Thinking outside the box

Sleeping outside in a cardboard box may not be every student’s Friday night plans, but that’s exactly what a devoted group of Luther students will be doing this weekend.

Luther College Habitat for Humanity will be sponsoring its annual homelessness awareness event, Shack-a-thon, Fri.’ Oct. 9, from 8 p.m. until Saturday morning.

Participants in Shack-a-thon will spend the night outside in cardboard boxes on the library lawn to raise awareness of housing issues that face the world today. There will also be an informational slideshow running as well as statistics posted around the lawn.

“A colony of people sleeping in boxes is not a common sight in Decorah, so we hope to stick out and make people realize how lucky they are to have a comfortable place to sleep every night,” Erin Green (‘10), president of Luther College Habitat for Humanity, said.

While sleeping in boxes may not sound like fun to everybody, participants in the past have made it an enjoyable social event, featuring activities such as making s’mores and playing Catchphrase.

Green went on to explain that in the past, there have often been about 20 student participants, though more are always welcome.

“The more people, the cozier the boxes,” said Green. “The past three years, we’ve been blessed with pretty good temperatures. Just be prepared with a sleeping bag and lots of clothes.”

In addition to nice temperatures, rain and snow have not been problems in past years.

“We haven’t had rain the years I’ve been here, but it would be part of the adventure,” Green said. “Homeless people don’t always have a choice about their weather, so it could be a stretching experience to face some interesting weather.”

While Shack-a-thon is not a national event, it is a common awareness event that different Habitat for Humanity organizations do their own way.

“I think it’s a great way to meet people and also a great way to get introduced to Habitat for Humanity,” said Green. “Plus, sleeping in a box is a very unique experience, and we have a lot of fun with it.”

Luther College Habitat for Humanity partners with Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity, as well as Rochester and Winona Habitat groups during the year. They work on projects such as construction, deconstruction, refurbishing and yard work for people in the community.

During spring break, Habitat sponsors a trip to Ocean Springs, Miss., where they help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

If you are interested in participating in Shack-a-thon or becoming involved with Luther College Habitat for Humanity,
e-mail habitat@luther.edu.