Two Dollar Challenge

The Grocery Store is a Classroom

2010-04-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Going to the Grocery Store at the beginning of each Challenge Week is one of the most salient experiences. I am always surprised by the amount of time it takes to complete a task that I am accustomed to completing in 15 minutes or less. Today it took me an hour and 15 minutes. While walking to Giant, walking back and forth between Giant and the Dollar General Store to gather price information, and perusing the aisles the economics in my classes was coming to life. For example:

1. This year as in years past we have allowed all participants to start the week with $10 and have the luxury of spending it all at once or sporadically through the week. However, as I shop, I am reminded of the fact that Daryl Collins et al in “Portfolios of the Poor” drives home the fact that the income of those living on $2 a day is small, irregular and unpredictable. Each participant in this exercise is guaranteed $10 from the start. How would our choices change if we were to take away this predictability?

2. I did not buy carrots this year. In years past, I have been able to buy 1 or 2 carrots. However, at Giant the smallest unit I could purchase was 2lbs – a unit size I could not afford. C. K. Prahalad’s advocacy of selling smaller sized units as a way of accessing and promoting the wealth of the poor in “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” is resonating right now.

3. I spent of tenth of my income on Animal Crackers and gave a significant amount of thought toward spending another tenth of my income on instant coffee. I decided to forgo the instant coffee. However, while deciding, I was thinking about Banerjee and Duflo “The Economic Lives of the Poor” and their discussion about how those living below $2 a day spend some of their limited income on empty calories, festivals, and intoxicants. Animal crackers and coffee fit into those categories.

Maybe most importantly, the check-out line is also one of the few opportunities for me and other participants to interface with individuals outside of the bubble of the campus community. Today, once again, it reassured me of the value of this experiential learning exercise (see past blogs for other check-out line moments). I traveled back and forth between Giant and Dollar General looking for the best price on bread. I assumed that the bread at Dollar General was of course $1. I placed my loaf of bread, can of peanuts, bag of animal crackers, and 5 packs of Ramen on the counter. She rang up $2 for the bread. As I fought back the desire to explain the exercise I was engaging in, I asked if she had any cheaper bread. “Maybe” she said, “take a look at the clover leaf”. Moments like these may not give us an understanding of the choice calculus of those living on less than $2 a day; however, these moments do give us insight into the daily lives of the poor in America – an immensely valuable piece of knowledge that cannot be taught or acquired in a traditional classroom setting.

I walked over grabbed the last remaining loaf. She rang up the total before I even made it back to the counter. It was not until I got back to the office (a 15 minute walk) and starting adding up my receipts that I realized she gave me the peanuts.

I have $3.82 left.

Role of Students in the Process of Economic Development

2010-04-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

One of the founding motivations of the Two Dollar Challenge (TDC) was to create favorable conditions for students to directly engage themselves in the process of economic development. My students at the University of Mary Washington and I had used the Two Dollar Challenge to raise the seed capital for our own micro-financial institution – La Ceiba (www.laceibamfi.og) – in the spring of 2008. Last year, TDC launched its national Poverty Awareness Program. Over 15 campuses across the country participated and raised awareness about global poverty and funds for their various development initiatives. Like La Ceiba some of those initiatives were also student led and operated. Yet, as a number of my La Ceiba students prepared for graduation last spring, I was forced to confront the possible limitations of student-led development programs; namely, the instability caused by turnover.

Necessarily, with the success of our Poverty Action Program last year came the weight of responsibility. How would those other student-led initiatives survive graduation? And, if they did not survive it, as an economist, I had to recognize the lost opportunity; namely, the awareness, funds and passion generated for a student-led initiative that failed could have been generated for an established non-profit organization. How many mothers, fathers, sons and daughter will remain mired in poverty because these scarce resources were not allocated to an established non-profit?

