In the face of bitter cold, vicious winds and icy rain, the Community Action Corps held an all-night sleep-out marathon Friday challenging students to survive the elements for 12 hours.
Nearly 100 students showed up to camp out behind the Student Union for the annual Night Out to fight homelessness, with only cardboard boxes and lots of warm clothing, but by 7 a.m. only nine participants remained - a disappointment to many corps members.
The event did, however, raise over $600 for the Friends of Night People, a non-profit organization that provides clothing, general healthcare, food and legal assistance to homeless people in Western New York.
Homelessness is very difficult to measure with complete accuracy, but the Erie County Commission on Homelessness estimates that on any given night in Erie County there are 2,100 homeless persons.
"Our basic goal at the event is really to raise awareness of homelessness and the effects of living on the streets and in poverty," said Community Action Corps President Ayo Onikute, a junior African-American studies major. "With a (UB) population of almost 30,000, we rarely make an impact on the community."
The event began with a competition as each participating group raced to build the best makeshift shelter out of cardboard, crates, plastic bags and duct tape. Background music and a popcorn machine didn't exactly fit in with the homeless experience, but organizers said they felt a few perks would help draw students, and the coffee and sandwiches distributed were close to what would be given at a shelter.
But as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, students grew wary.
"We'll try to stay out here as long as possible," said Judy Wong, a senior business major. "We want to stay until it ends at 7 a.m., but I didn't realize it was going to be this windy."
By 10 p.m. the number of participants dwindled to 40, as even the sturdiest shelter was ripped apart by the 30 mph winds, which also blew the popcorn machine away. With their cardboard castles at their feet, and having had their fun and raised their money, participants left in droves.
"We can't force them to stay," said Onikute.
The remaining students relocated and rebuilt, upset but still enthusiastic as they dug in for the night while it started to rain.
"They missed out," said junior psychology major and treasurer Courtney Mooney referring to the students who left. "They missed out on an experience that would teach them what it's like to live like someone less fortunate. And they only had to do it for 12 hours. This isn't that bad. There's donating your money and then there's being a good person and donating your time."
To add to the letdown, the scheduled speaker from the Erie County Commission on Homelessness cancelled, and the speaker from the Friends of Night People never showed. At midnight the improv comedy troupe oops! performed, but for the students remaining, the night was about much more than speakers or good laughs.
"It was great," said senior engineering major Jeff Joseph of the Lambda Phi Epsilon group. "It's giving back to the community, and it makes you grateful for what you do have."
"The homeless must get sick a lot, because I'm sick, I'm tired, and I've only been out here four hours," said junior psychology major Samantha Wallace, who was with the Theta Delta Sigma group.
"Being inside the cardboard box as the wind picked up and the rain started to come down hard really made me wonder how we all were going to survive the rest of the night, let alone how some people survive every night," said junior biomedical science major and corps member Elizabeth Saverino, one of the nine participants left in the morning.
Around 1 a.m. the rain turned torrential and the last participants remaining moved to the front of the Student Union, under the overhang, to stay dry.
"Our boxes were completely drenched," said Saverino. "Let me tell you, sleeping on that metal table with two thin blankets was bad. A few of us actually slept. The rest just tried to stay warm and talked."
"This is something we want to carry on at UB for a long time," said Onikute.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
