A night without a home

A night without a home: Around 40 students spent the night on the Quad to experience homelessness

by Shannon Langan
The Crimson White
February 26, 2007

Imagine sleeping outside on the ground in the middle of February with just a sleeping bag and a blanket, only you and Mother Nature. Braving the cold as the temperature dropped, many students understood what it is like to be homeless on the Quad Thursday.

That was the scene at the Community Service Center's Grate American Sleep-Out, which offered students the chance to camp out on the Quad overnight to raise awareness for homelessness. Hunger and Homelessness Week Coordinator Whitney Clearman said this was a unique way for students to become actively involved in an issue that is often overlooked.

"It's a great way for students to understand the environment of homelessness by simulating it," Clearman said. "It's important because it's a problem we have locally and worldwide."

The event sparked the curiosity of some 60 students who participated in the array of activities of the night, with approximately 40 staying for the sleep-out in front of Denny Chimes.

Campers were allowed to bring sleeping bags but no tents. Electronic devices such as laptops and iPods were also discouraged, with the exception of cell phones.

"This won't be the easiest or most comfortable night," Clearman said, "which is the idea."

Every student had his or her own reason for participating.

"I came out for the support, just to get the idea into people's minds that they can help," said Laura Bass, a sophomore majoring in biology.

Patrick Smith, a sophomore majoring in English, said, "It gives you something you can actually do, something you've got to do."

The night consisted of various scheduled events that gave students both a tutorial in the harsh reality of homelessness and a resulting sense of instant camaraderie from the common bond they forged over the experience. The following timeline chronicles the simulation.

8:30 p.m.: Clearman welcomed students as they gathered at the steps of Denny Chimes

8:45 p.m.: Clearman introduced the first speaker of the night, the Reverend Anthony Johnson, director of Homeless Outreach at The Old Firehouse Shelter in Birmingham. The shelter functions as "the only homeless men's emergency shelter in the community that does not have a specific time limit on the length of stay," Johnson said.

Johnson said the shelter helps to rehabilitate the residents with services including GED prep courses, a clothes closet for job interviews, daily meals, narcotics anonymous meetings and even a mailing address.

He described the situation of the Birmingham area's homeless population. Some of the major reasons people find themselves on the street, he said, is due to mental illness, the death of the breadwinner in the home and poverty.

"Seven hundred and fifty thousand people are homeless at any given time, 40 percent of which are families," Johnson said. "There's been a 50 percent increase since 1988 and a 105 percent increase in Birmingham from 1987 to 1995."

His overall message encouraged students to be proactive and educated about the issue. "Don't treat homelessness like a third world concept," Johnson said. "Anyone could be homeless."

9:10 p.m.: Katie Doughty, assistant director of Jesus Way Homeless Shelter, spoke about the plight of the residents at Tuscaloosa's only homeless shelter. She invited two residents, Pam Young and Tricia Smith, to give their stories of how they became homeless.

Young came to the shelter after her sister had put Young, her blind husband and their four children on the street. "They took me by the grace of God," Young said about Jesus Way.

Smith said she and her six children had lived there for two years after her husband abandoned them.

"I went to college too," she said. "But by making the wrong choices, I didn't finish."

However, Smith said she has hope.

"I own a vehicle now," she said. "I've never owned a vehicle in my life."

Doughty applauded the sleep-out's efforts to raise awareness but encouraged long-term measures to end homelessness.

"It's not just about sleeping on the Quad," she said. "We have to do something about it tomorrow."

The mood of the evening began light. Students flung Frisbees, led a sing-a-long on the guitar and introduced themselves to strangers as they huddled next to each other for warmth. Laughter was continuously heard against the backdrop of the traffic on University Boulevard.

Despite the serious tone of the evening, some students seemed to enjoy the novelty of sleeping on the Quad and meeting new people.

"This is great," said Mark Perkins, a freshman majoring in general health studies. "I'm going to wake up to Denny Chimes right in my face."

Kendall Smith, vice president of Americans for Informed Democracy, a student organization that focuses on U.S. involvement in world issues, said she hopes the sleep-out would open the students' eyes.

"I hope tonight when they're sleeping in their bags, the reality of homelessness really hits home," Smith said.

The students intent on sleeping moved to the outskirts of the group. The rest of the students layed down for hours of conversation and reflection.

Suzann Palmour, a freshman majoring in social work, said she gained an empathetic perspective from the experience.

"We're all like 'This is so weird that we're sleeping on the Quad', but this is someone's daily life," Palmour said.

Perkins said he learned the hard way what people will do for survival.

"One of my coworkers stole my bag," he said.

Clearman said she declared the night a success.

"Attendance was a lot more than I anticipated," Clearman said. "I hope they [students] took something away from this."

Caleb Miles, a sophomore majoring in chemical and biomedical engineering, said, "I think everyone got a better appreciation for what homeless people go through, myself included."

Students interested in service opportunities on campus or in the Tuscaloosa area can find more information at the Community Service Center office located on the second floor of the Ferguson Center.