"Hey, you cold?" one of my friends asked me. My first thought was 'No, not at all. It's only cool, windy as all get out, and we're about to sleep on pieces of cardboard in the middle of this field. This is the warmest I've ever been'. But just before the thought left my mouth, I realized something: I realized that even though I was complaining about such minor discomforts, at least I had a nice, warm apartment to go back to. At least I had plenty of food and drinks to keep me nourished, and a bed and blankets for whenever I wanted to go to sleep. A lot of people in modern America go EVERYDAY without essentials: things that we take for granted.
Being out here with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Multicultural Ambassadors has been a wonderf ul experience. At the beginning of the night, there was tomato soup, rolls, coffee, hot chocolate, and water for anybody to have. After standing around and getting to know eachother, Dr. Mason directed us to a separate table with cardboard and paint. She told us we would be making "homeless signs". Each student painted their own unique phrase on their signs. Some said "Will work 4 food", "Need a job", "Will dance for food" and even "Broke college student needs food". This exercise made everyone think about what it would be like if our next meal- or our lives- depended on our signs.
Although the night isn't over yet, everyone is still in high spirits. Smiling, dancing, and singing to keep warm are just a few of the things ODI and the Multicultural Ambassadors are doing to promote Hunger Homeless Awareness. I can't wait to see what the rest of the night holds.
Multicultural Ambassador
-S.K.
We foster an inclusive campus built on respect for all and promote active multicultural awareness.
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