By Kelsey Rea
One person sits down to a meal of rice and water, with no spoon and no cup, just a bowl and their fingers to eat with.
Another person sits down to a nice, multi-course meal, which is served to them complete with all the utensils and nutrition they require.
It seems that this would be a likely scenario if one looked at situations across the globe. But it seems harder to believe that it would happen in our own country, or our own state. It seems even harder to believe that it could happen on our own campus.
Granted, these are two very extreme situations and are not by any means normal situations here at UP, but they actually did happen on the same night on our own campus. The Oxfam Hunger Banquet and the Etiquette Dinner were held on the same evening this year.
Both events are great, and I am not trying to put one down and promote the other. It does though show the irony of our culture. We've proven that we want to be aware of what is going on in the world through participating in events during Hunger Awareness Week. But at the same time we've proved that we are concerned about our own futures, and want to be prepared for all that they will bring.
My challenge to all of us, as students at a university that supports us in our goals for the future and that also cares about the future of people around the world, is to think about the irony of these events. Think about the chances that we have and about the chances that other people are missing out on because they are dying of starvation. Prepare for a personal future that enriches both your life and the lives of others.
It may seem like participation in either of these events does not really accomplish anything, but if nothing else, it makes us more aware of situations in the world, both in our own and in other countries. If a powerful nation such as the United States does not do anything to help these other people, who will? How is anything going to happen? We are the future of this country. By helping our own futures we can further impact the world around us.
I ask you to think. These two events are paradoxical; they show us the truth of the state of our country, our world. Yes, be concerned with your own future and take advantage of opportunities presented to you, but be more concerned with how your future can help the future of the rest of the world. If hunger problems continue, the world will not improve. We can use what we have to help this world improve. The old cliché is true: We can make a difference and we have that chance right now. What are we waiting for?
Kelsey Rea is an undeclared sophomore
