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Looking back...

Things I learned:

Two dollars is not a lot of money. Of course I was aware of this fact before I had undertaken the project. However I was not aware of the extent to which living on $2 would make it difficult to function as a university student. I got both of my tests back and they were not good. I got the lowest grades I have had this semester. The amount of time and energy required to live on this amount of income made it impossible to be a successful student.

My social network provides me safety not enjoyed by those in poverty. I was overwhelmed by the amount of help that was offered to me by my friends and community when they learned that I was hungry. “Let me buy you lunch” or “Here is a couple of dollars” were common responses. This network does not exist for those living in poverty. Those people living on two dollars a day don’t have a church community to donate them $270 dollars in a week. They don’t have parents who are college professors. They don’t have friends who can comfortably afford to buy them a Chipotle burrito. This safety is one of the key factors that prohibit me from ever truly living in poverty. Living in poverty is not simply a matter of money.

Rice sucks. Enough said.

Questions I have:

Is it wrong for me in my position to voluntarily give up what so many people long for? This is a question that has always bothered me. For this project I feel comfortable because we are giving money to a good cause. If someone living in poverty in Kenya knew what I was doing, would their response be, “Thanks for raising a little awareness about the situation of the world” or would it be “You have no idea what it is like to live in poverty you rich fool.” I would like to think it is the former response, but my gut tells me it would be a combination of the two.

Why has this project gotten so much publicity? We are on Fredericksburg.com, the Free Lance-Star, WTOP 103.5, the Daily News Record, and a number of other media outlets. Why is it news that a bunch of wealthy students are doing a project and not that almost have the worlds population is living a $2 a day?

Would I do the project again? Not during school. I would do the project if I didn’t have the obligations that come with being a student. I think that I did learn a lot, but my GPA will suffer. Unfortunately education is not measured by knowledge, it is measured by a number.

-Will

Day 5: Coke and Cardboard

I did it. I am ashamed. I bought a 2 liter of Coke with my last remaining $2. It was a horrible decision, but I needed energy for my test. Caffeine has a stronger hold on me than I had ever imagined.

Issac and I walked down to Einstein's to get beagles from the dumpster. We also got some unused cardboard from behind Roses. I think this project has taught me to view everything as a resource. When living on such a small amount of money I must find new ways to get things I need.

I smell. I am tired. I am hungry. I can't wait until 4. The first thing I am going to do is buy a HUGE Chipotle Burrito.

Will

Day 4: school and living

So now my week gets hard. I had a test today and another one tomorrow. Juggling my commitment to the project and my other responsibilities as a student have not been easy. Last night I chose not to sleep outside. I needed a goods nights sleep. I am fully aware that this is not an option for impoverished people.

The weird thing about this project is the great contrast between my two lives. On the one hand I am a University student. I am expected to have access to transportation, food, and electricity to aid me in my studies. But the project's requirements lead me to do otherwise.

I have been in situations outside of traditional standards of living of an upper-middle-class person before. The difference is that in those situations I could be fully committed to the task. While camping in Algonquin National Park I didn't have to take a Latin test. While living on a sustainable farm in Indiana I didn't have to study for my economics quiz. And while observing Ramadan I knew that I was going to have a big meal and comfortable bed to sleep in every night. With this project, you never know...

Day 3: Rain

Last night it rained. Fortunately our shantytown was prepared. There was a trap over our heads and cardboard under our bodies. Although I didn’t get wet, the rain made itself known. The pitter-patter on the tarp could not be ignored. Each drop was a reminder of how lucky I was to have a tarp.

I used to believe that projects like this were insensitive to people that actually have to live in these conditions. At anytime last night I could have walked two blocks to my warm, dry, house. Others don’t have this option. For some people this is not simply a five day experiment at their University, but instead this is their life. I remember the first time I thought about this problem. My friend Isaac Beachy stopped wearing shoes and some people were critical of him because he had shoes and just didn’t wear them.

