Not the Cambridge way: This is how UEA students treat the homeless

Go to Cosmo’s and get karma

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Last week, a Cambridge student was called out for burning money in the face of a homeless man. It’s a case of elitist, cruel individuals who are unfortunately a part of our generation demonstrating their snobbery through the social media tools handed to us all.

But most students in a position better off than those who live on the streets wouldn’t psychopathically burn money in front of the latter. We should be using privilege to spread love and compassion, not messages of hate or snobbery.

Every town and city in the UK has at least one example of a sad, underlying issue in British society. In a shop window, on every other doorstep or corner is a homeless person who is out in the cold. I’m from Kent, so Norwich feels especially cold to me as a result of the winds from the North Sea, let alone someone who has to sleep out in that wind every night. However, every student has the opportunity to help, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.

All-you-can-eat food chains are prevalent across the country, as a result of the British public’s love of gluttonous tendencies. “Gorge yourself for only £8 or so, on every cuisine the world has to offer.” Who could turn such an offer down? All-you-can-eat could be seen as a selfish, or greedy concept. But it’s got perks. Take yourself some food bags, or a container, and you have the potential to make someone else’s night that less bit shit.

Think of it like Howard and Vod’s blind date in season one of Fresh Meat: you’re simply taking full advantage of the pricing and serving structure of the restaurant. On top of that, you’re helping someone else out and it’s not costing you anything. All it takes is some £1.20 doggy bags from Tesco and a coat with deep pockets for discreet smuggling purposes.

After gorging myself on chicken wings and sushi, it was time to go stop being an empty consumerist vessel of the capitalist system and help others out. Upsettingly, we didn’t have to wander for long after we finished our meal, filled our bags and left the restaurant before we bumped into three homeless people a couple of shop windows from our spot that evening.

One man was asleep, so I left him some garlic bread to wake up to. However, both Mollie and Pete were wide awake to take on some onion bhajis. After meeting Pete, I got a glimpse into the extremes some people have been through. Being homeless for 15 years has taught Pete the value of roll-ups and the warmth of cuddling up with a dog when it gets really cold out there. Compared to this the effort of going into Cosmo’s and sneaking out some prawns is fuck all.

 

Mollie, too, was grateful for our help. She needs medical treatment for a swelling on her hand but even the supposedly “free” NHS won’t deal with her agony. She has been homeless since October last year, which is not long compared to Pete, but infinitely longer than us privileged house dwellers could ever imagine. The least you could do for Mollie is get her some corn on the cob. It’s so easy.

Some might say that my gesture was one of self-entitlement, and that what myself and my friend did was more for the sake of boosting our own self-assurance rather than actually helping others. I know what we did doesn’t amount to much in reality, but compassion is all about small acts of kindness. This isn’t the only good deed I’m going to do this year, and I’m not going to let it inflate my ego. Even just leaving something which is basic and allergy-free such as Garlic bread next to someone who’s asleep gives you a little feeling inside better and more authentic than 80,000 likes on any Instagram pic.

Of course, the majority of students would never dream of doing what Ronald Coyne, the Cambridge student, did, but you are part of the problem if you just ignore people who are in a far worse position than you, people who exist all around us and yet we have a nasty tendency to always block out.

So please think about it next time your in town, or at any buffet, or even if you just have left-overs from food. Going right to the people who need it most is always better than just throwing money at the homeless, and it’s a personal gesture too.

If you want to get more involved with helping the homeless, follow The Norwich Soup Movement, Food Cycle and The Peoples’ Picnic