Madeleine McCormick | Assistant News Co-Editor

Last Wednesday, Feb. 18, Buena Vista University (BVU) hosted a Poverty Simulation that was designed to teach participants the struggles of living an impoverished lifestyle. Jessica Henrichs, in correspondence with Student M.O.V.E, said that the simulation was a huge success and all of the participants responded positively.

During the poverty simulation, participants were given the role of a person living in poverty and this sometimes came with unusual circumstances.

For example, Kristina Grossman, one of the participants, was portraying the life of a teen that was seven months pregnant and whose father was unemployed. She said that this was extremely difficult for her to imagine, but also a really good experience.

“It showed me what it would be like living in poverty and being a kid and not being able to do anything for my family and just going to school. Plus, I cannot imagine myself being sixteen and pregnant” Grossman said.

That is the reaction that Henrichs wanted from participants.

“There were a lot of emotions felt during this” Henrichs said.

She noted that many of the student participants in particular were getting frustrated with the way some of the “workers” were treating them; closing doors in their faces right as they were to get assistance. Henrichs said that this was important for the participants to realize, as most people living in poverty go through this without anyone to empathize with making the lifestyle that much more difficult.

Over all, Henrichs says that the poverty simulation was a positive experience and she would be delighted to duplicate the simulation again for the following year.

“It takes a lot of planning, but students definitely get a lot from it and its definitely beneficial to do this every single year,” Henrichs said.

Video by Juwan Ocegueda