This year I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about ASB–how to expand our marketing efforts, increase alumni participation, enhance programming, etc. I’ve also been working on creating a Gala dinner to celebrate and promote the club’s 21 year history. The purpose of all of this work is to promote why ASB is such a fantastic experience–learning about a new social issue, being thrown out of “Lafayette’s bubble,” becoming friends with a group of people I might not have otherwise known on campus. I’m excited to be reminded of this powerful experience to which over 500 alumni and current students can relate.
My senior thesis, in part, looks at the effects of India’s waste problem. In our pre-trip education, we learned about the effects of ambient light (bad because it guides turtles in the wrong direction), trash (again, bad for killing turtles and/or effecting their migration pattern), fishing (bad–do you sense a trend here–because the sea turtles get accidentally caught in the lines or hooks). Like all social issues, sea turtle conservation is complex as there are cultural and economical forces also at play.
In sum, I’m excited to learn firsthand about this social issue and enjoy another ASB journey with Lafayette peers…And while getting to the airport at 4:15 AM will be rough, it surely will be worth it in the end!