Wearing three shirts, one supporting National Youth Homeless Awareness Month, Ben Basalla-Taxis sat on the ground outside the HUB-Robeson Center.
He held a cardboard sign that read, "I'm cold and hungry, please help feed the homeless."
Basalla-Taxis (senior-international politics) isn't homeless, though. Normally, he lives with his family in State College, but this week he is putting himself in the shoes of a homeless person.
As he held his sign, a student in front of the HUB put a dollar into his cardboard cup, bringing the total inside the cup to $31.
The money he doesn't use for food, he said, he would donate to the National Coalition for the Homeless. He said he hasn't had to use any of the money yet because students have given him snacks such as strawberry Poptarts, two oranges and sourdough pretzels.
"I'm not doing this so I can get money," he said. "I'm doing this for all the people out there that don't have a voice."
The inspiration to become homeless for the week was a result of a recent trip to New York City where he listened to homeless people "spill their hearts" and stories. It was then that he realized these people are "not just homeless people."
"I want to tell the stories of these people," he said. "You can never know someone until you walk in their shoes. It's all about awareness and me waking up and experiencing what homelessness is like."
The National Coalition for the Homeless has reported that 1.37 million people -- or 39 percent of the total homeless population -- are below the age of 18. Of these, 42 percent are under the age of 5.
Local shelters are helping aid these homeless children and adults.
Burrowes Street Youth Haven, 330 S. Burrowes St., offers shelter to all between the ages of 12 and 18.
"We can house up to four young adults, and on average, we usually have one to two present at a time," said Ania Okoniewski, shelter counselor.
Right now, at the Children and Youth Services of Centre County in Bellefonte, there are three children and four adults, said Kendra Hicks, Centre House manager. Centre House provides housing to local residents in need.
Many students were confused by Basalla-Taxis and his daytime homeless partner, Taylor Rees (senior-biology).
"I thought that if they really were homeless, a college campus wouldn't be the best place, since college students are poor," Eric Lewis (senior-chemical engineering) said.
Lewis considered giving them money until he realized they were just students.
Sarah Holmes (sophomore-elementary education) said she thinks what they are doing is effective right now, but it won't have long-lasting results.
"Usually, when I see homeless people I look the other way because I feel bad and don't know how to help," she said.
Rees said society has a fear of homeless people, adding that most students look at her and Basalla-Taxis before quickly looking away and pretending not to see them.
"I am less concerned with giving money to the homeless," Rees said. "We just want people to be aware and lose their misconceptions."
Basalla-Taxis said it was so cold Tuesday night as he slept next to the Willard Building that he had to put another blanket over his sleeping bag. The only good thing about the cold, he said, is that he doesn't sweat. He said his hair is getting greasy but was thankful that he gets to brush his teeth, referencing the toothbrush and toothpaste tucked away in his backpack.
Basalla-Taxis and Rees agreed that they would not really grasp the meaning of this experience until it is done. Basalla-Taxis added that the key is to look at homeless people as human beings and realize they deserve respect.
"It's not much about fixing the problem, but understanding it," he said. "Everything is dependent upon everything else, and therefore, nothing is above you or below you."
