Alternative Spring Break

This is a test of the app system. Do not select this option when you are applying to TGB 2012.

What is hepatitis? Why don’t people screen for hepatitis B or C when they are both completely preventable? Why don’t people get treatment or learn about hepatitis when 1 in 12 Americans are affected with this disease?

Hepatitis B and C are “silent killers”. Hepatitis B, on one hand, often does not display any symptoms until chronically infected patients are in late-stage liver cancer or cirrhosis. Hepatitis C, on the other hand,affects 4-6 million Americans today, yet most are unaware of their infection.

The main goal of this Thanksgiving Back trip is to engage in a service learning sequence through which we can critically understand the underserved nature and lack of awareness of hepatitis, and discover prospects and mechanisms to engage our local community in greater hepatitis awareness. Pre-trip workshops will offer basic biological and demographic information about both hepatitis B and  C. Participants will then engage in a very interactive four-day sequence that takes them across San Francisco and the Bay Area, talking to local community leaders in hep B/C advocacy, visiting syringe exchange sites, hepatitis clinics, and even engaging in round-table discussions with notable policy aides from counties across the Bay Area. Concurrently, participants will have hands-on experience volunteering for clinics, educating at-risk populations through self-designed interactive workshops, and even cooking for hepatitis patients to hear personal testimony regarding what it is like to live with the virus.

This trip is a dynamic, engaging, and service-focused series on hepatitis. We expect everyone, even the co-leaders, to leave the trip with a new perspective on the “silent killers” that comprise viral hepatitis -- in a biological, clinical, and public health setting.  

At the intersection of identity and public policy, immigration presents the United States with a population that is in a state of flux. The United States is a nation founded and perpetuated by its changing immigrant population, and what public policy dictates as American often disagrees with individual personal identities as Americans. What rights are our immigrants entitled to, and when or how is someone authentically American? This trip will focus on issues such as public health and education that arise through immigration, specifically in the increasingly diverse state of California. In the winter quarter course we will gain an understanding of the groups of people we will visit over Spring Break. Through service and learning, we will explore the complex issues that arise at the confluence of cultures, economies, and national and personal interests.  

The issues of immigration have become an increasingly polarizing issue in this election year with President Obama's executive order of Deferred Action, and a ‘comprehensive immigration reform’ appears to be an issue that will be undertaken in the next presidential term. California alone is home to more than 10 million immigrants, many of whom are not recognized by the United States as citizens. The vast immigrant population faces many daily challenges, from the cultural barriers of language to the other issues such as access to higher education and healthcare. The majority of these immigrants do not have access to proper health care or even higher education due to lack of financial support. We will evaluate and challenge our own opinions in order to evaluate what the best course of action would be to improve the current situation.

From the migrant farmers in the central valley, the refugee populations in San Diego, and the undocumented workers in Los Angeles, we will explore the idea of the authentic American experience. We will visit non-profit organizations that deal with immigration issues, congressmen, and border patrol, and other organizations to gain a holistic perspective of the issue and to formulate or renew a perspective of our own.

The path to a healthy life begins in childhood; the socio, economic, and political environments children grow in can have lasting effects on the remainder of their lives. How is it that there is such a wide spectrum of health in today’s population of youth?  How can better health be promoted?  What solutions have been proposed and how effective can they really be? On this ASB trip, we plan to explore the various factors that contribute to pediatric health through a multidisciplinary analysis, investigating not only specific disparities but the initiatives and programs—such as health literacy for parents, healthy eating programs in schools, and SCHIP coverage under the Affordable Care Act—that address these issues.  By focusing on the wide spectrum of health issues that afflict American children today, we hope to begin to explore and answer these questions, developing not only a better understanding of the issues at hand but a plan of action that can be taken to alleviate the disparities in children’s health we see today.

In the winter quarter, we will begin delving into problems such as childhood obesity, access to health care, and the implications of environmental conditions on the health of a child from the lens of policy, advocacy, and community engagement. We will also learn from professors in the field as well as engage with each other and informative readings on the subject matter.

During our Spring Break trip, we will then speak with individuals and organizations in the Bay Area involved in bridging the gap of pediatric health disparities.  We will meet with policymakers and officials from government agencies, researchers and advocacy groups with special interests in child health, and local community groups and NGOs.  A critical facet of the week-long program will be a service project involving volunteering with local clinics and non-profits.  

We hope that you will not only come away from this trip with a better understanding of pediatric health disparities but also inspired to make a change and contribute to the movement towards healthy living for today's youth.

