宾州州立大学白兰地酒 hosted an Oxfam Hunger Banquet that gave students, faculty and staff a new perspective on the impacts of global hunger.
媒体,爸爸. — 宾州州立大学白兰地酒 students gained a fresh perspective on the reach and impacts of global hunger by participating in an Oxfam Hunger Banquet on campus. 宴会, hosted by members of Brandywine’s sustainability committee, multilingual student programs and multicultural club, encouraged dialogue about the issues surrounding hunger and poverty through an interactive lunch activity.
学生, faculty and staff were given tickets at random that assigned them to either a high-, middle- or low-income level based on global statistics about the number of people living in poverty. Each income level received meals appropriate to the realities of different global populations.
The 15 percent of participants in the high-income section sat at a decorated dinning table and ate a large meal. The 35 percent of participants in the middle-income section sat at a plain table and ate a simple meal of rice and beans. The 50 percent of participants in the low-income section ate a small bowl of rice with their hands and sat on the floor.
“有两个。.10亿人生活在贫困之中, including 75 million dealing with chronic hunger,朱莉·斯坦顿说, associate professor of business at 宾州州立大学白兰地酒. “And that’s not because we lack resources. Despite global efforts, nothing is changing.”
对很多学生来说, the randomized approach to receiving a meal was a glimpse into the realities faced by people in many countries around the world. The activity led to discussion about the magnitude of the poverty crisis.
An Oxfam Hunger Banquet gave 宾州州立大学白兰地酒 students a new perspective on global hunger.
伊丽莎白Killough, 公平贸易传媒代表, spoke at the banquet about the power of fair trade buying practices.
The 50 percent of participants in the low-income section ate a small bowl of rice with their hands and sat on the floor.
“宴会 inspired me to be mindful of those who are not as fortunate as me,达瑞尔·托马斯说, a Brandywine student who found himself in the middle-income section. “There are people who would gladly take my own situation over theirs, even when I’m not happy with my situation.”
“每个人都有相同的基本需求. It’s our circumstances that cause how hungry we end up being,” said Stanton. “We can’t discuss all the issues and solutions in one day. We can only ask ourselves to participate in seeking those solutions.”
One solution the participants discussed was fair trade, a growing movement that emphasizes greater equity in international trade through promoting sustainability, 公平的工资和人道的劳动实践. Brandywine was Penn State’s first official fair trade campus, 也是校园的故乡, 媒体, is the oldest fair trade town in the United States.
“公平贸易是一个综合体, multifaceted system that lifts up whole communities,伊丽莎白·基洛说, 公平贸易传媒代表 who spoke at the banquet. “It pushes for better, sustainable working environments worldwide. It’s young, but it’s gaining traction and having great successes.”
“我被投票率惊呆了,” said Brandywine sophomore Shannon Barrett, a biology major who spoke about fair trade at the event. “The responses from people who attended were insightful and incredibly heartwarming.”
在宴会结束时, the hosts raffled off several fair trade products, 其中包括巧克力, T-shirts and a soccer ball to remind students to make equitable choices as consumers.
“My generation has left a crisis for you to solve,” said Killough. “Your buying power — and the choices you make in your daily routine — can make a big difference.”