The TDC Team decided to approach this dilemma the following way:

1. Pilot a Preferred Partner Program: We decided to partner with an established NGO. One that we know will make the most effective use of any and all resourced garnered through this partnership. This year's partner is Opportunity International (www.opportunity.org)

2. Continue to engage students in the process of economic development by supporting their development initiatives.

3. Continuously ask ourselves and others the following two questions:

Q1: Why do we believe that student engagement will hasten the end of poverty? In other words, what is the theory of change or the causal chain of reasoning that links student engagement and the end of poverty?

Q2: How do we go about structuring student engage ment so that we maximize those benefits while minimizing the potential harm? How do you make student engagement both effective and responsible?

We would appreciate your thoughts on these two questions.

Two Dollar Challenge - Looking Back

2009-03-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Our Inaugural Poverty Action Program officially launched yesterday at 8 am when my students and I here at UMW starting taking on Challenge Week (living on $2 a day). This year we are raising money for La Ceiba (http://www.laceibamfi.org/). La Ceiba has a fundraising goal of $10K by May 31. Raising awaareness about global poverty and about a particular organization - like La Ceiba - that is dedicated to addressing poverty in a particular community is one of the two driving forces behind the Two Dolla Challenge's Poverty Action Program. The other is to bridge the divide between intellectual wisdom and experiential wisdom. The classroom takes care of the former. Challenge Week is designed to provide a modicum of the latter.

We currently have 30 non-profit partners and 15 different campuses across the country joining us this year. We have set aside a month in which different campuses can take on Challenge Week (March 29 - April 26). Getting to this point has been a year-long endeavor. Together a small team of students and I have built this organization (which is now a national organization) from the ground up. Designed and created a logo, reviewed the list of registered student clubs at almost every university in the United States, compiled a database, sent out literally thousands of emails, had hundreds of conference calls with ngos and student groups, have had numerous meetings, created a Challenge Week Sourcebook, and are now in the process of hosting a national conference on the UMW campus. All of these efforts have been and are directed at realizing our fundamental objective; namely, to transform a generation of students into engaged, empowered, and effective eradicators of global poverty. Looking back on where we started over the summer of 2008, it is simply amazing what we have accomplished together.

Countdown to TDC Poverty Action Program Launch

2009-03-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

We are less than 24 hours away from the national launch of the Two Dollar Challenge Poverty Action Program...

Two Dollar Challenge - Spring 2008

2008-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Assessing the Two Dollar Challenge

Wow. I am sitting here at Hyperion Espresso as customers are picking up today’s issue of the Free Lance Star. The Two Dollar Challenge in on the front page. Their comments – well, let us put it this way – they are not so generous. I think they can be categorized as running the gamut from the mocking to some good-natured ribbing. Comments in the latter-category include “I wondered if they were using the facilities in dorms – if so that is cheating.” “They used a tarp – oh that is cheating.” “The challenge ended before the rain – oh that is cheating as well.”
These comments arose as a party of four was enjoying their espresso this morning.

I understand peoples’ skepticism. In the low-to-middle income neighborhood that I grew up in, there was not a lot of patience for do-gooders. Their “do-gooderness” was a luxury no one in my neighborhood could afford. Hell, it could have easily been me as a young man or some of my family members making those comments. These criticisms may sting a bit, however, they are beneficial in the sense that the legitimacy – indeed the appropriateness – of the living on $2 a day project hinges upon our ability to address them head on. However, it is not the Hyperion crowd that is my concern. I am primarily concerned with the people of Siete de Abril. If they were to bear witness to our circumstances, choices, and behavior over the course of the challenge, what would they think?

If they were to visit our mock-shanty town last Thursday or Friday, they would bear witness to one of the many limitations of the challenge. There is food everywhere: bagels, pizza, donuts, crackers, cakes, fruit, soda drinks, and coffee. Like I have stated on multiple occasions, the Two Dollar Challenge is conducted within the confines of a wealthy society. It is near the end of the week that word about the challenge spreads around campus. Members of the university community walk past, see us sitting outside our shelters, and ask us if they can help out. On a number of occasions they simply return bearing the aforementioned gifts. It is also the time of year that there are multiple events on campus where food is freely given out at cookouts and the like. It is only on Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday that we most closely approximate the $2 a day income constraint. The bottom line is that none of us live on $2 a Day. However, within this limitation lays one of the values of the challenge. It makes us aware of the abundant wealth that surrounds us. Whether that wealth is denominated in bags of bagels and donuts discarded at the end of every business day by local establishments or the generosity of our community, this is wealth that most of us take for granted. Some participants take advantage of that wealth some don’t but regardless of whether they choose to do so or not they recognize it for what it is – wealth and resources that those actually living on $2 a day in developing economies do not have.