When its symptoms first surfaced in 1981, HIV/AIDS was deemed the “gay plague.” At the time, with little treatment for the disease, HIV/AIDS was widely visible, its effects manifested clearly, and the huge subsets of the San Francisco community were devastated sent the city into crisis mode. With the immediate danger that the disease presented, social activism was in full force. Since then though, with time, and the advent of more effective drug regimens, the disease is no longer a death sentence and its effects are not nearly as visible. Unfortunately, these new techniques have negated the urgency that once characterized the fight against the disease. The epidemic continues to claim the lives of nearly 20,000 people each year in America — hundreds in the Bay Area. Even in San Francisco, possibly the world’s largest center for HIV/AIDS outreach and awareness, the prevalence rate continues to rise. It is clear that the disease and its effects have evolved over the past 30 years, and as a result, activist efforts against it are constantly changing as well. This makes San Francisco an important city in which to examine the widespread effects of HIV/AIDS.

This Alternative Spring Break Trip will provide participants with a way to critically engage with the current realities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In particular, our trip will address the constantly changing realities of HIV/AIDS issues. We will look at the ways in which local communities, along with broader social and medical advances, have evolved in their approach towards the epidemic with a specific focus on the city of San Francisco and its unique role. During Winter Quarter, we will reflect upon the issue of HIV/AIDS from as many different perspectives as possible: scientific, anthropological, historical and, as importantly, personal. We will largely focus on understanding the process of being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, the stigma associated with the disease, and the discrimination that HIV+ individuals face in their quest for support and health care. Our goal is to develop a strong, holistic understanding of this pervasive disease. On our trip, we will work with several HIV/AIDS community organizations and leaders emphasizing advocacy, outreach, prevention, and support for HIV+ individuals. We will take an active role in helping these organizations spread awareness, and along the way, have the opportunity to gain the perspective of a number of diverse communities most strongly affected by this influential disease. We welcome all participants, regardless of their prior experiences with HIV/AIDS. However, we want every participant to embark on the trip with a motivation to study the issue.

"If you could change any behavior you wanted, what would it be?" Most often people will say "I wish…" and so many of these wishes are related to creating a healthier lifestyle. I wish I would walk more. Wake up earlier. Eat better. Spend more time with my family. What if you had a way to make it happen? A way to engineer to the best of your own ability, a success in making that behavior happen, even long term? 

 A look at the top health problems in the US shows us that we can greatly reduce the risk of many of these problems by making small changes to our behaviors on a day-to-day basis. For example, the leading cause of death in the US is heart disease and cancer. According to the CDC, "$5.6 billion could be saved in heart disease costs if 10% of adults began a regular walking program". Similar changes in daily habits could help alleviate the 50 million US adults with high blood pressure. Seventy percent of this population does not have their blood pressure under control. This could be addressed by changing dietary habits.

 Making small changes to daily habits can have tremendous impacts for the future. Simple human behaviors such as eating healthier and exercising more can act as powerful preventative measures if the cause of the health problem is avoided or addressed. 

 We're going to tackle some of these challenges by learning how to identify the needs and existing behavior models of communities and individuals. We'll identify challenges and use human centered design and behavior models to introduce or implement sustainable health behaviors. During winter quarter we will learn the design process, the principles behind behavior design, and how to apply them to real world challenges. During spring break we will work hand in hand with people challenging what it means to create a healthy lifestyle in the community. And most importantly, we'll meet a group of Stanford students who are also passionate about learning how to create this change and implement a solution for better health. 

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” —John F. Kennedy

Economics is primarily concerned with the allocation of scarce resources - all economic policy and institutions indirectly attempt to tackle this problem. With the current state of distribution, are we helping the poor, saving the rich, or neither? In today’s society, is equality a moral prerequisite for a civilized people? Most recently, the Occupy movement has come out very strongly against the traditional study of Economics - but is such sweeping condemnation valid? What does the study of Economics have to contribute to this discussion, and what is lacking?

We can already tell that this discussion is complex and multi-faceted. Economics is embedded in all aspects of human society; no matter how disconnected they may seem, our actions and those of the institutions we support have economic consequences that are necessary to understand. As youth, we are the next generation of leaders - be it as policy-makers writing policy, financial analysts devising a new mutual fund configuration, teachers commanding the attention of 40 pupils, or even decision makers and consumers in our everyday lives, our actions will affect the lives of those around us.

This ASB aims to facilitate such understanding through a high level of group conversation, self-driven inquiry and critical thinking. In a three part process, we will begin by learning to identify inequality and relevant economic concepts, move on to applying our economic insights to other fields, and then focus on our roles as individuals in society. During our spring break expedition, we will engage in direct service and see firsthand what some kinds of inequality look like. We will also meet with the stakeholders in our system who stand at the intersections of economics and other fields, such as technology, education, health and justice, such as labor unions and journalists.

