Greg Mortenson shook the nation. His novel, “Three Cups of Tea,” was an alternate look inside the war the United States raged against terrorism in Afghanistan.@@Greg@@
It was a book of hope and a book to remind us that we, as humans, have the ability to help one another.
But things started to go downhill once allegations about the legitimacy of his novel and the funding of his organization, the Central Asian Institute, went awry.
Mortenson’s scandal undermines other charities and organizations across the nation. It makes people question the validity of the organizations they are contributing time and money to.
But despite scandals like Greg Mortenson’s, the students who are  involved with the University’s buildOn chapter do not cease moving their foundation forward. In fact, they plan on becoming the collegiate flagship chapter.@@http://isupportuoregon.org/my_duckstory/blog/antonia_d/the_pieces_fall_together_bringing_buildon_to_uo@@
Antonia DeMichiel, a University sophomore, started her journey with buildOn when she was 15 years old. The timid high school freshman struggled socially.
“I was lacking confidence in my abilities,” DeMichiel said. “I relied on others for validation with what I was doing.”@@http://buildon.org/buildOnDinnerBayArea/gallery_9.html@@
BuildOn, which at the time was known as Building with Books, emphasizes community service, global education and issues. Aside from the grassroots service, students work toward a trek aboard to build schools in impoverished countries throughout the world.
As an active member in buildOn since the beginning of high school, DeMichiel still questioned her abilities to go abroad.
“How am I going to be able to help build a school?” DeMichiel would ask herself.
DeMichiel was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder affecting the muscular function of her legs. Despite her physical limitations, DeMichiel’s parents continually supported her and told her to never let her disability stop her.
And DeMichiel never did. After a trip to Uruguay to teach sexual education classes, DeMichiel decided she wanted to purse a trek with buildOn. Hundreds of hours, a trip to Mali, and a high school diploma later, DeMichiel decided she wanted to share buildOn with the University of Oregon.
After a year of ideas, networking and support from places such as the Holden Leadership Center, DeMichiel found the catalyst she was looking for.
Esteban Vollenweider, a University senior, heard DeMichiel talk about buildOn during class and wanted to know more.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=vollenweider@@
That was Jan. 14, 2011. And that conversation after class has now spread to more 200 students across campus. Fifteen students now hold leadership positions for outreach, fundraising and community service.
“If you give us your time commitment and time, we will change your life,” Vollenweider said.
Claire Dewey, a University senior, always wanted to get involved with an organization, but hesitated.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=dewey@@
“A lot of students think college is studying, work and social. That is what it was for me for a long (time),” Dewey said.
Dewey knew Vollenweider from an international studies class. After he made an announcement in class about buildOn, Dewey decided she wanted to know more about the program.
Dewey, now buildOn’s service coordinator, goes out to an elementary school in Springfield every week to work with the school’s gardening club. She also works with members of buildOn to extend volunteers opportunities to other people and to other places.
As Vollenweider described, buildOn gives instant gratification to students in terms of leadership roles and community involvement, but the long-term draw is traveling abroad to build a school and work with local impoverished communities to provide education.
“It is more than just bricks and mortar,” Vollenweider said. “It is opportunity.”
The University’s buildOn chapter is in the beginning stages of fundraising for a trip to Haiti in summer 2012.
Recently, Tom Silverman, buildOn’s manager of global chapters, drove up from San Francisco to Eugene and stayed with Vollenweider for the week to meet with the new chapter. Vollenweider said he wanted to be at the center of the new buildOn and be involved with what the organization was doing.
With a dedicated group of students and an organization committed to helping each chapter thrive, buildOn has now passed some clubs in size that have been around much longer at the University. Students are eager to apply the international knowledge crammed in their minds during class. They are looking for ways to help the local community with the potential to go abroad and work hands-on with the issues.
As Vollenweider said, “I don’t have to sell the organization to people, I just have to explain it.”
Although Greg Mortenson’s book reminded us of our abilities to help others, there will be other organizations like buildOn who continue that mission without a fabricated tale.