By KATE PIERCE
News Editor
A simulation held in the Hubbard Sanctuary allowed students to take on the role of a person living in poverty and become more aware of the complicated hardships that living in poverty entails.
The second annual simulation held at Saint Rose was sponsored by the Center for Community Insight, a non-profit organization based in Albany that provides poverty simulation training and inclusiveness consulting services.
One of the co-founders of the organization, Nic Rangel, said that she thinks the simulation helps people to think with more empathy and compassion.
“I think it helps college students think more broadly about how poverty can exacerbate day-to-day issues,” said Rangel.
As they entered the building, students were given a role of a person living in poverty. These roles ranged from an 85-year-old widower living on their own to small children in a family. The number of participants ended up exceeding the around 80 premade characters, so organizers had to get creative and invent additional roles.
Other students—who, for the most part, had attended the simulation last year—manned different stations around the space to represent various community resources like social services, a supermarket, pawn shop and bank, among others. They were provided with pamphlets that outlined their responsibilities and the resources they were able to provide. At one of the stations, the student volunteers were only allowed to speak Spanish.
The role of the receptionist for social services was fulfilled by Toni Cioffi, a sophomore. She said that the topic of the simulation is very important as she grew up in near-poverty conditions in Naugatuck, Connecticut.
“People don’t realize that these are everyday conditions,” Cioffi said.
The hour-long simulation was broken up into four weeks condensed into 16 minutes each, with weekends that lasted three to four minutes. During the week, young children had to go to school, and the older family members had to work and figure out how to cover the costs of rent, food, transportation and any other expenses.
“This is not a game,” Rangel said at the beginning of the program. “It’s a simulation. This should be as realistic as possible.”
The reality of the simulation was aided by the packets given to each “family” that outlined their circumstances and contained any money they had along with transportation cards. The cards are one of the staples of the simulation, as they are representative of one of the largest hurdles of living in poverty. Participants had to give away a transportation card every time they went to a separate station.
“Part of the mission of the program is to help students feel poverty instead of just hearing about it,” said Joan Horgan, director of campus ministry.
The simulation resonated with two students hoping to pursue careers in public health.
“It’s definitely an eye opener,” said Devin Mauricio. “It’s not something I want to experience, but it gives me ways to help others who are living through poverty.” Mauricio eventually wants to work as a child health specialist.
“I never thought about how hard it is,” said Lauren Kalmancy. “It makes me realize how much help these people need, and going through this helps to make decisions with public health.”
