Students at The University of Alabama will briefly experience homelessness during Sleep Out on the Quad on Wednesday night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Camille Driver, a student coordinator for the event and director of the Hunger and Homelessness focus area at the University’s Community Service Center, said Sleep Out on the Quad’s goal is to get the student body involved and encourage students to help volunteer in the community. Furthermore, she said the event is intended to empower students to question their own prejudices about homelessness.

“There are a lot of stigmas attached to homelessness. If they just worked harder, if they didn’t drink as much, they are probably on drugs, etc., then they wouldn’t be homeless,” Driver said. “However, the minority of homelessness is caused by these factors.”

Driver said Sleep Out is especially important in helping to communicate the universality of homelessness.

(See also “‘Sleep out on the Quad’ fights hunger, homelessness“)

“Homelessness affects all people of all walks of life, including income levels,” she said. “We want students to realize that homelessness is not always a choice. There is a problem that needs to be addressed, and there are small steps that each individual can make to help.”

Students should expect to spend the night on the ground, much like a homeless person would. According to the Community Service Center website, there were more than 400 participants during the 2012 event. Driver also said the event will have speakers, a movie, games and more.

Chisolm Allenlundy, an event supervisor and assistant director for Hunger and Homelessness, said the Sleep Out isn’t just intended to give students a taste of what it is like to be homeless.

“One night, regardless of how cold or wet, cannot replicate the personal pain of actually being homeless,” she said. “Rather, this event is about raising awareness of the problem, and its sources, in a way that students can actually feel engaged and active.”

(See also “Sleep Out on Quad Wednesday“)

Benjamin McCormick, also an event supervisor and assistant director for Hunger and Homelessness, said while no event could truly simulate the struggles of homelessness, the student organizers want to help remind students of the often overlooked issues facing the community around them, especially homelessness. He said it gives students a chance to reflect on homelessness in their communities.

“Spending a night on the Quad can serve as an opportunity for students not only to take a step back from the comfort of a warm bed to experience just how tough it is to spend one night without shelter, but also to realize that homelessness isn’t a choice, unlike the volunteer participation in this community awareness event,” he said.

Students can register for the event on SLPro.ua.edu. Panhellenic points are available for participants in addition to opportunities for up to 10 hours of community service.

(See also “Quad sleep out attracts hundreds of volunteers“)