If they were to visit our mock-shanty town anytime between 7 pm and midnight the scene can sometimes have the feel of a festival – participants may be playing Frisbee or flag-football or simply hanging out together enjoying each others’ company. The Two Dollar Challenge asks participants to rely upon each other. Every night we come together to pool together resources, strategize, and talk about the day. Individually we are more tired than usual and more hungry than usual; however, it is not all doom and gloom. The challenge is being taken by young people placed in unusual circumstances. Necessarily, there will be smiles and there will be laughter. Amusing stories are shared and consequently published in blogs. In this coming together every night, however, lays one of the strengths of the challenge. The shanty-town is an extension of the classroom. It is in that last hour before heading off to sleep under the tarp in Ball Circle that my students and I reflect most deeply about the challenge - recognize its limitations and talk about ways to improve upon it. Indeed, it was in one of those mid-night talks that we recognized that the challenge – by asking us to gather cardboard from dumpsters and bagels and donuts at the end of the business day – inadvertently makes us a source of competition for the homeless here in Fredericksburg - an issue that we have to address more deeply before taking the challenge again.

As I was leaving those four Hyperion customers, their conversation had turned away from some good-natured ribbing of the challenge to the issue of homelessness in Fredericksburg. That more than anything maybe the value of us living on two dollars a day – it is a conversation starter.

“You got two bucks man?” - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I hold my Advanced Comparative Economics course (scheduled at 8 am) at Hyperion Espresso. I had not really planned ahead for this occasion. How was I going to legitimately use some of their scarce tables and chairs for class without buying a cup of coffee? With only $2.75 left over, I decided that I would only bring 75 cents with me. This course of action would commit me to my strategy which was to tell them about the Two Dollar Challenge and see if they would donate a cup of coffee. If that did not work then I would bargain to pay for half of a cup of coffee (hence the 75 cents). However, yesterday morning as I was walking from campus to meet my class, a homeless man stopped me and asked “You got two bucks man? It was cold last night and I want a cup of coffee.” The first thoughts that raced through my mind were “I know what you mean. It was cold last night” (I was still walking off the chill from staying in the shanty-town) and “Dude, I am living on $2 a day, and I cannot afford to give you any money.” Then that uncomfortable feeling came back. A feeling that can be summarized as follows: “Man, you are such a jackass. Give him the 75 cents in your pocket. You are playing poverty and have an exit. He more than likely does not.” Yet, I have friends who have worked with the homeless and they suggest that the best way to help the homeless is by donating directly to shelters. Then I start thinking how often I have used the line of reasoning to justify not giving handouts. But, have I ever donated directly to a homeless shelter? No. This battle is raging in my head in a matter of seconds. I gave him the 75 cents - more than likely because I was in the middle of the Two Dollar Challenge. On any other occasion, I would have said “Sorry, I only have credit cards”. Maybe that is the overall purpose – to engender commiseration. However, as an economist I do not want my actions to be guided by emotions.

You Have No Right

All week I have been trying to understand the font of that uncomfortable feeling. Indeed, as I am writing this I hear a voice of that little kid who came home so many times to the electricity, water and/or the phone turned off. I hear the kid whose bedroom window overlooked the driveway and witnessed the repo-man take off with the family car in the middle of the night. I hear the kid who used to peer out of the backseat window of a beat-up Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and watch surrounding cars warn us about the smoke billowing out from under the hood. Smoke we were already well aware of and accustomed to. This kid is screaming “You have no right! You have no right!” This kid has been screaming this at me all week.

