The Hunger Banquet

The Hunger Banquet was an incredible event. It was organized by a
group of students on our ship to simulate world hunger. Basically,
each person was given a slip of paper, which indicated his/her
alloted food ration. A small proportion of people received a full
meal, a larger proportion received beans and rice, and an even larger
proportion received just rice and water, without utensils. It was
fascinating to experience the process as it unfolded and to witness
the vast reactions people had: sharing, helping, begging, stealing,
avoiding, judging, etc. Afterwards, we debriefed the experience as a
community. I was in the last group, so I just received rice and
water. It was interesting to witness my own reactions. I felt
somewhat self-conscious about asking for food or utensils and almost
felt "safer" in my own community and not wanting to leave it, despite
that fact that I might be able to get more food if I did. I also
felt some judgement as I watched people from the "full meal" group
avoid or not make an attempt to share their food. And I thought
about how many times I might have looked the other way or wasted food
and how extremely lucky I am for never having to worry about whether
or not I would be able to eat. We were told that there is not a
shortage of food in the world but rather a disproportionate
distribution. It really gave us all something to think about...and
for many, will not be forgotten.