Record Convention
Page 5
housing the homeless may be the cheapest option by marisa loranger
How to deal with homelessness in America has become a frequent topic of discussion in recent months. Cities are putting arms in the middle of benches, creating laws against loitering and sleeping in cars, and installing anti-homeless spikes. There seems to be a trend that the homeless shouldn’t be seen or heard. Clayton Shell, a Delta College student, once found himself in the position of being homeless. He spent his nights at friends’ homes, abandoned houses, train cars, hospital bathrooms, under bridges and on park benches. “Too many people are home-
“What are your thoughts on vaccinations?” maggie lauzon
“I’m neutral. I think that people should get them, but if not, it’s not the end of the world.” thad vantifflin
Delta student Clayton Shell, 25, at the playground where he would often spend the night while he was homeless. (Delta Collegiate/Josephine Norris)
Shell was kicked out of school are trying to change that with initiatives to combat homelessness. There homeless he would steal to pay for his seems to be a common consensus drug habit. He went to prison for 20 from these states that giving homes months and then entered a halfway to the homeless is actually cheaper than leaving them on the street. In Los Angeles, Cali. they’re now lives with his girlfriend. In Michigan, there hasn’t been working to combat homelessness with much of an effort to combat homelessness. There are 86,189 homeless helping house their homeless popupeople in Michigan according to campaigntoendhomelessness.org. plained that L.A. spent $3.045 million “Michigan is ranked 5th in the US and 1st in Midwest for number of medical costs and incarceration rates, homeless residents per capita,” says the city saved $3.284 million. At the University of Southern US Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Homeless California they found that for every year a homeless person was in a stable Assessment, 2008. Some states such as California, home the costs to the city fell more Utah, Colorado and North Carolina than $20,000 per person. According
to the Los Angeles Times, the city
“These aren’t educated people and they don’t know how to get help, some have severe mental disorders,” The cost of people being home- said Shell. People don’t have the assets consideration hospital bills, police or opportunities to get to where they - need. Shelters and soup kitchens are payers have to cover. On cold nights sometimes across town, making it an the homeless will enter a hospital to survive the night. When the home- homeless to be somewhere safe. less get hungry, they may commit a Housing the homeless may be petty crime so they can have a roof a solution to creating safer cities with over their head and food through the less people on the streets and less prison system. frivoulous spending. “I’ve seen people commit petty Although Shell is no longer crimes to get locked up for the winter, homeless he believes his situation I see it all the time,” said Shell. could have been prevented if there People in these situations are often stuck and don’t know how to someone to give me a chance, that could have saved me.”
Changing social norms affect marriage rates
“I feel like they are necessary. They are important because people won’t get sick (with them). It is necessary to keep our country going.” mark emmendorfer
“I think people are afraid to vaccinate based on information with no real evidence.” jeff nichols
“I think vaccinations are a good thing. They prevent sickness and the spread. If you don’t have vaccinesstay home and keep it away.” renota waver
“I think they’re a good thing for children and adults. There’s no proof that they cause autism.”
by gabrielle martin jessica barth
Cohabitating before marriage used to be quite taboo; however, recent attitudes about it have changed and cohabitation has become much more commonly accepted. “Because cohabitation is a viable option there is a trend of testing the waters before it is legally binding,” says Donna Giuliani, associate professor of sociology at Delta College and instructor of Delta’s marriage and family class. In 2012, 7.8 million couples lived together before marriage compared to fewer than 500,000 couples in 1960, according to an article on the Council on Contemporary Families website. When you combine that information with studies done by Pew of people ages 18-29 were married in 2010 compared with 59 percent in 1960, one cannot help but see a connection. Daniel, 29, and Molly, 27, Murawski, were a couple for four years before marrying and lived together during that time.
“I think you really really really get to know a person by living with them and being their roommate,” says Molly Murawski. It used to be said that couples who cohabitated before marriage were more likely to get a divorce if they married. However, more recent research has shown that is not necessarily the case. According to a study by Arielle Kuperberg, PhD and Assistant Sociology Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, what does make a difference in divorce statistics is the age at which a couple makes a large commitment whether it be to marry or cohabitate. When a mitment after the age of 23, their chances for success rise. Greg Allison and Kristine Gotham, were married at the age of 23. They dated for nine months, during which time they lived together, before marrying. “We did everything possibly wrong at the age of 24 learning how to be married and not quite learning the lessons,” says Allison. After a couple of years, they divorced. Their story didn’t end there though. Gotham and Allison found
each other on social media and have loves me, and we’re committed to each other,” says Gotham. “We don’t years. have to have a marriage license to say “The older I have gotten, the that’s how we feel.” wiser I have gotten and a little less For more info on the reason why their relationship is going changing marriage age along more smoothly this go-around. and a more comprehensive This time around though, mar- multimedia package visit riage is not at the top of either of their www.deltacollegiate.com minds. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. “I love him, I know that he
“I think everyone should get them. For your children and the children your children are around.” jordan raab
“I’m for them- it helps prevent diseases. People who are against them are not fully informed.” cole montez
“It’s up to the person. If it is for the greater good of the “herd”, it shouldn’t be mandated and should be up to the person.” kelly fischer
“I highly recommend them. Measles was gone from our country and then it came back. People should know all the facts.”