Rarely does a student come back and express that same frustration after the simulation.  Often we hear comments such as, "I always thought poverty meant living on the street or in a third world country". Their expectation is they will be watching movies about slums in third world countries and then are blown away at how hard it is for a family making $40,000 per year to afford the basics when the unexpected happens. They also enjoy the "micro-societies" that form within the simulation. Just as Zimbardo found in his famous Stanford Prison Experiments in which college students pretended to be either prison guards or prisoners, perceived power can be overwhelming in these situations. The students talk about how one of their friends was the person who had a job and yet wouldn't give it to them because they were following the script. It amazes students how they can become frustrated at their own friends in just a 2 hour simulation.

Many students describe the experiences as either eye-opening or life changing. Having this opportunity at UAB for students to participate in a short activity to better understand the subject they are studying is wonderful. I look forward to discussions with them each semester as they participate and are again surprised.