The OxFam Hunger Banquet held Sunday depicted to students and the Baldwin City community how many impoverished people live.
Participants walking into the Harter Union cafeteria were handed a card. The cards, which were green, blue or orange, designated if participants sat at a table, on a chair or on the cardboard-covered floor. The cards also determined if participants would be allowed to eat rice, beans and rice or a full-course meal.
Only 15 percent of the crowd was lucky enough to eat a full-course meal at a table.
People on the floor represented the low-income group making less than $875 a year and ate rice, participants in the chairs represented the middle-income group making between $876 to $10,725 a year and ate rice and beans, and those at the table represented the high-income group making more than $10,726 a year.
Senior Justine Greve, who was in the middle-income group, felt guilty about having more to eat than those in the low-income group.
“It was pretty profound to think (that) ‘This cup of rice is all I’ll get today,'” Greve said about the low-income people’s meal. “It made me realize that that’s how the world is.”
After the meal, guest speaker Emily Broxterman, from the nonprofitorganization Kindness Connection in Kansas City, Kan., talked about the projects her organization is doing to alleviate poverty and hunger in South America, particularly Peru.
She also showed the remodeling project of a schoolhouse in Peru, which the locals call “School of Peace and Hope.”
“Everyone (in the Peruvian village) came out and chipped in,” Broxterman said. “Before there was nothing.”
After the project, five rooms were added, electricity and running water were installed, and school supplies were provided for the students.
“The speaker was good because she talked about how she was helping the situation,” Greve said.
Kaitlin Emig, coordinator of service-learning and volunteering, was happy with the turnout, because she said that events like this can inspire action.
“Students need to make something happen,” Emig said. “Their actions will make a difference.”
Sophomore Iliana Krehbiel, who co-organized the event, also was impressed with the turnout.
“I was really worried that people wouldn’t show up because we only had three weeks to plan,” she said.
According to sign-up sheets, about 80 people attended or volunteered at the event.
The Hunger Banquet and the Empty Bowls Project, a fundraiser held during Hunger Awareness Week, raised $773. OxFam America and the local food pantry each will receive $386.50.