Thursday, 4:30 PM
Homeless advocates change tone about student contest to live in a car
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
Boston University student Elizabeth Todrin (left) talked with homeless advocated Tim Hobson (right) today about a contest that has students living for a week in Chevy Aveo.
By April Simpson, Globe Staff
Advocates for the homeless initially objected to a promotion that has students from eight universities across county living in a Chevy Aveos for a week as part of a competition to win a new car. The contest, they argued, demeaned people who had no choice but to live in automobiles.
But after visiting the two Boston University competitors today, the advocates from Spare Change News, a newspaper published by the Homelessness Empowerment Project in Cambridge, seemed to change their minds.
"This would have been so great when I was homeless," said Tim Hobson, 55, referring to the metallic blue subcompact sedan equipped with a CD player and six-speaker sound system.
The students, who are collecting nonperishable and canned foods for local charities as a part of the contest, seemed sensitive to the issues the homeless face, the advocates said.
"Essentially, they're voluntarily homeless for a period of time," said Hobson, who spent two months living in his 1974 Chevy Nova in Petersburg, Va. and currently lives in a shelter. "I think this is a good idea. It gives people a chance to see what it's like -- sort of."
On day three of the Chevy "Aveo Livin' Large Challenge," Jamie Williams and Allison Lavey, both 20-year-old juniors, looked rested and clean. Since the competition began on Monday, the students have been unable to shower or leave the car for more than 10 minutes, unless they were going to class.
Williams and Lavey have decorated their temporary home with balloons and signs, and even had a visit from cheerleaders waving pom-poms and chanting "Vote BU" this afternoon.
