Homeless on the Quad
From late Wednesday night to early Thursday morning the Quad resembled a bizarre scene fit more for Woodstock as nearly 200 students covered the grass from corner to corner sheltered with only cardboard boxes, sleeping bags and blankets to endure the brisk spring air.
The temporary cardboard box homes ranged in creativity from an octagon-shaped shelter that could easily fit eight, to a makeshift replica of a mobile home half a body length painted yellow.
While many students slept in the crude cardboard constructions held together with duct tape, others slept exposed to the wind and cold air, but with the luxury of seeing the stars.
Some students were in groups of about 10; some slept alone.
The night before might have felt like a party for a number of students, but as they woke up shivering in the cold morning, they caught at least a taste of what being homeless is like.
The event, which aimed to raise awareness about homelessness, was organized by three campus groups: The Utah State University chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Students Together Ending Poverty and 12 students from a management and human resources class (MHR 3110).
Activities began at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the Taggart Student Center patio as two guests, including Logan Mayor Doug Thompson, spoke about issues concerning homelessness.
“You might think here in Logan we have no homeless people, but we do,” Thompson said.
The mayor gave a couple of examples, talking about students who have lived up Logan Canyon, but he geared his speech more towards helping the homeless in all circumstances.
“The worth of the soul is great and we’ve got to make sure we treat people well,” he said. “Start caring for each other. Start caring for the homeless.”
Students showed their charity by donating canned food, clothing and blankets, which will be sent to the Food Pantry, Sombodies Attic and the Salvation Army for distribution to the homeless.
Before the mayor spoke, Charlie Hennick, an international marketing sophomore, related his personal experiences. He was homeless for seven years in Thailand before he was adopted at age 12 by a family from Hyrum, Utah.
Hennick pulled together an impromptu speech after being asked to talk 10 minutes before the program.
“We are very lucky to be able to have an education, to have a roof over our head,” he said. “We have a lot to give- all of us.”
“I just feel lucky,” he said. “I have an opportunity to learn and to grow and to help other people.”
Hennick, who originally came for credit in his sociology and communication classes, later said the event has encouraged him to possibly become involved in the service of defeating homelessness, something which he said he had not considered much before.
After the speeches were over, the event turned toward rock music by bands Enterfearence and MCU and “hobo hot dogs” cooked over hot coals. The hot dogs lacked the presence of buns, mustard or relish, but were cooked on a stick and eaten plain.
Marshmallows were also provided.
Yet, the event later returned to a somber mood with a short film documentary about Habitat for Humanity. Shown on a projector on the TSC patio, the documentary showed the struggles and truths of homelessness, but also the success of service when people come together to help.
When the film ended, Rustin Diehl, an economics junior and liaison for the USU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, took the stage and made a call for all students to sign up in the Val R. Christiansen Service Center.
“Volunteer. That’s the whole point of this,” he said.
One out of ten Cache Valley residents are in poverty circumstances and many poor people are sent to Ogden because Cache Valley has inadequate facilities, and “we simply cannot provide enough for them,” Diehl said.
“There’s a lot to be done and a lot that we can do as students,” he said.
Diehl then sent the students off to build their box homes.
Kim Casper, a sophomore majoring in conservation restoration ecology, worked with three other students to build a custom cardboard mobile home. Casper said the event was a good cause.
“I think that homelessness is a problem,” she said. “The more we educate people about it, the better is the likelihood that we will prevent it.”
-joelfeathers@cc.usu.edu
Logan Mayor Doug Thompson, backdropped by a drum set and guitar amps, spoke about homelessness and told a story about Mark Twain. (Photo by Michael Sharp)