In my first column, I mentioned that I was coordinating a study abroad during this first summer session. One of our focuses is exploring issues of diversity and social justice as seen through the European experience. As the weeks have progressed, we have been exposed to many things, and one of those things has been the lives of those on the margins of society.
We often tend to ignore or “not see” those that are on the margins. We all know who they are, but we move on with our daily lives.
I have been thinking about this recently, and wondering how we as a Virginia Tech community would deal with those on the margins of society.
We often describe Tech as its own city, and in many respects it is. It has its own power and water systems, its own security (the Tech Police), its own government (the Tech administration), its own citizens (all of us with Tech IDs), and its own food and housing. As a city, how would we as a community deal with issues that impact other cities?
How would you react if you walked on the steps of Burruss Hall and came across a heavily scarred individual asking for money? Would it be different, if walking across the Drillfield, you were faced with students selling designer purses or watches?
Or if you were walking to D2 and in front, there was a student with an amputated leg asking for small change so that they could eat?
Or what if we are going by the area between Newman Library and Squires Student Center, and came across individuals sleeping in boxes?
All of these are examples my students and I have seen; how would you react?
I suspect that we would be amazed that an institution of our caliber (a city known for its reputation) would have such issues.
Too many times, we often just walk past these individuals without blinking an eye as we become blind to the issue at hand.
I, myself, am guilty of walking by with a sense of guilt, as I know that I can’t provide monetary support to these individuals.
It raises interesting issues of how would you respond. Do you have enough spare change to help everyone you encounter? How are they going to use the money? How did they get here? Isn’t it the government’s responsibility to help them? Why should I help them?
A version of this article appeared in the Jun 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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"We have students on welfare, who depend on food stamps to make it, and we have students with three or four jobs trying to make ends meet while trying to get a degree.
How will you respond the next time you come across such a situation?"
-- Direct them to places for loans. No one is forcing them to go to college.
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Virginia Tech does not exist in a void. We are actually in a town, it’s called Blacksburg. Although students make up two-thirds of the population, the remainder are town residents. Not everyone works for the university. There are teachers and nurses, police officers and road construction workers, software developers and high-tech company managers, and, yes, the poor and homeless. The Town of Blacksburg might be slim pickings without Virginia Tech, but the university would be nowhere without the town, too. Let’s not forget that.
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I am not comfortable with the idea of paying people to be homeless. It seems counter-productive. If someone is hungry, buy them something to eat. Don't pay them to be hungry
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The only time I gave $20 to a homeless man on the corner of Prices Fork and Main Street I found out later he was a sex offender, labeled 'Dangerous' by state police.
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