More on this later, I have to prepare for class…

Day 2: practice and San Antonio

For the project we are only allowed two sets of clothing. Lucky for me I have disc practice on Tuesday and Thursday of this week. So I am basically confined to one set or clothes to wear for everyday activities, and one to wear for practice. It’s surprising which things give me the most trouble. Not showering has not been and issue. I don’t shower much anyway. But not having any caffeine has been hard on me. I have a headache right now and a strong desire for a Coke.

___

During the day I find myself thinking a lot about the differences between poverty in the Sates and poverty elsewhere. In the United States poor people are not starving. Some are hungry, but starvation in some third world countries is a MUCH MUCH different thing. I have had experience with this distinction. In San Antonio I worked at a homeless shelter. Our guests (anyone who needed a meal) were actually pretty well fed (I ate the same food as the guest for a year). There were no requirements to eat, no shortage of food. On the other hand I have been to India and also Zimbabwe. Although I never saw first hand anyone dieing from hunger, poverty in those places is of far greater concern. Also poor people in the United States have access to far more resources. Think about a couple things that would be unheard of elsewhere:

A drinking fountain – free running water that is safe to drink. It is worth repeating. We have access to free running water that is safe to drink.

A public library – Free access to books, computers, and the internet. All of the information on the internet can be tapped into by anyone who goes to a public library.

Obviously there are many more differences, but these are the two that I was thinking about today. I could write more, but I am getting sleepy. I have a big night ahead of me. Will it rain? Will I be able to sleep? Will it stay warm?

We shall see,

William Hawk

Day 2: the morning after shanty town.

Last night I slept outside in a makeshift shanty town. It was my professor and about six other students. The long day made it easy to fall asleep, despite being outside. During the night there was a lot of shuffling around and I must have woken up five times. Apparently I was the lucky one. Two students had to leave and Professor Humphrey said he only got about two hours of sleep. The dew on my sleeping bag is cold. I don’t want to get up. The stares from students walking on campus don’t faze me. It is time for day 2. Here we go…

Day 1: Peanut butter

It is about midday and I still haven’t eaten. I am having trouble paying attention in Macroeconomics.

Finally, I am able to make some rice. I am very careful during the process, because I am a terrible cook and I do not want to waste my precious food. The rice is bland and boring without any spices. My hunger enhances the temptation to just use a pinch of salt from my house. I resist and find a better solution. Peanut butter and rice. The moment it hits my mouth I know it is going to be a hit.

DAY 1: The beginning

I have my food. $2 a day doesn’t buy much. We are allowed to use all of our money at the beginning, so I decided to get a bag of rice, a big can of beans, 3 apples, and a jar of chunky peanut butter. I stared at the food on the floor. This is it?

This project is not the first time I have taken up the challenge of this sort. I have participated in a number of brief fasts at my church, in 2001 I observed Ramadan, and in 2003 I lived in San Antonio “living simply” for a year at the Catholic Worker House. The key to getting the most out of these experiences is trying to imagine that you are stuck in this position for the long term. This can never be done completely, but every attempt to shut out my web of security (being a white, upper-middleclass, male, college student, with a loving family and community) will help me get the most out of this project. That is why I have decided to stop using my computer, cell phone, and car. I will do all of my work on public computers and communicate to my family through email alone.

The night before...

I decided to feast. Pineapple, microwavable Indian food from Trader Joe's, leftover pizza, and Coke-a-cola. Typical food for a college student is about to transform into an unattainable commodity. Tomorrow I will only have $2 to spend.

I was amazed about how much preparation was required to do something that is done every day by billions of people: a long hot shower, thorough brushing and flossing, plans on how to get food, plans on how to get around, what to wear, how to do my homework, how to get water, how to live.

Immediately images from my trip to India were awakened. Millions of people sleeping under whatever cover they could find. Every night. Little kids tugging on the clothes of westerners, begging for 10 rupees. Every day. A constant struggle for subsistence. And I was concerned of how I was going to manage without my cellphone for five days.

Sweet Dreams,
Will