We are privileged. We can afford to take the Two Dollar Challenge. Maybe more importantly, we have an exit. That little kid believed he did not. Even if we can afford to take the challenge do we have the right to do so?

Here is part of a reply to the blog entry above from one of my students:

"This afternoon I went into the Presbyterian Church office to follow-up on a potential donation, and there was a sign that read "Are you a woman who could use a fresh change of clothes? A shower? A hot meal served-family style?" and then gave information on a women's support group. For once, I could answer "Yes" to all of these questions.
I think we have a right to create/participate in social experiments like this because it allows us to better address economic issues such as poverty. I think we can all say now that we have a better understanding of what it means to be poor, and what a poor person truly needs (in terms of actual goods in addition to resources) to improve their standard of living. This is one of the few ways we can gain perspective on their lifestyle."

19 cents -Monday, April 14, 2008

I have $2.75 remaining after my trip to Giant and the Dollar General. I purchased white bread, crunchy peanut butter, 2 bananas, 2 apples, a bag of black beans, and some duplex cookies (more about those in a later blog). At Giant, there was this older gentleman (a retiree) checking out in front of me. He had paid in cash and his change came to 19 cents. He did not move. Looking at his hand, he repeated “I only got 18 cents back” a couple of times. The teller gave him a look of “you are not really going to make a fuss over one penny.” But, he did and he did not move. She dug into her pant’s pocket, pulled out a penny and handed it to him and he went on his way. Like him I was counting pennies as well; but, unlike him I was choosing to do so. There it was again that uncomfortable feeling I have come to associate with this project.

Playing Poverty - Sunday, April 13, 2008

Shin - the co-founder of SHH - and Yappa – an incredible individual who is the first to leave the Copprome orphanage and pursue a college degree – visited my Economic Development class this past Thursday. Before introducing them to the class, I spent some time getting my students organized to begin the Two Dollar Challenge. “All right everyone, the Two Dollar Challenge starts this coming Monday. As you know for five days we will be living on $2 a day…” I felt a bit awkward completing this sentence. Here is a young woman who more than likely may have lived on two dollars a day at some point in her life. It is definite that she knows of people who have had to or continue to survive on that meager amount. And, here she sits in a classroom of 39 relatively privileged individuals who are listening to their professor organize them to play poverty. I felt awkward then and I feel awkward again as I sit, less than 15 hours removed from the Two Dollar Challenge, fretting over having to be uncomfortable for the next five days. I have been anxious about it all week - the caffeine withdrawals, lack of sleep, and downward spiraling performance. Simultaneously, I am thinking about the people of Siete de Abril. Their faces flash through my mind: Glendy, Danny, Miquel, Don Benjamin…I respect every one of them. I want to earn their respect in turn. But, if they were to ask me about this Challenge, how would I explain it? What would I say? What would they think? I do know that I would feel uncomfortable answering these questions. For the foreseeable future they will wake up every morning to the same impoverished reality. Myself? I will be playing poverty for five days and four nights and then conveniently return to prosperity at exactly 4 pm this coming Friday. Yet, I still fret. Yet, I know that there is value in this exercise. Clearly defining that value for the people of Siete de Abril by the end of this week is my goal.

Living on Two Dollars a Day @ UMW - Spring 2007

2008-12-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Thoughts that Linger Posted April 10th, 2007

1. Hesitations: Throughout the week, but especially in the beginning, I found myself hesitating and giving thought to a number of actions that previously would not have warranted either. For example, I would have simply discarded the butt end of the carrot (it is really tough), the core of the apple, and the last drink of unwanted water. The apple core and carrot would have found themselves in the compost bin. That last bit of water would have found itself in the nearest plant. Instead, I considered my alternatives. They were all consumed. Another hesitation occurred during the Monday lunch I had at home with my son. I cut my first apple in half – saving the other half for tomorrow. Dillon pointed at the apple, his way of requesting a bite. I gave him a slice; but, I hesitated. He pointed again. I hesitated even longer and gave him another slice.

