As always, things have been busy the past week or two. The big highlight was the Oxfam International Hunger Banquet that we of the Hunger House, in conjunction with the Office of Service, Spirituality, and Social Responsibility, held last Thursday. It was a hunger awareness event, and ended up being very successful. We had a great turnout. When people showed up, they were given an identity card, and that identity had a “class” depending on their socioeconomic status. They were divided into upper, middle and lower classes. Then there was a dramatization in which a person might loose all their crops, for instance, and move down a class. Then the meal would be served, which depended entirely on their class. The upper class was served several courses with a salad, pasta, lemonade and iced tea. The middle class had a buffet setup with rice, beans, and water, while the lower class had only rice and water. There were a number of things I found interesting, one of which was watching the lower class. Several people took it upon themselves to make sure everything got distributed equally, and went around serving the rest of them. Though it was only a dramatization, it was quite touching. Another thing that shocked me was how my perception of upper class changed. Before, I would have put myself in middle class, but the American view of middle class and the world view of middle class is very different. I think it’s safe to say that anyone attending Wheaton would be in the upper class. After all, many people don’t even have running water. It was great, and it made me rethink a great deal I take for granted.

Classes are going well, though it is approaching midterms. We have a really fun project that we are working on in Graphic Design. We had to pick a vocation, any one we could think of, and then design a clack to somehow represent that vocation. I chose to do a pirate, and I am designing my cock to look like a frayed treasure map. It’s so much fun! I stained the paper with tea and coffee, then seared the edges of it with a lighter. It looks great. After we complete the clock, we even have to design packaging for it. It’s a really great project.

In the Dems, we just started folding cranes for our Iraq War Memorial Project. Right now they’re all hanging up in my house, to the slight consternation of my housemates. Though they are very pretty. The anniversary of the war is on the 19th, so we will be hanging them up the week following Spring Break.

Speaking of which, Spring Break is just around the corner. Don’t have much planned, but I am still looking forward to relaxing and folding more cranes. There is something very zen about it. And after you fold five hundred or so, you can practically do it in your sleep. Well, that’s about it. Until next time!