One ISU student group tried to raise political awareness by sleeping under the stars.

The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance camped out on the grass south of the Campanile on the night of Feb. 24. The event centered around and targeted worldwide inequalities.

Twenty people headed out to the grass after 10:30 p.m., with sleeping bags, tents, musical instruments, junk food and a soccer ball to entertain them while they promoted their cause.

Before the camp out, FMLA President Deb Sundquist said inequalities in American society were discussed at the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center.

“Participants shared their experiences, and we talked about what we as ISU students can do to begin to eliminate all inequalities on our campus and in our world,” said Sundquist, senior in speech communication.

The discussion among members focused on how FMLA members should get groups on campus talking about discrimination.

“People face inequalities in the forms of racism, sexism, homosexism and other ‘isms’ that are a part of our world,” Sundquist said.

Sundquist said she would like to see the discussion that began the night of the camp out continue.

“Hopefully, this dialogue will be only the beginning of our sharing of experiences, thoughts and ideas,” Sundquist said.

After the discussion, the members moved outside to start the camp out.

“The sleep out was to send a message to all that inequality will not go away without a commitment,” Sundquist said. “It is easy for us to forget that people experience the pains of ‘isms’ every day. Our hope is that a sleep out will remind us of their struggles.”

During the event, participants were encouraged to sacrifice their comfort through rain or shine, Sundquist said. The rain arrived at around 5 a.m. on Feb. 25.

“First, we couldn’t get to sleep because of the Campanile ringing. Then when it started raining, some people stayed in their tents, others stayed in the Campanile or in the Sloss House. Some, like me, left and went to bed,” said Kerry Matveia, freshman in anthropology.

While the rain dampened the spirits of some members, the focus of the camp out was still intact.

“I hope that most realize how important it is to sacrifice one’s comfort every once in a while to make a statement about something that is important,” Sundquist said.

The FMLA was not the only group that got caught in the rain. Some members of the Student Environmental Council also participated in the event.

“We invited other groups to support this endeavor and encouraged these organizations to come and be a part in the night-long event,” Sundquist said.