2. The Emotional Discomfort of Poverty: The emotions that attended my participation in this project were so sharp at that check-out lane in Kroger’s; yet, those emotions were never felt again. The remaining stages of the project were conducted within the confines of my community – the university community. I was not asked to interact directly with others who did not know (1) about the project or (2) that I was a professor. That was crucial. Even when we were dumpster diving for bagels and gathering cardboard, I found myself thinking that it would have been obvious to on-lookers that this is university-related. Regardless of whether I smelled, looked disheveled, or was wandering aimlessly around campus (which I found myself doing on occasion), I still received respect. That respect may not have been forthcoming if was smelly, disheveled and wandering aimlessly in Central Park. The discomforts that attend poverty, it would seem, are not simply physical – there are emotional discomforts as well.

3. “Don’t cry over spilt milk”: This may be an attitude that only the wealthy can afford. After spending hours boiling water, waiting for it to cool, and then transferring it to other containers, I can honestly say that when some of it spilled (which it did) it was not a care-free event. I could not afford to be as laid-back as this attitude suggests I should be. Indeed, the next time that someone suggests this to me or another I intend to inform them about the abundant wealth of our society that permits them this luxury of life. Another conclusion I arrived at by week’s end is that my wealth makes it easier to be a patient parent. On two occasions, I ate dinner with my son. Dillon loves rice. Beans and rice composed my main source of sustenance at dinner. Necessarily, he desired to partake in my dinner. After some hesitation (see above), we shared my dinner. And, like any other kid under two, he decided to play with his food. To be more specific, he proceeded to smash the beans and throw the rice we shared on the ground. I patiently said “Dillon do not play with your food”, but I can honestly say that there was an undertone of anger. I was not sure if the beans and rice I bought would get me through the week. This uncertainty was the source of the anger. I just was not sure. If I was poor, would my patience have given way? Being a patient parent…how much of it is due to your wealth?

Thirteen Hours of Sleep and a Shower Posted April 9th, 2007

I got up at 9 am on Friday. I have not slept that long since college, which was a rare occurrence then as well. I took care of Dillon from then onto 1 pm, got back to campus around 2, fielded another interview, and watched the clock until it hit 4 pm – the end of the project. I immediately walked - briskly - to the field house to take a shower – informing a number of people along the way what my intentions were. I am not sure what the best part was: the hot water, the shave or putting on clean clothes. It may have been the clothes. Putting on clean, crisp, clothes that actually have a shape and are not greasy and smelly was very nice (Catherine informed on Thursday that my office was starting to stink). I met some students for pizza at 5:30 pm and stepped back into my regular life. I did not eat a lot. I had a small salad, some Dr. Pepper and a couple of slices of pizza. I was not sure whether my system was ready for a much larger indulgence.

