Students, faculty and community members learn about worldwide hunger at the Oxfam Hunger Banquet.

Students, faculty and community members simulated class divisions and learned about worldwide hunger at the Oxfam Hunger Banquet last Friday.

The banquet was an effort to give guests a greater understanding of hunger and poverty.

“It’s certainly an eye-opener,” said Tina Kandakai, coordinator of the event and the Office of Experiential Education and Civic Engagement. Kandakai said she hopes the banquet becomes an annual event.

According to Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, more than one billion people suffer from chronic hunger across the world.

At the door, guests received tickets that randomly assigned them to a high-, middle- or low-income class, relative to the latest statistics on the number of people living in poverty. All attendees received a meal corresponding to their income level.

During the meal, guests listened to speakers and discussed their experience.

—Jessica White