Homeless to Harvard: Reflection for January 23rd
What does the face of homelessness look to you? And who fits this profile?
posted by Ms. Thompson at 1/24/2006 02:28:00 PM
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
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Welcome to the First Year Development Series Blog! This series is created for Spelman College First Year Bonner Scholars to examine and discuss the social disparities in our communities. Join in and make our blog room bright with your views on the posted topic!
What does the face of homelessness look to you? And who fits this profile?
posted by Ms. Thompson at 1/24/2006 02:28:00 PM
15 Comments:
After coming to school in Atlanta and watching the movie Homeless to Harvard the face of homelessness is everywhere I look. There is no one look for people who are homeless. There are some who do have the not so clean or the nice clothes look, but there are also those who wear business clothes everyday but have no home to go to at the end of the day. There is no true profile for homeless people.
7:00 PM
After having been exposed to many homeless people over the years, I like many others, am guilty of constructing preconceived notions. I believe that after watching the movie Homeless to Harvard homelessness knows no distinct characteristics. There is no universal definition for homelessness. You never know what someone's situation was or is, and in order to provide a constructive solution; one must truly understand each situation in its entirety.
8:31 PM
"Truelife: Being Homeless
After watching "Homeless to Harvard," my eyes were truly opened. Sometimes people only think that homeless people are homeless due to drugs. Which in this case, was part of the reason, but I never thought to take it from a teenager's point of view. I realized that some people are born into the situation and it is not their fault. Therefore, making "homeless," undefined. It finally hit me that anyone can be homeless with a snap of a finger. Some people are living day to day, paycheck to paycheck.
8:57 PM
The film “Homeless to Harvard” expanded my mind, forcing me to take a real look at how you never truly know what another person is going through and how close one may be to that “other side,” that society tends to turn their nose up at. Stereotypes and misconceptions ruin the society that we live in today and make it a little easier for people to mistreat others. In the case of those individuals that live in poverty and are homeless or close to it, after watching this success story of tremendous proportions, I am convinced that nothing but seeds of hope and optimism can sprout from that young lady’s story. If anything this film has made it very apparent that there is no distinct face for any type of economic or class level and there is no outline or format in discovering who would fit a certain profile. “Homeless to Harvard” definitely dispels all previous myths regarding anyone’s socioeconomic status.
8:57 PM
The face of homelessness in all actuality has no face. There is no real possible way to tell if someone is homeless by merely looking at them. Although you could make a good inference, it would only be an assumption. Before viewing this movie I believe that all homeless people look the same; dingy clothing, ragged hair and no morals. However after watching the movie I realized that people homelessness has many faces and colors. Many times these people do not have a choice in being homeless and they are not bad people. Therefore there is no one that actually fits the profile for a homeless person. Being homeless is only geographical and does not tell the character of a person
9:31 PM
Before I came to school in Atlanta I worked very closely with the homeless in Cincinnati, so I was clear on what I believed homeless looked, smelled, sounded, and felt like. When I watched the movie, I saw a very common side of homelessness, one caused by drug addiction in the family. I am always amazed as to how strong these people can be despite their situations. I understand that homelessness has no specific profile and the movie helped to re-enforce this idea in my mind. Homeless or not, they are still people and they have goals and ambitions just like everyone else. They can achieve what may seem like the impossible to most people because they are strong people and that is exactly what we saw in "Homeless to Harvard."
12:36 AM
Who determines the life of the homeless soul?
Is it you, your parents, your desires or is it the many addictions that the world has so happily bestowed upon your paths? Like your Nike tennis shoes, your Starbuck’s coffee, or better yet like your S500 Mercedes Benz that you park a block away from your card board box because you would rather “Keep up with the Jones’ and have your flashy possessions than a roof to sleep under. Or is it your addiction to drugs, alcohol, and gambling that brought to homelessness because these things are said to supposedly take away your pain? Yet, what did u not know was that the pain was not be soothed but multiplied.