The Challenge to Remain Coherent Posted April 8th, 2007

The temperature fell quickly Wednesday night so the shanty-towners and I congregated in Monroe Hall. We spent a couple of hours exchanging food and stories before heading back outside around 11:30 pm. It was a long night. I was situated at the open end of the lean-to. This made sense. I get up earlier. And, given that I was the professor, I was tasked with the responsibility of protecting the students. Specifically, positioned at the open end of the lean-to, if the campus flasher were to appear I would take the full brunt – well, given the temperature outside maybe “full” is not the best descriptive term – of the attack. Thursday morning could not come quickly enough. On a number of occasions I rolled out to check the time on Chandler Hall’s clock. When it hit 5:30 am I went to my office to grade exams and returned back out around 6:45 to meet a reporter for B101.5. My 8 am class went well – maybe the adrenalin carry-over from the interview? However, on my way back to the office before heading to my 9:30 am class, I felt my un-caffeinated brain start to get heavy and sluggish. YET, bathing in a golden light at the front of my office door was a tall latte from Hyperion! And, those who reside in Fredericksburg know that Hyperion makes some of the best espresso out there. I do not say that casually nor am I uninformed about the art of espresso. Thank you Liz! I was giddy. Before that first sip I was ready to cancel class. I got to class and shared it with the shanty-towners. Before this project, I would have never shared coffee – let alone any drink - with my students. Now, after the past few nights, I could honestly say that we had bonded. I shared it without a second thought. I had been lucky to come upon a source of wealth. A source of wealth that I knew most of us desired. It was the right thing to do. They were part of my extended family.
The latte got me through the first half-hour of class. The lack of sleep, however, overwhelmed the caffeine and my performance suffered in the rest of that class and all day long. It was a challenge simply to remain coherent. We broke down the shanty-town around 4:30 pm (Thanks Christine, Isaac and Tom). The Multi-cultural fair had jurisdiction over Ball Circle from then on. Indeed, I kept thinking how grateful I was that we were not allowed to sleep out one more night. It allowed me to save-face. I do not know whether I would have been willing to sleep out another night. Before returning to Richmond, some students (Christine, Dan and Katy) invited me to attend a Seder at the Christian Community Center. Before dinner was served, time was set aside for any and all participants to voice a joy and a concern. A number of individuals took advantage of this opportunity. It reminded me of my days at Earlham College – a Quaker college. It was a peaceful and reflective time. Thank you guys! I got home in time to tuck my son into bed. The sun went down around 7:45 -8 and the lights had to go out – so, I just went to bed as well…in a bed.

Media Day Posted April 7th, 2007

Wednesday was media day. The Free-Lance Star was in the office on and off all morning. Fredericksburg.com took video of me and a number of students regarding our experiences. B101.5, a local radio station, was scheduling a time to wake us up Thursday morning and the university’s magazine also took an interview. I mention all of this because it was the adrenalin rushes that attended the demands of this attention that sustained me through the day.
The moments between these adrenalin rushes were filled with the concerns of how to handle to weather. The temperature was predicted to fall to 31 degrees. A lot of brainstorming went into how best to confront the weather. We decided to scavenge more cardboard from behind Giant. It would provide more insulation from the earth and be used to build walls. Old newspapers were gathered, which we could have used to stuff in our sleeping bags. Stakes and binding materials were scavenged from the numerous construction sites on campus. Using these resources we fastened the tarp to the ground and attached the cardboard to the chain link fence around Ball circle. Late afternoon I returned to Richmond to take care of Dillon for a couple hours. For two and half days I had been living a life very different from the one I left and the one my wife and son were living in Richmond. It reminded me that this project is not that bad because I will be returning back here at the end of the week. This was very comforting. Indeed, it minimized the anxiety that I had regarding the coming night out in the cold.
I got back to campus around eight and the hard-core shanty-towners started to gather: Isaac, Katy, Katy, Sierra, Nicole, Alex, and of course Joe. *CATHERINE* and Tessa brought left-over food from a meeting they attended. Indeed, food was coming from all kinds of sources across campus. Students were walking by and giving us money to donate to KIVA and asking if there is anything that they could bring to help out. The night before one of my students (Dan Kauffman) led me to a source of vital fluids – a crate with three Lipton Brisk Ice Teas. Recounting these events brings to my mind three thoughts:

1. The wealth of our community. Even though we were living on $2 dollars a day, the community in which this project was being conducted was full of wealth and resources. Its members were wealthy and their wealth made it easier for them to be generous to us. If we needed cardboard there was cardboard to be found. This goes for any resource that we desired – stakes, string, newspaper, old bagels, but especially fresh fruit, cheese, and meat. There are so many events this time of year on campus and so much food discarded that we really did not live on two dollars a day. In an impoverished society these resources would either not have been there for the taking or as common resource would have been exhausted quickly. In turn, more effort would have had to be expended on our part to find them.

2. On those occasions that a food or coffee source was found, my attitude was “mine, mine”. When I came upon a plate of cold-cuts left behind by an anthropology gathering (there must not be a lot of meat eaters in the anthropology department), I immediately asked if I could have them. The same went for the Brisk, cookies, and fruit (which *CATHERINE* brought to us. That fruit was incredible.).

