You may or may not have heard talk about the "Flint Water Crisis," or even if you have, you may not know any of the specifics. Essentially, the problem began in 2014 when the city of Flint switched their water source from Detroit to the Flint River. This Time article perfectly explains just how the residents of Flint, Michigan, ended up with water that looks like this:

Regardless of how Flint's water has become just short of poison, what's important now is what political leaders are planning to do about it. The Michigan Senate, instead of putting their efforts into finding a solution to one of the biggest health issues facing their state, passed a bill which is ultimately unconstitutional and irrelevant.

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has recently made statements about Flint, proclaiming that "no one would tolerate these conditions in a wealthy suburb." Secretary Clinton may have a very serious point. In 2013, a Business Insider article rated Flint as one of the most dangerous cities in America, citing 66 homicides in 2012 as well as dramatic increase in heroin usage. More than 38 percent of Flint lives below the poverty level and unemployment is 16 percent. The median household income in 2013 was $23,131. This all leads to the ultimate moral question: how quickly would we have acted if Flint was, let's say, Boston? Where we have previously failed, we must begin to succeed. This is where you come in.

I spoke with University of Tennessee senior, Jerica Jackson, who began a water drive through the university. She expressed many concerns, but the one that stuck with me the most is that the citizens of Flint are still expected to pay for their lead-infused water along with their bottled water, assuming they can afford all of this bottled water for showering, drinking, cooking, etc. She told me the average person needs at least nine bottles of water per day, which sounds incredibly frugal.

If you are a University of Tennessee student or live in the Knoxville area, we would both like to strongly encourage you to give a case of water bottles for the people of Flint. There are several ways you can donate, including Jerica Jackson's drive. Donations can be taken to any residence hall at UT, but the central location for donations is Volunteer Residence Hall located at 1525 White Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37916. These donations must be turned in by this Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016; ask your Valentine to donate in your honor! Another viable option is to give through the ladies of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority by giving to their Pay Pal account. They have partnered with T-Mobile, who will match the chapter's donations of total water pallets! This account can be accessed through the email: zetabetazetachapter@gmail.com or by sending checks, money orders, or gift cards to: Zeta Beta Zeta Chapter, PO Box 922, Flint, MI 48501-0922.