The answer is there is no set answer as to why homelessness may stumble across your race towards the finish line, making you go two steps backwards without warning just before finishing the race. Homelessness can come about for so many reasons but it is up to you to determine if you will be the winner of your race. It is up to you not let it destroy your emotional and mental mindset. In the movie, “Homeless to Harvard,” a young girl shows how addictions lead her family to homelessness, pain, and misery. However, she also shows how homelessness only defeats you if you allow it to. She makes the point of that being homeless does not mean it’s the end of your life but rather an opportunity to begin a new one.
Therefore, who determines the life of the homeless soul? The answer is You the Homeless Soul Itself.
10:35 AM
...The face of homelessness is unknown. This face can come in many colors: red, yellow, black, brown or white; this face can come in many expressions: youthful, elderly or stressed. How am I one to determine the face of homelessness when tomorrow I can become that face. Many people do not know that everyday we may encounter the face of homelessness. Just because one does not live on the streets with rags and garbage bags, that does not make them homeless. People always try to put homeless people in a certain profile, not knowing that there is no profile. Just as homelessness does not have a face it also does not have an identity. Not all homeless people are drug attatics, runaways, or alcholics. Some lost their jobs which lead them to losing their homes and in some cases evening displacing their families. So before anyone or myself can answer what the face of homelssness and their profile is, we truly need to research why they are in that predictment.
3:44 PM
As a youth, I bought into the stereotype that the face of homelessness belonged to a person that has suffered a misfortune due to being an alcoholic and/or drug addict. As I matured I realized that it could also very well be someone that I knew that was able to hold a job yet, not able to make enough money to afford a home. These people just live from paychecck to paycheck. Watching "Homeless to Harvard" really opened my mind to the teen aspect of being homeless. The movie really showed me that the face of homelessness is indefinite and that there are many reasons for someone to become homeless. The reasons could be anything from escaping abuse to something as common as downsizing. As the age old adage suggests never judge a book by it's cover,because you never know what the situation might be. Try walking a mile in there shoes.
7:34 PM
When I watched the movie Homeless to Harvard I realized that some people are born into homelessness. Some members of society are born into a home where the parents are not able to provide for them financially and they are forced to live their lives in an unpleasant situation. This movie is a great example that you never know what is going on in someone else's life or behind their doors....one does not always end up being homeless by abuse of drugs or alchol, gambling, or any of the other stereotyped reasons that society believs creates homelessnes... some people in life actually live paycheck to paycheck and if an unfortunate event occurs where they lose their job then they may find themselves in this situation... homelessness does not discriminate.
12:27 PM
I have lived in Atlanta for many years, so homelessness was not anything new to me. It was only when I got older that I realized that anyone can be homeless, and most of the time it was not their choice. Their are plently of people with docorate degrees and those who had everything who are noow homeless. There are also those who were forced to be homeless because of natural diasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. All in all, there is no one reason why people are homeless. Everyone has their own story and you would be surprised at who is really homeless and why.
12:25 PM
I have grown from an area of ignorance that i possessed before viewing the film. My particular community service passion has been the teenagers. Therefore, I never really thought about the look of homelessness. However, this film has shown me that there is no particular look. You never know a person's story and their appearance is not a hint. People can be the direct opposite!!!!
11:10 PM
Nobody "fits" the profile of a homeless person. Homelessness can happen at anytime to anyone, regardless of their social, economic, or educational history. Instead, we must throw out the sterotypical image of the "drunk" or "druggie" person we may see on the street and reevaluate their situation. Who am I to say what homelessness looks like? In doing so, it would demonstrate how ignorant and insensitive I am of this issue.
4:08 PM
Am I eligible for a rhinoplasty procedure
even though Im positive for Hepatitis b.? Although I had it for only two years and it's not severe.Does it it
affect my eligibility.THANKS!!!
2:43 PM
We have a few college students online from college of Spelman College and we love your blog postings, so well add your rss or news feed for them, Thanks and please post us and leave a comment back and well link to you. Thanks Jen , Blog Manager, Spelman College
8:34 AM
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