The
USC Volunteer Center is seeking driven students for their new
Alternative Spring Break program in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Students will be
selected from a competitive pool of applicants with several rounds of
interviews. Those few chosen will be flown to the world-renowned, 4.5
star Travelocity rated SANDALS BEACH RESORT. Once there, spring
breakers will be able to see the real Jamaica through only the most
practical lens possible, as Sandals won the TripAdviser Traveler’s
Choice Award in 2006. This trip has been designed to bring students into
the world of resort chains in order to study the effects of eco-tourism
through upper middle class vacationing mechanisms. Student volunteers
will not only be doing an immense service to Sandals Resorts and the
citizens of Jamaica but also to themselves.

The
Volunteer Center believes that attending an alternative break will help
participants make “tangible connections between what they learn in the
classroom and what they will encounter once they have jobs and
experiences outside the university setting.” After spending 10 whole
days at Sandals, students will return to USC with a new skill set for
better success in their future workplace, such as:

-How to treat personal butlers and other kinds of assistants
-Buffet-line cocktail party etiquette
-When to use upscale lingo and casually mention the stock market

But
if working on your professional skills in an upscale environment isn’t
enough motivation to attend the trip, there is much more work to be done
in Jamaica.

Ben
Jacobs, the trip SC (Student Coordinator) for the Sandals program, had
much to say about the new addition to Alternative Spring Break: “I
understand that the conservation trips like Death Valley or the juvenile
justice reform programs are going to be really popular, but I’d really
like to emphasize the amazing philanthropy work students can put in at
Sandals. The effects of tourism in Jamaica can only really be studied
from within the system ““ lying on the beaches, eating in the
restaurants, and in air conditioned learning-spaces. The key is the
hands on experience.”

Prospective
applicant Heather Riley (Accounting “14) told us her motivation for
applying to the trip: “I saw a commercial for Sandals while watching Drop Dead Diva, and
ever since I’ve felt this overwhelming desire to go and help people
there. Incorporating myself into Sandals Resorts directly will give me
the best access to the stark realities of Ocho Rios.”

Students
should most definitely prepare for the trip of a lifetime. “We’re
looking for only the most dedicated, enthusiastic students to take to
Sandals. This is not a vacation.” Jacobs added.

Apply
today! The Volunteer Center stresses how easy it is to get involved
with ASB. This amazing volunteer opportunity is only an application and a
little over $2,000 away. NOTE: No financial aid available for Sandals
Resorts trip.

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