SJHS alumnus has 'amazing' cross-country cycle trip
Bike-Aide promotes peace, understanding

By Rhonda Westfall

Growing up in St. Johns, Ben Miller never imagined he'd be spending July 4, 2002, at the annual Powwow of the Ute Indian Nations in Ft. Duchesne, Utah, on a cross-country bike tour - and as a recent graduate of Harvard University.

The endeavor, that is being coordinated by the non-profit organization Global Exchange, serves as a fundraiser for various programs - and, perhaps more importantly in Miller's mind, offers a chance to meet and get to know individuals across the U.S.

"I had been planning to ride across the country for a couple of years with a group of friends," Miller said, noting that the idea took on a new meaning after he learned about Global Exchange. "We decided to do the ride with this much larger group because of the fantastic opportunities to interact more intensely with the local communities, and to ride as part of a community working for change."

So far the ride is meeting - and exceeding - those expectations.

"I've been most impressed by how nice people have been to us along the way," Miller said in a telephone conversation last week from Boulder, Colo. "Many of the communities have welcomed us into their homes, their schools, their churches, and their community centers so that we might have a place to stay - as well as making many delicious meals for us or providing food donations to us for our meals along the way.

"As we've been welcomed into these places, we have learned what life is like in many of these small - and large - towns, and met many fascinating people who want to hear our story and engage with us on issues of social and economic justice."

Along with spending time meeting and talking with residents of the communities they visit, the Bike Aid riders work on community service projects that have been planned in advance of their arrival. Fun activities have also been part of the agenda.

"We enjoyed hanging out in the 'Dead Dog Saloon' in Grantsville, Utah, and singing country-western karaoke and two-stepping with the locals," Miller said, "and being welcomed into Battle Mountain, Nev., which was voted the 'Armpit of America' by the Washington Post - the residents greeted us with great hospitality."

Topics of a serious nature are never far from the surface, however.

"One of the most striking stories came in Grantsville, Utah, near separate sites of chemical weapons incineration, nuclear waste deposition, and biological weapons testing," Miller said, relating information about the activities at the sites that have led to unnaturally high rates of cancer and birth defects in the native population.

"A day later in Salt Lake City, we talked to residents about legislation pending in Congress that would turn an area of Nevada near Yucca Mountain into a holding place for all of the nation's nuclear waste. There is a concern about dangers in using the site due to the seismic activity of the area and the large risks associated with transportation."

The 1998 SJHS alumnus graduated Magna Cum Laude this spring from Harvard with a bachelor of arts degree in electrical engineering and computer science. He rowed for three years with the Harvard varsity lightweight crew team and raced for a year with the Harvard University Cycling Association.

Miller also served as a chairperson of the Adams House Committee which runs student life for one of the 12 upperclass dormitories. He will be employed by Trinity Partners in Waltham, Mass., a management consulting firm for the medical industry.

The places he's seen and people he's met will remain with him long after the ride that started in San Francisco, Calif., ends in Washington D.C.

Bike-Aid info

Bike-Aid is a cross-country cycling adventure that combines global education, community living, physical challenge, service learning, fundraising, and international solidarity. It is one of many programs coordinated by Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization committed to human and economic rights issues.

Over 1,200 riders from Mali to Bolivia to Virginia have participated in Bike-Aid since its formation in 1986, raising over $1.8 million for locally initiated development projects and education in 25 countries including the United States.

Fund raised from the ride support on-going organizing and education for social and economic justice in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, funds support the "No More Innocent Victims" campaign that was created in response to the 9/11 tragedy.

Global Exchange has sent two delegations to Afghanistan over the past several months to meet with peace and social justice organizations, investigate refugee conditions and exchange with the families of victims of U.S. bombing.