UT's chapter of Phi Beta Sigma will host its first ever National Sleep-Out Day from 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, to 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, in an effort to raise money for Knox Area Rescue Ministries.

Michael Russom, Phi Beta Sigma's president, and Dawo Rogers, Phi Beta Sigma's vice president, hope the event will raise awareness of homelessness.

"We want the students to understand what it's like to be homeless," Russom said.  "It's not a choice.  It can happen overnight, and the best way to understand is to walk in their shoes."

We want the students to understand what it's like to be homeless.
-Michael Russom, president of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity

Rogers said, "It's our first time doing it, but I hope people will come and have fun."

The fraternity will collect donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. along the Pedestrian Mall on Thursday.

Russom said, "We hope [students] will bring things they don't use - pants, shirts, shoes, non-perishable food items."

Students can participate in a number of activities, including football, music, cards and board games from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"Everyone from our fraternity will be out there all night," Rogers said. 

Russom said, "I'm expecting 100 students, but only about 40 to 30 students outside of my fraternity will stay all night."

This is the fraternity's first time hosting the event, but other schools have been doing it for the past decade, Russom said.