Getting a Dorm Room ... is like Russian Roulette

This picture is part of a photovoice study on students attending college while homeless. Five students took photographs they felt represented their lived experiences attending college while homeless and explained them to each other in a group. This student stated, "Getting a dorm room is tricky. It's like Russian Roulette. You're good for four or five months, but after that, it's like, who do we have to get with to get housing? It's a horrible perspective, but it's true." Together, the group developed the following alternative shared meaning: On-campus housing is not determined by need. Instead, priority housing is given to athletes and scholarship students, leaving some students who count on on-campus housing to meet their basic needs unaccounted for and struggling. As a call to action, the students suggest universities develop a more comprehensive way to determine housing priority.