Lindsay's Page

What college/university do you attend?

UNC-Chapel Hill

What is your major/minor?

Southern Studies/Art History

What is the program with which you are going abroad:

SIT-Samoa

Where will you be studying/volunteering/working abroad? Please state the country(ies) and city(ies).

Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii

What are the approximate dates of your education abroad experience?

August 2007-December 2007

Please provide a brief description of what you will be studying or doing while abroad.

My program focused on Pacific Island Studies. It centered on Samoa, but we studied the issues affecting all Pacific Island nations. We studied history, culture, environment, literature, and politics, and we looked at the challenges Pacific Island nations currently face.

Why do you want to become a Green Passport holder?

As I am explaining my committment after my actual study abroad program, I will comment on how it affected my outlook on sustainability. Much of my program focused on a comparitive look at Pacific Island nations. We were able to see how the travel industry has developed in places like Hawaii and Fiji as compared to Samoa. It is actually quite difficult to be unsustainable in Samoa. Most everything, including all lodging, is locally owned. Generally speaking, all money is funneled back into the local economy. Commodoties such as air conditioning and hot water are virtually non-existant, so one is forced to become more sustainable by the very nature of living in Samoa. Samoans are eager to teach you about their culture and it is easy to get to know locals. Sadly, the government is making sweeping changes that could change how Samoa operates tourism and a manner of other things that could change the country in drastic ways and open the door for cultural and resource exploitation. After spending time in somewhere like Honolulu, where high-rise hotels owned by foreign corporations dominate the sky-line and many native Hawaiians are forced into formes of cultural exploitation for small economic profit, I developed a deep sense of appreciation for the way in which Samoa has developed. The future of Samoa depends on people continuing to act in a sustainable manner.

If you consider yourself to be an environmentally and socially responsible person while at home, please explain how so (may include activities or organizations with which you are affiliated):

I do all I can to minimize my own impact in many small ways. For example, I walk to work and class, and I use reusable grocery bags. Everything may seem small, but it adds up. I intern at the UNC Office of Sustainability, and right now I am actually working on a sustainable travel guide for other students planning on going abroad.