Men from Phi Beta Sigma are having a different kind of sleepover tonight as they gather outside the Scramble Light to simulate 24 hours of homelessness.
The annual Sigma Sleepout will begin at 8 a.m. and run through 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Sigma Sleepout is an annual event hosted by the Ball State chapter of Phi Beta Sigma to inform the community of the issue and collect donations for the Muncie Mission.
Robert Jones, treasurer for Phi Beta Sigma, said they chose the month of November because they knew the weather is colder.
"If we chose a summer month, the purpose of raising awareness would be defeated," said Jones, a senior marketing business administration major.
Ball State's chapter isn't the only one sleeping out this month. Jones said it's a national event for Phi Beta Sigma.
"Over 100,000 people in our fraternity sleep out throughout the month of November," Jones said.
In 2010, more than 6,000 people in Indiana were homeless, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report, and the fraternity is hoping to reduce that number by raising money and gather donations for Muncie Mission.
Ronald Perkins, sophomore accounting major and secretary of Phi Beta Sigma, said that canned and nonperishable food, as well as old and new clothes, will be accepted.
Jones said there will always be a few members of the chapter at the Scramble Light, although some members do have class throughout the day.
"We are big on academics and extracurricular activities, so those times may be excused," Jones said.
Students will be able to donate today from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the same hours the event will take place.
Other students are also invited to sleep out, Perkins said.
"Even if they can't donate, we'd love to see their faces to come out and support the cause," he said.
Jones participated last year, and he said he liked to see students give whatever they could.
"Some students would walk by with only small change in their pockets, and then they would come back and donate a few dollars," Jones said. "That's the best part."
Read More
The eyes and ears of the David Owsley Museum of Art
By Madelyn Bracken / 2 days agoThe David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) doesn’t only house art. For many Ball State University students, it houses opportunity. Graduate and social media assistant, and former DOMA intern and guard, Taylor Hamblin spent the past two years working at the museum surrounded with possibilities to further her career while at Ball State.
Center for Peace offers academic opportunities
By Meghan Braddy and Grayson Joslin / 3 days agoOver the years, the center has offered a peace studies minor, conflict resolution training and grant funding.
AP: New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction
By Staff Reports / 3 days agoNew York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case, according to the Associated Press (AP).
