We probably collected that much from the faculty alone. There are several soup kitchens in Rome in desperate need of food, and we will be able to help them out a lot through this project. Another important function was the Hunger Banquet on Thursday. Each student was then given lunch a catered lasagna dinner while seated at a nicely decorated table, a bowl of rice and beans while seated at a plain table or a handful of rice while seated on the floor according to his or her lot. Jennie Smith, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, led the banquet with some explanations and hypothetical situations to inform students of the worldwide hunger problem and to educate them as to how college students can help address and defeat hunger.
Education is the first step in solving any problem.
The culmination of the entire month was Hunger Clean-Up, a day of community service, with all proceeds benefiting Berry's chapter of Habitat for Humanity and various domestic and international organizations to fight hunger and homelessness. Students gathered at 8 a.m. in the Krannert ballroom to get instructions as to their site assignments and then descended upon the Rome community, eager to help. A college's involvement with local community service bridges the gap between the two, helping the college population to realize its responsibility to and recognition of the surrounding community's needs. Chaplain Harold Carl had somewhat mixed feelings about the turnout on Saturday. Sophomore Sarah Purvis participated in a community brunch soup kitchen with the Bonner Scholars, located at North Rome United Methodist Church.