Thesis Reading

Korrin B.

October 31, 2010 - 8:45 PM

On Friday, I tucked myself away on the fourth floor of the Knight Library back behind the Dewey Decimals, as I periodically like to do, and prepared for a lovely evening of hot tea and thesis reading. When 6:45pm rolled around and the intercom alerted me that the library would be closing in fifteen minutes, it dawned on me that I might have been the only 22-year-old in the library, reading contently, on the Friday night of Halloween weekend. I let this thought resonate within me for a moment and then realized that I was completely fine with it. I was more so upset with the fact that the library was kicking me out!

However, luckily, I was not kicked out before getting completely re-inspired about my thesis, the work that I would like to do in the future and, even, the state of the world as a whole. I think that many people are wrapped up right now with the fact that the world "is going to hell" or that the government is failing us and will never get anything done or about how the economy will never improve. Although I can appreciate and validate the reasons for why so many Americans have reached this point, I also cannot help but push back a little. Sometimes I want to just do something like hike Spencer's Butte and stand on the top and yell, "It's not all that bad! There is still good and still people who care! It's happening all around you!"

This term I have also realized that I am going into a potentially highly depressing field of work. Sometimes I read stories about the homeless that make my heart wilt. I hear statistics about homeless veterans that make me feel sick. However, this year has also brought us the first Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness! In addition, every day I get to interact with dedicated compassionate individuals within our community who give their all to helping fight the homelessness problem. My heart is tickled by the hope and the drive of this field and the dream that one day the work could lead me to be unemployed - I could only wish!

Anyway, how all of this relates back to my thesis reading is that I was reading about the policy I am researching, the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), in the news and stumbled across an article about its implementation in Sacramento, California. I learned about how the mayor has truly put homelessness as a top priority and that he feels that speaking for all members of Sacramento doesn't just start at the middle class and work its way up. I was so inspired by his diligence is solving the homelessness epidemic. I was in awe of the Sacramento Steps Forward program, which has privately raised $4 to match every dollar of federal HPRP funding the city received! That type of private funding is just astronomical. I thought of how many caring citizens had to have been a part of that and my heart flooded with every reason why I want to work with the homeless and why I want to write this thesis. I want to make sure that federal policies concerning homelessness are implemented as effectively as possible to ensure the best results. I want to be a part of all of the good that is left in the world and the government and the people. Who knew a thesis could teach me so much?