3. Those animals we call pets were our competitors. Tuesday morning a Golden Retriever stole one of our bagels from the dumpster. And, when I found that cold-cut platter, Sadie (the Geography department’s mascot) kept staring at me through the window along the side of my office door. No longer cute and cuddly but a source of competition.

Caffeine Withdrawals and Thunder Posted April 4th, 2007

Yesterday was a very difficult day in the classroom. One hour and fifteen minute classes at 8 am, 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 3:45 pm make for a long day. My performance was definitely affected by the project. It was not simply the lack of sleep. Ever since Dillon was born, I have had to go into the classroom with as little as two hours of sleep. It was the lack of caffeine. I experienced physical discomfort due to the withdrawals but more surprising was that I found it difficult to maintain a train of thought. I would be in the middle of answering a question and then have to stop and ask my students “what was your question again?” Or, I would be in the middle of a line of reasoning and ask “what was I saying?” Luckily, I was discussing the Coase theorem in my principles courses, which is one of my favorite topics (Seagram’s and Hank!). Before my Economic Development class, I asked the History Department if I could have a cup of their department coffee. I got a yes and about 15 minutes into class I got somewhat back into form. I must have because it was one of the best class discussion days we have had. Simply a great day of class discussion! The rest of the day I was obsessed with uncovering another caffeine source. I am happy to say that I was successful. Indeed, the coffee I am drinking right now is the coffee I secured from a source yesterday at 2:30 pm. Old, unheated, and still good.
After office hours at 6 pm, my students (Isaac and Alex) and I walked over to Einstein bagels and picked up today’s breakfast (out of the dumpster) and collected cardboard from behind Giant. Back at the shanty-town we considered the alternative ways to protect everyone from the weather. The weather forecast was calling for isolated thunder storms. They laid the cardboard on the grass and used the tarp and the decorative chain-like fence around Ball circle to build a lean to. The Free-Lance Star reporter came by around 8 pm and stayed until 10 pm talking to students (He is going to shadow a few of them throughout the day today.). Overall, last night went very well. We had a number of visitors come by (Tim, Erin, Dan, Farhat, Bethany, Eric, and Leslie), there were only a few cracks of thunder, and the rain was not heavy. And, I got some sleep.

Night One in the Shanty-town Posted April 3rd, 2007

Last night was long and sleepless. There were at least eight of us who chose to reside in the mock shanty-town, which consisted of one giant tarp and some sleeping bags. I am not really sure that we approximated the conditions we wanted to; however, one of my students (Isaac) did use cardboard boxes. Usually on sleepless nights, like last night, all it takes is some coffee to get me going. So, all night all I could think about is where I was going to get my caffeine. On my way to the office at 4:45 am (my usual wake-up time), I found it on the third floor of Monroe Hall. For weeks now, someone (none of my colleagues actually knows who) has been setting up a bazaar on the tables out in the hall. These items are always free and always unusual: a framed bag of Virginia peanuts (which for some reason I liked and have in my office), a painting of a soccer player (which for some reason one of my students – Catherine – like and has in the Economics office), playing cards, and this morning coffee grounds!
The bag of “Café D Poy” coffee grounds is marked at $35.00. Wow, it must have been good at some time. How do I do this I wondered? I got some paper towels from the bathroom to make a filter, threw in some grounds, and poured my water - that was boiled yesterday and is now room temperature – through the filter…not so good. But, it will have to do.

Dillon & Starbucks Posted April 2nd, 2007

Dillon and I just got back from Starbucks! He got up at 6:15 am and I am drinking (and will be finishing) this tall dark coffee before seven. The added benefit of Dillon getting up early was that I got to brush my teeth. I still have yet to resolve the toothpaste issue. The suggestions offered (baking soda and salt) are all resources that I would need to purchase out of my $10 or my remaining $1.67.

