In light of the Shanty Town and Homeless Sleep Out events on campus this week and last, I just want to bring further attention to the issue of homelessness and the importance of participating and/or supporting these events.

Personally, I’ve always thought homelessness was an issue I was removed from, coming from a small town without a homelessness problem. However, my own family lost our home my junior year in high school, and my eyes were opened to the fact that four walls are not something to take for granted. Although in 2006 we did have a rental home to move into — with the housing crisis becoming ever more prevalent in our current economic situation — many people are not so fortunate.

As college students, I think we have the perception that we’re exempt from ever becoming homeless. Since we’re educated, we’ll always have a roof over our heads, right? Perhaps, but shelter is not a constitutional right, and we have no guarantees.

This is why these campus events to raise awareness of homelessness are so vital to understanding that homelessness can happen to anyone. Events like the Homeless Sleep Out give us the opportunity to show we genuinely care about the homeless and encourage our government representatives to enact legislation that will catch those in danger of falling into the pattern of deep poverty and homelessness and help those already in those situations. So please, even if it’s only to walk by the pile of cardboard boxes and think of how grateful you are to sleep in a dorm room, do something.

Kendra Kavan

Sophomore

English