So you want to help...

So it seems that I'm up for some more late night blogging. It's kind of funny how this seems to feel right for me, it must have something to do with all the last minute lab reports that I wrote through my undergrad.

Now on the topic of undergrads I came across a story lately on the UMN home page. For those of you who don't like to read (what what the hell are you doing here? I don't post pictures) there are two interesting points to the story.

The first being that there has been a huge number of student volunteers for the university chapter of habitat for humanity. It seems that this year they are going to be helping to rebuild in the wake of Huricane Katrina. This has touched the generous and giving spirit of the student body who were jumping at the chance to do what they can to help...or maybe because it's a trip to New Orleans on spring break? Somehow I don't think that there would a be huge push to go help out had there been a major disater in Millwakee. But maybe I'm just cycnical...or bitter that I didn't realize that there would be a chance to get to New Orleans for spring break and get free housing (possibly a free flight, but I'm just guessing on that one).

The other intersting part of the story was the students spending the night outside, 'to see what it's like to be homeless'. Yet, they were allowed to go home at 6:00 am. Come on people, if you are going to pretend to be destitute at least do it properly. Spend a full weekend playing make believe. See what it's like to have to clean yourself in apublic washroom, while the mall security keeps harassing you to move along. Think about it, there are no public washrooms, there are public access washrooms on private property, but can you really claim a right to them? I guess you can if they are in a government building, but what about us aliens? Are we alowed to claim those as well?

Ok, I'm getting a little side tracked. The point I want to make though is that I really don't understand the act of doing these one day in the life of unfortunate person X. After all, are these people who pretend to be homeless that devoid of an imagination that they cannot comprehend how hard it would be to live in such a situation? If so, how the hell are they going to get through university? Seriously, if you need to spend the night in a cardboard box to realize how much that must suck all I can say is get used to it, because you probably are going to have a hard time holding down a fast food job.

And another thing, are these people even doing any good ore really even drawing attention to the plight of the homeless? Let's be honest, society has rendered the homeless virtually invisible, pertending to be one of them doesn't make them more visible, it makes you invisible. Perhaps actively doing something to help the homeless would be a better use of their time? If you want to get the plight of the homeless recognized by the government get a bunch of buses and bring all the homeless people out to one of the posh suburbs for them to camp out in. You know, the ones with the big gates and private security to make sure that the shopping carts aren't messed with at night. That would make a difference. Sleeping for two and a half hours isn't really doing a damn bit of good. Hell, this blog entry may have more impact than that!