolutely wonderful and touched each of our hearts. Many had a desire to learn and were extremely bright, but what broke your heart were many of their background stories. I never thought of Alaska as a place with many problems, but in reality, alcoholism and drug use run rampant in the families. In a place with not much to do, many people do resort to problematic habits. Broken families seem to be the norm, and the children have to bear the stress. I think that by working with the classes throughout the week, we were able to bring a glimpse of light into their lives. Many of these children have never ventured outside of Alaska, and I think they liked hearing our stories of North Carolina. I was personally affected by how quickly the kids opened up to me, and how much I could learn from each of them. The service work was definitely rewarding, and I feel as though our ASB team will be remembered in this little town.

Coming back home made me realize how urbanized my life really is. I do not think I would survive long if I had to catch my dinner or live off the land, but for some people, these are real options. Also, we heard several stories of how certain plants are used as medicine or how the healing powers of the ocean water can prove more beneficial than surgery. I am just so used to relying on the next medicine miracle for problems than going back to roots of nature. This idea really makes me interested in alternative medicine and research done on this subject. Also, I realized that one thing I lack is a cultural identity. In Hoonah, we saw several displays of cultural acts, from art shows to totem poles to native language classes. I know that I’m half German, but do I know any of the language or stories of my ancestors? The simple answer is no. This trip made me realize how important that cultural unity can be in life, and I am happy to see that it is not restricted even in their school systems. Finally, I realized that there truly is a lot more to this world than North Carolina. This was my first trip off of the east coast, and it definitely opened my eyes. If it was not for this trip, I never would have known about the Tlingit culture. Now I just wonder what other cultures are out there that I may not know of at the moment but are definitely worth exploring. Along these lines, I will recommend Alternative Service Break to anyone and everyone that I know. One trip can definitely change your life and worldview forever as it has done mine.