Homeless Night cont.

I had an awesome time at Homeless Night. One of my friends had a few boxes she had offered to let us use. We picked them up from her house, but one of the boxes would not fit in the car. Not wanting to leave it behind, we searched for, and found, a solution: bungee-cording it to the top of the car. The drive was a little interesting- the box flapped back and forth the entire way(probably scaring the drivers behind us), but the cardboard made it safe and sound to school.

Once there, we set up shop underneath the overhang. The night consisted of playing Apples to Apples, eating Goldfish and Starbursts, and adding more and more layers as the night progressed. I had thought about staying up the entire night, but decided against it, because staying awake made me consciously aware of how cold I was getting. I suppose I should thank my mom for pestering me into wearing so many layers (and bringing two sleeping bags), because I would have been freezing without them. One friend brought hand warmers, and they kept me comfortable in the rainy, windy night.

I was woken up a few times during the night by friends wanting to play a game or talk a bit. But for the most part I slept soundly- or so I thought. In the morning I went home and planned on working on my mountain of homework. I sat down to get started and four hours later I awoke to the phone ringing. Why had I slept so long? Perhaps being homeless, you are unable to sleep as deeply as you would like (due to the weather and overall lack of security). I cannot imagine going through every day worrying where you will sleep, how the weather will be. It was a good time and got publicity, but, more importantly, it put the concept of being without a home into context.

Homeless Night

In an hour I will be headed over to school for Homeless Night. About 90 students will be spending the entire night outside. I debated how I should dress- it is supposed to be in the 30's overnight. So far I have a t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, winter coat, shorts, sweatpants, two pairs of socks (one knee-high pair), a pair of one-size-fits-all gloves, mittens, ear-warmers, and a hat. Along with these, I will have not one, but two sleeping bags, two blankets, and a pillow. Right now I have on all of my gear (I decided it would be a smart idea to see if it all fits), and just typing this entry is making me hot. Hopefully, all of these layers will keep me warm overnight, or at least from catching pneumonia.

I have never done this before, but it is supposed to be fun. I am excited. It seems wrong for me to hope to have a good time, though, because the people that are actually homeless do not choose to be.

More than the fact that I don't want to think about it, it is difficult for me to imagine what being homeless would be like. Living in Iowa, our homeless numbers are far below those of Washington D.C. and New York. I have not, as most of the students at our school, been exposed to the homeless in the same way- it merely goes on the backburner. And when I do see someone without a home, I admit that I don't feel the immediate urge to go up and interview them about their life (they probably wouldn't care for this conversation, either).

So tonight will be a first-hand experience, allowing me to zero in on a topic that I know little about. I cross my fingers it will go well, but who knows. I'll update tomorrow to tell how it went.

President-Elect Obama

This is the same topic I'm sure will be the focus of numerous blogs. Last night, Obama was elected to be the next President of the United States. The decision was made incredibly early, allowing me to see McCain's concession speech before heading off to bed (very well done, if I might add). Obama then made his victory speech while I was fast asleep to an enormous crowd of supporters. I struggle talking about politics, because I, embarrassingly, don't keep up with the issues very much. But in the light of this historic election, I decided it would be best if I said a few things that were discussed the past few days.

1. How will he do?
   I hope he is able to turn things around for our country. The economic struggles will be one of the largest challenges he faces in his early presidency. If he makes things improve, the history books will shower him with praise (as they always focus on one, well-known person in these cases, despite the amount of credit is due to Congress or just to luck). If things remain as they are or worsen, he will be viewed with contempt. Obama received about 48% of the popular vote- 52% somewhere else out there. McCain supporters may be hurting for a while, though I don't know how long these feelings will last. McCain attempted to quiet his supporter's opposition while stressing unity. Hopefully we do not need a big crisis to bring our country together (like after the 2000 elections, where 9/11 helped reunite our Bush-Gore sides).
2. What will be the result of a no longer split-government?
   With a Democratic president and majority Congress, what will this lead to? With less opposition between the two branches of government, will this make them be more or less effective? I think that if the two disagree on an issue, it will look bad for Obama (it will appear as if he cannot get his party to unite on issues). Also, with less argument, perhaps this will create plans and laws that are not as high of quality as before. During Clinton's presidency, he argued with the Republican-majority House, and this led to carefully-made bills that made both parties happy. Will the same care be made for each bill with a same-party government? There is the chance that it will be even easier to create legislation that will benefit the country. If Obama has clear, well-thought-out plans, then perhaps the speedier approval of these policies is a good thing.
3. Did this election focus on the right issues?

I saw McCain all over the news. Palin parodies appeared on Saturday Night Live. Obama was everywhere, propelled up to celebrity status. These things you already know. But I can honestly say that while I know McCain has numerous houses, I don't know what his economic policy entailed. I don't know the details of how Obama plans to create Social Security for everyone. Part of this is my own fault- I did not do my research. But neither did many other Americans, as well. The media gave us many personal attacks (Obama's minister, McCain's age), and a majority of the campaigns were about feelings and bringing the other one down. While incredibly effective, the reasons they were running for the position fell into the background. Will this be what all future elections will be like?

I think America has chosen a good candidate for the job. Whether you voted for Obama or not, it is important to respect the decision that the country has made: enough people thought he would make a good President- he wasn't just put there to make you angry. Not to say you cannot disagree with him. By all means, show that American spirit. But accept the new man in office, because he will be the one leading our country for at least four years, making history and changing our lives along the way.

Daylight Savings

Dear Abby reminded me yesterday that at 2 am this morning the clocks would officially "fall back," as they always do this time of year. Yet I always find myself surprised by the news, and grateful that I heard about it at all. I don't watch the news on a daily basis (where I'm sure they would remind their viewers of the change), and don't normally read about it in the newspaper. It usually comes to me by word of mouth, as an afterthought nonetheless:

"Oh, don't forget about tomorrow. Daylight savings and all."

A little history about daylight savings for you:

• The idea was first thought of by Benjamin Franklin, who said it would save money by reducing the number of candles used
• America first adopted daylight savings in 1918 during WWI, but it wasn't popular and was repealed.
• Daylight savings changed from being year-round to just summer a few times.
• In 2005 George W. Bush enacted the Energy Policy Act, which extended daylight savings (from April-October to March-November).

I still find it a facinating concept. I understand it is used to help save energy, to keep school kids out of the dark, etc. Still, who would have come up with the idea to just 'move time around'? It seems weird to be able to change time, which we normally dub as constant and unchanging. Secondly, I can't believe that people would agree to it. Many resent the thought of change (especially of something that essentially affects everyone's lives) and you have the recipe for rejection. Perhaps this is why it was revoked at first. Yet over time, we have grown to accept changing our clocks as a part of our culture and lives.

How have I, and like so many forgetful people, managed to stay in the loop? It is always a reoccuring dread that one day I will arrive to school or work too early (or, in the spring, too late). I would have to sit around for an hour, turn and go home, or make up a weak excuse as to why I got there so early. Luck always passes my way, though, and I am reminded.

How do we remember to remind each other? Because no one wants to look like a fool. We all know what it's like to look like an idiot; these memories stay with us longer than the good ones (in a sense of defeat, our hippocampus-part of the brain that deals with memory- is activated, causing us to remember our failures to a much stronger degree). And we are all, whether we admit it or not, compassionate beings. We do not want others to experience these slip-ups, either. We remind each other, and in this way, we help each other.