Ohio Wesleyan to Host ‘Swept Out’ Documentary Screening Nov. 12
Image by Jim Krehbiel and Mary Howard
DELAWARE, OHIO – On Nov. 12, Ohio Wesleyan University will screen “Swept Out,” an original film by sociology/anthropology professor Mary Howard, Ph.D., that focuses on central Ohio homeless people living outside in cars, tents, and “shack cities.” The free screening will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 312 of the R.W. Corns Building, 78 S. Sandusky St.
“Swept Out” includes interviews with Ken Andrews, coordinator for Mount Carmel Mobile Outreach, and Fred Huffington, a leader for one of the central Ohio camp communities. Andrews and Huffington will speak after the screening.
“One of the main goals of making this film was to change the discussion of the problem of housing and homelessness in Columbus,” Howard has said. “There are hundreds of people living downtown in tent and shanty communities who need to be recognized and who need help. Since I began filming in 2006, the number of local people who are homeless has virtually doubled. I hope viewers leave the screening with a better appreciation of the intelligence and dignity of homeless people as they work to create a sense of community and to survive.”
The screening is being held in connection with a Delaware shack city, during which people will voluntarily spend one night sleeping outdoors in cardboard shacks to better understand the plight of the homeless.
The screening and shack city are sponsored by Delaware County Habitat for Humanity and by Ohio Wesleyan’s Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Office of the Provost, and “Poverty, Equity, and Social Justice” Course Connection.
Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.