Alma College Nursing hosts Poverty Simulator

IASMINA IDRIS
STAFF WRITER

11/11/2024

On Nov. 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Tyler Van Dusen, the Alma College Nursing Department is hosting the Community Action Poverty Simulation, a social event aiming to spread awareness for what it’s like to live as a low-income family. This event is open to anyone in the campus community who wants to participate. 

The simulation is aided by the help of Hope House, which is a homeless shelter in Gratiot County. The event will start with the interactive portion and be followed by a post-discussion led by Hope House Director, Jake Gregory. 

“The simulation itself is one hour long and is split into fifteen-minute increments where each fifteen-minute block is considered one week. Everyone in attendance will be randomly assigned to a family where they may play as the father, mother or children,” said Tristan Martin (‘25), a Nursing student and director of the project.

“Each family will be given a weekly allowance where they have to use that money to pay bills, buy food and groceries and send their children to school. There are also unique twists and turns for each family that can randomly happen during the simulation,” said Martin.

“By exposing the public to the hardships of living in poverty as a community, we can help advocate and promote change,” said Martin. 

“[Poverty is] not something that all people truly experience in their own lives,” said Martin. This notion is precisely why the event was created. 

It is important to raise awareness for those who have more privilege in society and to inspire them to want to change the position of the less privileged for the better. Through small steps today, people are capable of making a big change tomorrow. 

Acknowledging problems, talking about them and spreading awareness are all a big part of this ideal future. 

This is not the first time the event has taken place on campus. But while the experience and general feedback were positive, not many students showed up last year. 

“From what I have heard from the Nursing faculty, last year the turnout was not great; we hope to change that this year. The biggest difficulty that we seem to have every year with the Poverty Simulation is that it can be hard to encourage students to come out and participate given the time of year and the business of college life,” said Martin.

As Martin acknowledged, a major reason for the low turnout is likely a busy schedule, especially with the rapidly approaching exam week and the general tiredness of students around this time of year. 

However, another factor that may play a role is the controversy surrounding the project. Many students feel that the project seems to suggest that Alma College’s students as a whole have never experienced poverty themselves, which is far from the truth. The student body represents a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, which some students believe simulation fails to acknowledge.

“The idea of the project is nice, but it is a bit odd to suggest that all students on campus do not know how it is to run out of money or be responsible for their bills,” said Nishant Khairnar (‘25).

But, while everyone has a right to their own perspective, it is important to understand the purpose of the event: to spread awareness and help those struggling with poverty. The Hope House representative at the event will be able to discuss specific ways you can make an impact.