On Thursday, November 3, 22 PSP students gathered in the courtyard for a sleep out in order to raise awareness for homelessness throughout the school.

Before they headed outside, they met in the classroom for a presentation from a guest speaker from Lake County Haven, an organization that offers transitional housing for women and children experiencing homelessness.

“We learned that it’s not always because of drug or alcohol use, that might not even be a factor as to why someone is homeless. They could be jobless, have lost their family, or they could have medical issues,” said senior Aidan Walsh.

Each student that attended the sleep out had a different reason for wanting to participate in the event.

“I know that a lot of people around here are homeless, and I wanted to see what it’s like through another person’s perspective. It’s good to see how much you have and how much you can give,” said senior Quinnlyn Meadowcroft.

They put in a lot of work to make sure that the night would run smoothly, and everyone would be safe.

“In order for us to keep everyone safe throughout the night we had security guards stay in the building, teachers were in the courtyard with us at all times, students could bring extra supplies to leave in the security office in case they needed it, and we had a backup plan to go into the building if it got too dangerous to be outside,” said senior Kiley Larsen, who helped plan the sleep out.

Some students, like senior Mitchell Moczisko, challenged themselves not to use their technology during the night in order to have a more realistic experience. He decided that for each time he went into his bag of items, he would donate $5 to an organization that helps fight homelessness.

“I have really bad nervous habits with checking my phone and checking where my wallet is at all times, but it’s in my bag and I can’t go in my bag,” Moczisko said.

About half way through the night, a police officer came and woke up the students to show one of the many hardships that homeless individuals may experience.

“He asked if we had anywhere to go or could be brought to a shelter, which was kind and caring of him. I think what angered me and made me feel sorry for the homeless was when he told us to move our boxes,” said senior Christine Eaton.

This event will have a lasting effect on the students who participated because it showed them what life is like through the eyes of the homeless.

“I’m going to try and help PADS more often than I already do and also try to give back to other organizations, such as Lake County Haven, because they do so much,” Eaton said.