AWOL raises awareness for hunger

Nearly 1 billion people around the world are affected by chronic hunger on a daily basis.

The University of South Dakota’s Alternative Week of Off-Campus Learning group, AWOL, hosted the second annual Hunger Banquet in the Muenster University Center Ballroom Oct. 16 in order to raise awareness of world hunger. The banquet was held on World Food Day, which is internationally recognized as a day of reflection on this

epidemic.

Even though Vermillion is a small community, hunger is still an issue, and students are encouraged to participate in the effort against hunger by volunteering at local food pantries and soup kitchens.

In addition to awareness, Karl Reasoner, assistant director for Academic Engagement, said he hopes USD’s hunger banquet helped encourage students to participate in the fight against hunger.

“We want this event to make students more aware of hunger on the international level, and we hope that this will make them want to act on a regional level,” Reasoner said.

As they entered the ballroom, participants received a slip of paper containing which social class they were a part of (lower, middle and upper), along with the name of a specific individual in that social class.

Participants were then directed to different areas of the room according to which class they had been assigned.

Those belonging to the upper class were seated on one side of the room in comfortable chairs at a white linen-covered table, adorned with glasses of water, gleaming silverware and plates of freshly-tossed salad.

Conversely, those belonging to the middle class were seated on the opposite side of the room in identical chairs as the upper class, but were met with completely empty tables.

In even greater contrast, those belonging to the lowest class sat in the middle of the room on the ground.

Along with different seating, each class received a different meal, again according to which class they belonged to.

While the upper class was served a nourishing meal of spaghetti and meatballs, salad and bottled water, the middle class made their way through a line, serving themselves with rice and beans along with a plastic cup of water from a standard dispenser. The lower class proceeded through a line in which they received a small bowl of plain rice without utensils, and water poured into the plastic cup using a ladle.

These varying forms of seating arrangements and meals were meant to directly reflect how each respective class eats most meals.

A discussion followed the dinner and was led by Reasoner to further explain the severity and possible solutions to world hunger.

Profiles of various members from each class were read, giving participants a better understanding of how people live in severe poverty and hunger, while others live

comfortably.

Reasoner also opened discussion for possible solutions to world hunger.

While some students suggested participating in mission and AWOL trips to impoverished countries, others suggested more personal solutions, such as becoming an educator.

“Education is one thing that can really help someone to escape poverty and hunger,” Reasoner said. “This is kind of a way for students to see what is happening to all of these people in the world that are experiencing chronic hunger every day.”

Junior Paige Moser, a member of AWOL, attended the event and was placed into the lower class. Moser said there was a large difference between the food she received and the food most students consume on a daily basis at the MUC or the commons.

“It was really different,” she said.  “We just had a tiny bowl of rice, and didn’t have any utensils, so it was awkward

to eat.”

Moser said the main differences between the singular bowl of plain rice and the MUC or commons food was the amount available to eat and the options.

“At the MUC or the commons, there are a lot of different options, and you can put as much as you want on your plate,” she said.

Senior Rachael Weber, a member of AWOL’s executive board, was placed into the middle class. Although the food consumed in the middle class was not extravagant, Weber said she felt bad watching participants use their hands to eat food while sitting on the floor.

“It’s an eye-opening experience watching the low-income people eating on the floor,” Weber said. “Watching them eat with their fingers definitely made me feel guilty.”

Although hunger in America still stands as a prominent issue, a majority of citizens see an abundance of food in grocery stores and wonder how anyone can go hungry, Weber said.

“In America, being surrounded by food every day, we forget that a lot of people don’t even have an option to go to a store and buy groceries, even if they had the money to do so,” she said.