By Jonathan Hiser
Hunger may be a rare bother for some students, but it's a fact of life for millions of people around the world. Students can get a taste of real hunger with the Hunger Awareness Week events next week, Nov. 17 to 22.
The week-long event kicks off with the Oxfam Hunger Banquet in St. Mary's Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Far from a feast for all, the banquet mirrors global economic disparity by requiring the majority of attending students to sit on the floor with only rice and water to share amongst themselves. A select few students will represent the global elite by having the luxury of better food and seating.
Challenging the time-old saying that you can't learn on an empty stomach, the banquet offers students the opportunity to experience and understand the conditions contributing to world hunger on a personal level.
On-campus students will replace their meal at the Commons or Cove with the banquet meal.
No food will be wasted from the event, said Hunger Programs coordinator Michelle Oliver, who is among the students organizing Hunger Awareness ?Week.
Any untouched food will be handed over to a number of Portland food banks, including the Blanchet House and Transition Projects.
Oliver said the events take a look at the breadth of hunger, from on campus, to Portland and finally on the global scale.
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Franz 231, a panel of speakers from the Portland area who have experienced hunger and homelessness firsthand will share their perspectives on local issues.
By comparison, the Heifer Hop for Hunger on Wednesday has a lighter tone to it, in which students can make a donation to jump in an adult-sized jumping castle.Held in the Mehling Ballroom, the event lets top donors participate in a jumping marathon, with all proceeds going towards buying a cow for a family in Africa through the Heifer Program.
As part of the awareness week, students are encouraged to fast from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday in solidarity with the approximately 800 million people who suffer daily from hunger.
To keep students hydrated, juice and water stations will be located around campus.
The fast wraps up with a Taize prayer service and a simple meal in the Corrado Lounge.
As in years past, Bon Appetit intends to donate $500 to support those who decide to fast, with proceeds going towards the Heifer Program and Oxfam.
Hunger Awareness Week will finish off with a breakfast service for residents in Old Town Portland at the Blanchet House. Participants will have the chance to learn about hunger in Portland and the local programs that help meet this need.
To sign up for the Hunger Banquet or any of the other events, students can sign up in the Cove or Commons.
