By KATE PIERCE
Executive Editor
BRIANA SPINA
News Editor
Broke college students are a common caricature for jokes among friends and family. Issues of poverty, homelessness, and lack of resources – however – were discussed seriously in the context of personal stories at an on-campus platform.
“Poverty in this country – which we are told is the greatest country on Earth – should not exist the way it does,” said Ken Scott, director of community service.
Teamed up with volunteers from the office of spiritual life, the veteran center, and members of the student body, Scott shared his experience with poverty at the Speak Out held on Mar. 23. in support of the Poor People’s Campaign.
“Poverty exacerbates mental health issues and tears apart families,” said Heather Mowry, a member of the student panel that opened the discussion.
Mowry shared difficult circumstances that her family faced that affected them financially and emotionally. The experiences of coping with poverty and mental health issues is what Mowry said contributed to her parents’ separation.
“How can we move upwards if there are such odds and weights against us,” asked Victoria Bryan, another student speaker and member of the panel.
As a resident of New York City, Bryan talked about the differences between neighborhoods and the availability and quality of systems to help people who live in poverty.
“Where you come from determines where you go to school and what resources you can access,” said Bryan.
A lack of support was a key component of the story shared by Alexandria Sharpe, who served in the United State Marine Corps for four years. She made the decision to eventually enlist when she was eight years old to escape conditions of poverty, but found herself in similar situations after leaving the service.
“There’s this weird middle ground where you are poor, but not poor enough to get help,” Sharpe said. “They would only help me if I quit my job.”
Sharpe came to campus for a STAR orientation day almost a year ago. She said that she slept in her car that night. When reaching out to organizations to receive assistance, she instead received frustrating responses.
“I was told to be grateful for my car – be grateful I wasn’t sleeping on a bench” said Sharpe. “You shouldn’t tell someone who is trying to move up in their life that you can’t help them because you have a car.”
A student who is also a veteran of the army shared his personal experience and frustrations with receiving assistance.
