The smell of fall in the chilly air and the appearance of students trickling back and forth in front of the Student Union made for a typical quiet afternoon last Friday - sans the student panhandlers.
Instead of heading for home as dusk began to spread its inky fingers over the horizon, over 25 students held their ground and braved the night as part of UB's annual Night Out, planned and hosted by the student organization Community Action Corps (CAC) to benefit Friends of the Night.
Armed with cardboard boxes ranging in size from shoes to washing machines, students bundled up in layers of warm hoodies and fleeces, sporting hats, gloves, blankets and sleeping bags. They came together in the Student Union courtyard, where they camped out for the evening with the intent to create attention for the societal issue of homelessness.
"The concept is to stay out all night and raise awareness," said Shawn McDonald, the executive director of CAC and a senior psychology and pre-law major.
Josh Feuerstein, CAC treasurer and a junior pre-med major, said experiencing homelessness first hand allowed him to understand the hardships those living on the street face.
"It'll probably get pretty cold but people will understand what it's like for everyone else everyday of the year," Feuerstein said.
Michelle Balsan, who graduated from UB last spring with her law degree, returned to participate in the event.
"It's a way for us as students to have solidarity, to remember that other people are going through this," Balsan said.
With a goal of lasting until 7 a.m. on Saturday, the event kicked off at 7 p.m. with a spread of beverages and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches laid across wooden picnic tables. Students mingled and passed the time with Frisbee and a round of table games including "Scattergories" and "Apples to Apples."
"Last year we only had 12 people," said Chiara Noetzel, a senior English major and CAC secretary. "Everyone looks like they're having a good time. We're raising awareness, and I'm happy for it."
As the night swung into full gear, Ron Smith, executive director of Friends of the Night, took center stage, shedding light on the widespread problem of homelessness with eye-opening statistics.
Smith said that over 13 million children go hungry every night in the U.S., and every 17 minutes a child is born into poverty in New York State. Additionally, roughly 10 percent of the population in Western New York is homeless.
Several events could culminate into homelessness, including financial, psychological, personal and societal reasons.
"There isn't a magic button," Smith said. "It's complicated."
A 40-year old organization, Friends of the Night is one of the largest groups to address the problem in Western New York, providing free dinners 365 days a year. They also work alongside UB's School of Medicine and ECMC to run a bi-monthly clinic addressing primary care needs, and Smith hopes to commence a similar service with the UB School of Dentistry.
With a number of volunteers, particularly from the middle to upper middle class, Smith encourages students to become involved.
"You make a difference, it's a series of small differences," Smith said. "We have fun. It's a great way to bridge the cultural gap."
The stars shone in a virtually cloudless sky, and as the temperature dropped Friday evening, so did attendance. While the night didn't last as long as anticipated, eventually ending around 2 a.m. with only a few people remaining, many still considered it a success in raising awareness.
"This is my third year doing Night Out at UB, and it's always fun," said Kate Haskins, a senior psychology and German major. "It's fun to have a good group of people come together and work toward a common goal."