Back to the Starbucks...withDillon's first cry I ran in and grabbed him (I usually give him at least 5 minutes, not today). Into the CRV he and June my dog went. I forgot his pacifier! The entire drive he is calling out "bupper, bupper, bupper." I kept replying "hold on boy daddy needs his fix". Into the Starbucks we ran. This is not just any regular Starbucks. This is where the sourthern gentlemen of Richmond's west-side hang out in the pastels and bow-ties, extol the virtues of southern culture and sports, and dash off in their volvo wagons to the local law firms. Whereas here I am with my son who is still in his X-mas pajamas (remember, I had him all weekend by myself) with an unchanged diaper (the opportunity cost of changing it were simply too high this morning). And, here I am now fininshing this up while finishing up my coffee. It will be consumed before 7. And, it was worth it!

Appreciating the little things Posted April 1st, 2007

It is only the night before the project and it already has me appreciating quite a few things that I have taken for granted in my daily routine. All day long I have been thinking the last espresso based drink, the last bit of ice, the last use of the car (except for work), the last dinner not of beans, and the last Q-tip (Actually, I did not even get to enjoy that since Kyra – my wife - took last few on her trip to St. Louis this weekend.). Indeed, I have had Dillon all weekend long by myself (a first time flying solo with this parenthood stuff). And, all weekend long, Dillon has been getting up early – 6:30 am on Saturday and 6:15 this morning. It has been a long weekend. I have him all the way through noon tomorrow. Yet, all I can think about is please get up early again tomorrow so that we can get to Starbucks before 7 am (when the project begins). I hope he gets up early tomorrow.

Gone Shopping Posted March 30th, 2007

In preparation for next week, I went shopping in Carytown today. Knowing that I could not afford Ukrop’s I went to Kroger’s. I picked up the whitest white generic bread possible. Carrots were the next item. Forget organic. Forget pre-washed and packaged. I got some old-school carrots – big and already dry. They don’t even bother to mist these carrots. Apples…well I could only afford two. I will cut them up and spread them out over the week. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Kroger peanut butter (crunchy in fact) was affordable. That takes care of lunches. Dinners? My strategy is to eat beans and rice all week long. Let me be specific, Kroger white rice and Kroger kidney beans. I could not afford black beans. I grabbed a bag of Kroger walnuts as well. I knew I was cutting it close, but I still had to get my hygiene products. I scored a toothbrush for 99 cents, Kroger brand of course. Next, I looked at deodorants. The “Brut” brand was on sale for 99 cents. Another score! Yet, upon further thought, I concluded that I would rather go natural all week long instead of using “Brut” deodorant. I will have to borrow toothpaste from students. We are allowed to pool together our resources. Coffee, coffee, coffee…there was no way that I could afford it. I have to be creative to find ways to get my caffeine. Walking up and down the aisles, I was stunned by how much time it was taking to decide what to get. This was time that I could be using to do research, grade exams, or spend with my wife and son. It was not an efficient use of my time. Before this project, I would rarely if ever look at the price of an item. I would grab what I want and buy it. What about my contacts lens fluid? What about floss? What about shaving cream? What about soap? So many questions!
At checkout I was watching the total accrue (another thing that I never do). It hit $10.83! The bagger asked “Paper or plastic?” I answered, “hold on, I may have to take something back.” Almost simultaneously, the bagger and checkout girl said “Oh”. Not a puzzled "Oh" but a different kind of "Oh". The checkout girl gave me a glare of impatience. The bagger, an older guy, tried to make a joke in an attempt to make me comfortable. I immediately, almost instinctively, started fumbling my words in attempt to explain the project. Thank God there was no one behind me in line I thought. Emotions rose up inside of me. The most dominant was shame. Do they really think I cannot afford these groceries? I have not had to deal with these emotions in a very long time. My childhood came back in waves. Thoughts of my mom removing items from packed up bags and handing them back as my sisters and I sat in the grocery cart. I was completely caught off guard. I had not thought this far ahead.
I left the store, put on my $50 sunglasses, dropped off my groceries in the truck, carried my lap-top to the Starbuck’s next door, and ordered a large mocha (a frivolous good completely devoid of any nutritional value which would have wiped out half of my budget this coming week). My pride and sense of worth returned. The juxtaposition begins.
(I had to give back the walnuts).