Every year on this campus, residence halls in DeHority Complex put on what many consider to be a "mockery of homelessness" - the infamous Box City.
For the annual event, students build "homes" out of boxes, listen to live music and buy hot dogs and cocoa while they spend the night on University Green.
And if it gets too cold - as it did during Fall Semester's Box City - they go inside.
Clearly, the event is not exactly a simulation of the experience of homelessness. But it does raise money for Muncie Mission, which works to support the homeless of the Muncie community. Without funding, Muncie Mission cannot do the important work to help impoverished people, so Box City is providing a necessary component in aiding homeless people.
Wednesday night's Community Action Poverty Simulation offered participants the other side of the coin. While it did not raise any money to aid the fight against poverty, it did make progress in raising students' awareness of poverty issues.
Participants were divided into "families" that struggled with the real-life challenges of making bill payments when nothing is in the bank account, fighting off bill collectors, finding a job that will hire them and arguing to keep their houses or children when times were tough. They dealt with the struggles and frustrations - as well as some of the more serious dangers and life choices - of life below the poverty line. Then they were given time to ask questions, process the experience and talk to poverty survivors.
The poverty simulation offered a safe environment for participants to learn about the struggles of impoverished life - and it made an impression on those in attendance.
This is the type of on-campus programming that raises awareness. This is how campus organizations can change minds.
And the truth is, Ball State needs both the poverty simulation and Box City.
Whereas the poverty simulation makes a difference in student awareness of poverty issues, Box City raises funds for an organization that's actually fighting to help those affected by poverty.
With greater awareness, organizations are likely to gain more money, and with more money, the organizations will help more people. It's a joint effort.
Perhaps the two events should merge, to become a single program that simultaneously raises awareness and funding. Or perhaps the campus community should understand that both events serve an important role in the work of ending poverty - and support both events fully.
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