 "Photo: Elissa Quinn")
 "Photo: Elissa Quinn")
Perhaps the most common nutrition dilemma for a typical college student is not having enough meal points for a cheeseburger or wanting a menu change. For others around the world, the situation is slightly more complicated, as several Boston College organizations attempted to show this week as part of the first Hunger Action Week.
The initiative, which started Friday, is a campus-wide event that seeks to raise awareness of the devastating food shortages that plague much of the world.
Several events will take place to raise awareness and show the problems of hunger. Hunger Action week is sponsored by the Women's Resource Center, the Graduate Students Association, 4Boston, Intervarsity, the Pedro Arrupe Service trips, and the Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC).
Dan Ponsetto, director of the VSLC, said that the idea came out of talking to several service groups about how they could collaborate on a common theme. Their focus on an event about hunger turned into a week of activities due to the topic's scope.
"Hunger is, in my opinion, more hidden because hungry people can hide that and they find ways around showing that," he said. "People are not as conscious of it as homelessness, which is more visible."
Participants in the Food Stress Test, which began on Friday, lived off a food stamp budget for six days. The activity will test one's endurance, patience, and budgeting skills. It is furthermore intended to encourage self-reflection.
"Hunger affects families and individuals all around you, and it is through personal experience and reflection that you can discover what role food and hunger play in our daily lives," reads the program's Web site.
On Monday and Tuesday, in the McElroy lobby, the Valentine Fair Trade Sales event, coordinated by the Arrupe Council, gave participants a look at a way in which those who are in need can be helped. Fairly traded food and crafts were sold at the event.
When a product is fairly traded, it is guaranteed that the producer was paid enough for their work to afford a decent standard of living. Giving non-skill jobs to the homeless at minimum wage yields a double sided benefit.
The homeless are given jobs and products are sold at-cost. It is one mechanism through which the problems of hunger can be minimized or even eliminated.
A presentation by One Family was given in Higgins 300 on Tuesday. The event was intended for members of the BC community to learn about the issues of hunger and homelessness on the East Coast, particularly in Boston.
One Family is a nonprofit organization devoted to ending homelessness in Massachusetts and New England and it serves as a model nationwide. It creates cohesive, permanent solutions to help eradicate the homelessness problem.
People experienced a small part of the difficulties of hunger on Wednesday in an event called "Soup on the Dustbowl," which entailed giving out free soup to people passing by. There was one catch, however; the soup had to be eatenwhile standing up outside, in an attempt to show people the value of food.
Hunger facts pamphlets were handed out to raise awareness as well. This event was coordinated by David Soo, GLSOE '05, and the graduate student body.
"There were a number of people who took soup and read our materials," said Soo. "We had some info up about hunger facts. For the people who didn't come and actually eat the soup, I would hope it made them think about some of the issues of hunger."
Many students took part in the event and enjoyed the experience.
"Something like this allows privileged individuals that attend Boston College to experience what those who are less fortunate endure day-in and day-out," said Chris Lam, CSOM '05.
A Bread for the World campaign of letters will be held all day today at the Women's Resource Center. The Food Stress Test will also conclude today.
The Eagle Volunteer Corps and Circle K will pick up food with shopping carts at pantry areas tomorrow. Several academic departments and University offices have been collecting food for donations all week. The food collected will be donated to various charitable groups.
Hunger Week will hold its closing ceremony at noon tomorrow, in an hour-long service that will give individuals the opportunity to reflect on the themes of Hunger Awareness Week.
Ponsetto hoped that the week raised not only awareness, but also action. "One of the important things to students was that it's not just hunger awareness but also hunger action," he said. "We thought of some small things we can do whether it's collecting food for pantries locally or offering educational materials on hunger."
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