Kim Borkowski
Equinox Staff
Keene State College students attended the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet on Sunday to experience a metaphor of what’s currently happening in the world. The Habitat for Humanity of KSC hosted the banquet in the Mabel Brown Room of the L.P. Young Student Center to promote awareness of the injustice of hunger in today’s population.
Oxfam America is an international association to bring solutions of relief and growth to suffering populations. According to the Oxfam America website, “Together with individuals and local groups in more than 90 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.”
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Oxfam America also explained on it’s website, “Since 1974, hundreds of thousands of people have taken action against hunger by hosting Oxfam America Hunger Banquets in homes, campuses, schools, and places of worship around the country.”
Junior Lamar Clark emceed the banquet and started off with stating, “Your presence here today shows you’re concerned,” he added, “This even is a metaphor of how resources are distributed throughout the world.”
At the hunger banquet, guests were assigned to different income levels: upper class, middle class, and lower class.
The assignments were based on the actual statistics of the number of people living in poverty today.
Clark explained those considered the upper class – the guests, who sat at a table set with a tablecloth and candle, represented 15 percent of the world’s population. Members of Habitat for Humanity served them a donated meal from the Olive Garden that consisted of salad, spaghetti, breadsticks, and dessert, along with their choice of juice. Clark stated the guests seated as middle class represented 35 percent of the world’s population.
This class ate “buffet style” that consisted of beans, rice, and water.
They sat at tables with no tablecloth or candle. Clark then explained the lower class, who was forced to sit in a taped off box on the floor among trash, represented roughly 50 percent of the world’s population.
They shared a bucket of rice along with some water.
Oxfam America states on its website in reference to the hunger banquet, “While not all guests leave with full stomachs, many gain a new perspective on the root causes of hunger and poverty—and will feel motivated to do something to help.”
Clark provided stories of actual people and families in the world. He asked some members of each class to stand so they could represent individuals as he read their stories.
To show how easily a family can fall from a class or even go to a higher class he asked individuals to switch classes.
Alison Rollins, a junior, attended the banquet and began as a member of the middle class but then had to switch to a lower class.
“Having to switch like that showed how close the line is between classes. You can easily lose what you have,” Rollins explained.
Freshman Jessica Prinzi was assigned as a member of the middle class. She explained, “It’s middle class, but it just seems lower. It’s not how I live now.”
Prinzi explained after the event she will think twice about throwing food out. A member of the upper class, junior Kimberly Aalberg, stated she doesn’t think students are aware of the problem. “This, though, is definitely eye opening and heart wrenching to look at,” Aalberg explained as she ate her nutritious meal and looked around the room.
The President of Habitat for Humanity at KSC, senior Emily Montplaisir, said she wanted to do the hunger banquet because she believes it’s an issue people choose not to think about.
She added that the event is great because it is a hands-on experience.
Montplaisir explained it isn’t the first hunger banquet hosted at KSC, but is the first since she’s been attending the school. She added Habitat for Humanity began planning for the event during winter break. “We tried not to spend any money and we had all of the food donated,” Montplaisir said.
Junior Bonnie Chalmers, and vice-president of Habitat for Humanity, said she believes that helping others and wanting to make a difference starts with attending an event like the hunger banquet and to always keep that experience in mind.
The Secretary for Habitat for Humanity, sophomore Dorothy England, explained her main goal for the outcome of the event, “I hope the people that come won’t remain ignorant. I hope it guides them to want to help and get involved,” she said. Chalmers said Habitat for Humanity hopes to do the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet again next year.
She added, “It’s an experience everyone should have.” “People always say, ‘Oh, a starving child in Africa could eat that,’ and with this experience they can see that and make them think about what they’re eating and don’t waste,” Chalmers said.
Kim Borkowski can be contacted at kborkowski@keene-equinox.com