Banquet feeds need for awareness

Author: Liz Gay

We all know the saying - "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for the rest of his life." But the question of who controls the river, posed at the Oxfam America Hunger Awareness banquet that was held on March 9 in Proctor Dining Hall, is a decidedly complex one. In other words, what are the factors that cause so many people in the world to have so little and others to have so much?

"The hunger banquet is a simulation of the world hunger situation and it shows how food is unequally distributed in the world," said Prerna Seth '10, who helped to organize the event.

Upon arriving at the hunger banquet, students were asked to randomly draw a card to determine where they would sit. Six students drew low-income cards and were asked to sit on the floor and eat only rice and drink water. Two students drew middle-income cards and were asked to sit in chairs around a circle, eating rice and beans. The final two students drew high-income cards and enjoyed a candlelit meal of soup, turkey and steamed vegetables.

Lisa Tabacco '11 was among the privileged few who ended up in the high-income category.

"I felt a little awkward sitting at the high -income table because most people were sitting on the floor and I was getting served," Tabacco said. "I wanted to share my food with the people on the floor."

Sophie Morse '11, who found herself in the low-income group, commented on the bittersweet nature of her adopted socioeconomic status.

"It was interesting because I felt sort of envious of the upper group but I also felt comfortable because we were the majority in the low-income group," Morse said.

While they ate, participants watched a documentary on poverty in Vermont, which reminded them that - in spite of our comfortable collegiate surroundings - there are still numerous impoverished children living within the state's borders.

"With this hunger banquet we wanted to show two different sides, the international side and hunger in Vermont," Seth said.

Cheryl Mitchell of People of Addison County Together (PACT) also attended the hunger banquet.

"I have been to a hunger banquet before and I think it is a powerful way of showing inequality both in the world and especially here in Addison county," Mitchell said.

Following the meal, there was a discussion on topics ranging from hunger in Third World countries to how much food the College wastes each year. The students were enthusiastic and excited about planning future events to help fight hunger and poverty in Vermont and elsewhere.

"The discussion was really good," Morse said. "I liked that a lot of questions were brought up even though there weren't always answers to the questions. I did learn a lot about ways to take action and it left me feeling more motivated."

Tabacco agreed that the discourse was moving.

"I liked that we got to talk about what we had just experienced and we learned about other people's perspectives," Tabacco said. "I felt inspired to get involved."

If stirring students to action was certainly one of the goals of the hunger banquet, then Seth felt the event was a great success.

"I hope the participants learn that poverty and hunger are not these vague things and that there are structural things people can do," Seth said. "People have the power to do anything. I'm counting on people to volunteer and get involved."

Mitchell praised the enthusiasm and resolve of the students who took part in the banquet.

"Middlebury students are so smart and energetic," Mitchell said. "I think they can change the world."