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Last night Student and Transition Programs hosted another Hunger Banquet.

The banquet provided students with a way to learn more about the serious problem of world hunger.

The types of dinners served varied proportionately with the demographics of the world. For example, approximately 20 percent of the world’s population is Hispanic. Thus, 20 percent of the students attending the banquet received traditional Hispanic food.

However, this means that many of the students received small portions of bread, water or even no food at all.

Since 800 million people in the world suffer from malnutrition, this percentage was also represented at the dinner. The fact is that of the 800 million underfed people, 200 million are children.

Brad Wiles said “I saw the signs around school asking what it was that 800 million people had in common, I never though it was hunger. That’s truly sad.”

Stacy Teryo, one of the students organizing the event, said that, “it is important for students to see how the broader world, as well as America, suffers from hunger.”

Shila Welter, event coordinator, felt that by “engaging students with issues of hunger” many students could appreciate the seriousness of malnutrition.

Those involved in the event hope that recognition is the first key to problem solving.

Sodexho donated the food for the event and Oxsam America, a world hunger relief program, supplied the background information.

A similar hunger banquet was held last year.