issue. “I definitely plan on actively helping with this issue when I go back home,” Al-Husseiny said.
During the discussion, members of the high-income group hesitantly picked at their food, asking permission to share with the others, while the low-income group openly complained about their dissatisfied appetites.
Although the Hunger Banquet proved an interactive way of spreading awareness about hunger, Rehal said she doesn’t plan to make it an annual event. “The event is made more significant by the fact that the guests did not know what to expect. Once the element of surprise is gone, it is difficult to deliver the message as strongly,” Rehal said, adding, “However, I would like an annual way to address hunger issues and encourage those who came to the Hunger Banquet to initiate such events.”
“The way the Hunger Banquet was conducted – instead of just sitting around and discussing – felt much more real,” said Muna Al-Husseiny, a freshman in business administration and a member of the vastly outnumbered high-income group. Despite knowing already that some people are less fortunate than others, the attendees agreed that this was a wake-up call, with many students deciding to create service projects and clubs to address the
Winter 2012 / Spring 2013
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