The United States has 5% of the world’s population and over 25% of the world’s prisoners.  While these statistics alone can be shocking, we are forced to deal with the unjust reality that 60% of this population are racial and ethnic minorities who barely constitute 35% of the American population. The racial divide in incarceration is catastrophic, and access to the legal system and its outcomes are sharply divided by socioeconomic lines. Increasing socioeconomic status inversely correlates with length of sentence when other factors are standardized. Given the difficulties criminals have in reintegrating within society, these factors continue to compound at each step of the prison cycle. We will be traveling to Washington D.C. in order to discuss this issue with currently incarcerated inmates, wardens, justices, lawyers, politicians, parolees, and police, informing our complex picture of the legal system. We will also compare our legal system to rehabilitative-based systems found elsewhere in the world, in order to broaden our perspective. Our goal is not to simply protest the existence of this problem, but to provide the opportunity to think about what can realistically be done to improve our system by interacting with a myriad of relevant, real-world perspectives.

Picture yourself as a sea lion in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Now picture yourself as a migrant strawberry picker in Watsonville, California. How are these two experiences connected? About half of our human population lives and works near the coast.  By 2025, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has predicted that over 75% of Americans will live by the sea.  We are inherently attracted--socially, economically, and biologically--to the resources we gain from our oceans.  On this ASB, we will examine the relationship between people and coastal ecosystems through the frameworks of environmental and human health. We will also look at how educational attainment and other socio-economic factors affect communities’ relationships with these issues. We will spend our week in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties exploring social issues tied to agricultural communities by getting our hands dirty with farming projects and learning about youth education efforts and opportunities for related policy. You will get a chance to create your own stewardship connection with the local environment and start developing an understanding of your place in the watershed and your connection to natural systems.  Apply!  And dive into these complex and relevant issues. Get your feet wet and your toes sandy, while making a difference for the seabirds and seasonal workers alike.

What can you do against corrupt governments, migrant exploitation, wage discrimination, and violations of human rights? Get furious!

 In the past hundred years, the Philippines went from being America’s prize colony to America’s pivot in its “Pacific Century” of foreign policy. All this time, millions of Filipino im/migrants and their families have been finding “home" in America, seeking a better life and brighter future.  In the process, many challenges arose, to which many heroes rose to face them. Their struggles continue today.

 This winter, we aim to understand the conditions that brought Filipinos into different niches of American society, and the legacy of Filipino service and struggle. We will explore the continuation of this legacy by studying issues that currently face the Filipino community, including immigration policy, workers’ rights, and access to education. By doing so, we hope to discover where we, as Stanford students, fit within this legacy and within the communities fighting for social justice today.

 During Spring Break, we will embark on an odyssey across California to witness how contemporary organizations dealing with the issues mentioned above, and promote achievement, service, and struggle in the Filipino-American community.  By studying and engaging in service in these communities, participants will be able to make sense of the struggles in their own communities, regardless of ethnicity. Ultimately, we hope that this inclusive experience will inspire you to begin or continue contributing to the legacy of these struggles.

Stanford is a place of expanding understanding and challenging the boundaries of what we know as members of the world community. Now, consider your current perception of women’s health: would it be acceptable to you if the well being of your mother, sisters, and future daughters was confined within the box of reproductive and maternal health? Do you want to be a leader in shaping the current definition of women’s health to mean much more than these issues?  If so, join us this winter and spring in our ASB course Unite, Empower, Experience: Understanding the Universality of Women’s Health as we delve deeper into a facet of health that is often misrepresented and take a critical look at what constitutes women’s health.

The primary goal of this spring trip is to understand how the unique challenges women face when encountering the healthcare system can affect not only themselves but inclusively the communities that surround them.We will examine the current state of women’s health from a global, broad-reaching perspective by connecting it to other areas of health: community health, health policy, and the medical technology sector represent just a small sampling of the areas we will focus on in our exploration of how women’s health manifests in our society today.

In preparation for the spring break trip, our ten-week course will explore current research in women’s health through visual aids, selected readings, collaborative assignments, and guest speakers who are experts in the field. When spring break arrives, we will embark on a journey to the City by the Bay, San Francisco, and the state capitol in Sacramento, to look at the state of women’s health on a local and state level. In San Francisco, we will work hands-on with a variety of clinics, each addressing the topic of women’s health from their own unique perspective. With a clearer image of the unique challenges that women encounter in their pursuit of health, we will then explore the legal policies concerning these issues by meeting with legislative officials in Sacramento. Finally we will look into possibilities for advocacy work in the field and ways that we can address the disparities in women’s health and health policy. By the end of this trip, we hope that participants will have a gained a clear and a nuanced understanding of the many factors that impact women’s health, the knowledge needed to get involved. Most importantly, we hope participants come away with a keener sense of the role of women’s health and wellness within our communities. Being a leader means understanding the people who you will be serving. Join us as we unpack the meaning of women’s health as modern concern, not an issue of yesterday.