OUR VIEW: A rare opportunity to help

Little known to many students, and a well-kept secret for others, TLC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” rolled into town this weekend to set up shop in Logan. A family was chosen by the show to receive a brand-new house, built by volunteers from the community and with money from the t.v. network and gathered through fundraisers.

Early Sunday morning, the show’s host, Ty Pennington, woke up the ten Pauni children still living at home (the oldest daughter is married and moved out) and their mother with a call through a loudspeaker. Later on, as neighbors and members of the media watched, they were driven away in a stretch limosine to spend the week on a cruise through the Virgin Islands.

Now in its fifth season, the show has travelled to all 50 states. The families chosen for the show have usually seen some of the worst life has to offer and often live in tiny homes they can barely afford. Families can nominate themselves or be nominated by friends and neighbors. The beautiful homes built and decorated by the show’s designers and carpenters amaze the show’s audience, let alone the families, who one week before didn’t suspect they would soon have a new house.

Usually the show is swamped by volunteers eager to help construct in seven days the homes that would usually take several months. Logan has a built-in work force in its population of college students. Many students have experience with construction or maybe just want to help. In any case, we urge USU’s student body to sign up for volunteer hours at the Paunis’ house. Another opportunity like this may be a long time coming.