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Schools
Cold, hard look at homelessness
By Times Wires
Published November 4, 2007
Sophomore Catherine Uphoff tries to stay warm while waiting for the sun to rise over the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus on Friday morning. Uphoff had just spent the night with her twin sister Christine and about 20 other USF students trying to sleep on the campus lawn at Campout for Homelessness. The student government-sponsored campout coincided with the start of National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in November. Students collected nearly 1000 food items throughout the night to be donated to the St. Vincent De Paul Society; and they viewed Easy Street, a documentary about the homeless in St. Petersburg. The campout was one of several competitive Homecoming events where student teams earned points for participation in hopes of winning gift cards to the campus bookstore. When morning finally arrived, the campers were no longer thinking about prizes, but how one manages a life on the streets, "I am really humbled because I am cold and I am hungry," said Uphoff. Then she added " I am so going to McDonald's."
[Last modified November 4, 2007, 00:31:37]
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by kristina
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01/04/08 05:29 AM
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I'm from USF st.pete student government and camped out that night.we had a guest speaker we had who used to be homeless.Also,uphoff slept on top of cardboard covered up with a plastic tarp. We all got a taste of what it was like, and were all humbled
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by Dr_Dug
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11/05/07 06:27 PM
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Its hard..true...but where do we draw the line between truely homeless and just plain lazy and on drugs? And what of the people losing their homes? Do we get them a new one too? And what about.. it could go on and on and on and on.. So now what?
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by Minerva
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11/04/07 11:54 PM
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Having worked with some in past, I know many homeless are mentally ill.They aren't picking that life; they can't manage. Someone who chooses to see what it's like for one night at least learns. Better than those who beat up homeless.Empathy firststep
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by Linda
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11/04/07 07:27 AM
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Not cold enough nor hungry enough!!! One night and she packs it in. Try living like that for days, weeks, months and yes, even years!!!
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