National Conference On Hunger Held at College

This past weekend, Trinity College hosted the twelfth annual conference of the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (NSCAHH). Approximately 275 students arrived from various colleges and universities across the country to participate in workshops and activities designed to mobilize students in the fight against hunger and homelessness. The conference commenced last Thursday with the "Hartford Community Service Plunge"; students volunteered at various institutions in the city, including The Asylum Hill Organizing Project and the Boys and Girls Club. After returning to campus, students attended a welcoming event entitled "Mobilizing for the Millennium." Speakers at this event included Trinity College Dean of Faculty W. Miller Brown, Val Ramos , and Joe Barber from Trinity's Community Service Office.

On Friday, students attended various panel sessions and workshops. Topics addressed at these forums included "Health Care and The Homeless", "Regional Challenges: Urban and Rural Issues", and "Global Struggles: Hunger and Homelessness in the International Community." One highlight of the Friday programming included a "Faces of the Homeless" panel. Becca Mayer '02 opened the event, describing it as "a panel of formerly and currently homeless people coming to share their stories with you." Steve Brady, Coordinator of the Speaker's Bureau at the National Coalition of the Homeless, stated, "We often talk about statistics and causes, but tonight we have an opportunity to listen with our hearts, not our minds. We must put a human face on the issue."

Three panelists addressed the audience, and they shared their stories in an attempt to dispel myths about the homeless. Jack Titus, currently a resident of St. Elizabeth's House in Hartford, stated, "Should you see anyone homeless, don't think they're having a good time. They're not. They're trying to survive." Titus then addressed the situation of the homeless in Hartford, stating that "Although on paper Hartford appears to be doing well, I know from spending time in Hartford shelters that a lot of work needs to be done." Titus concluded, "It's an extremely important issue because for some people it's a matter of life and death."

Cindy Aitchenson, a second panelist, discussed her experience with alcohol addiction. "When you're there, you don't think you're anything," emphasized Aitchenson. She added that even working forty hours a week for minimum wage was not enough to provide her with adequate means for housing. Being employed, Aitchenson explained, gave her a sense of superiority to others who lived in the shelter. "I would look at the men buying alcohol, and think that I was better because I had a job. It wasn't until I admitted there were similarities I was able to help myself." Aitchenson concluded by stating, "I still need help, but at least now I know that I'm worth it."

The third panelist, Jasmine Khalfani, addressed the similarities between herself and the audience, stating, "You and I have a lot in common. But there was a ten year period where I slept in streets, trucks, and abandoned houses." Khalfani discussed the strict regulations of shelters, noting that she threatened to sue one shelter for religious discrimination when she was asked to remove her headscarf. "They could see," she said with a smile, "that they were not dealing with a typical homeless person." Khalfani said that often homelessness results not from a lack of skills but a lack of opportunity. She concluded by stating, "When I think that four years ago I was on the street using drugs, a victim of spousal abuse, and I see myself now as a graduate student I know that there is hope."

Reacting to the panel, Katie Cater '01 of Millersville University in Pennsylvania stated "I thought it was an amazing experience, really eye-opening. A lot of times you don't see them as human beings, and this helped me to see them in that way."

Saturday morning featured the keynote speaker for the conference, Jim Hightower, author and host of the Chat and Chew radio show. Hightower encouraged political activism among the audience, stating, "It's no longer enough to be progressive. You have to be aggressive."

Hightower emphasized the struggle for "social equality, economic fairness, and equality for all." He also addressed the United States' currently booming economy, noting, "Wall Street's whizzing all rightŠ but it's whizzing on you and me. Our jobs are being downsized and reduced." He later noted that "the average wage is lower than when Nixon was in office."

Hightower then commented on the 2000 Presidential election, labeling Republican forerunner George W. Bush a "corporate wet dream". However, Hightower noted, "Republicans aren't the problem. They're doing what we expect them to do. But where is my party? Where are Bill Bradley and Al Gore? They're hyphenated DemocratsŠ they're for the people and the environment only when it doesn't interfere with people putting money in their pockets."

Hightower encouraged his audience to concentrate on local level politics and "create politics and candidates within yourselves. Stand up for what you believe in. Don't start compromising. Start with your vision and don't let go." Hightower concluded his speech by stating, "No building is too tall for a small dog to lift its leg on."

Windy Earls '02 of Belmont University in Nashville stated, "He had a lot of points that were good and valid, but he misses the point in other areas. He assumes that everybody is going to devote every ounce of their being to the cause, but there is more to life than politics."

Sarah Slocum '02 of Rhodes College added, "I won't take away everything he says, but he is speaking to my concerns. Ultimately, he reignited my interest in politics."

Saturday evening featured the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Nancy Delaney of Oxfam facilitated the event and described it as "a metaphor for how food and resources are distributed in the world." The audience was divided into three groups whose size represented the distribution of wealth in the world. 15 percent of the audience represented the population of the world that made over $9,400 a year; this group was served a complete meal at a set table on the stage. 30 percent of the participants represented the world population with an annual income between $765 and $9,400; these students waited in line for soup and bread before sitting down at a long table. The last group of students represented the majority of the world population, which makes under $765 per year; this portion of the audience sat on the ground and served themselves rice, which was eaten without the aid of utensils.

During the meal, an "uprising" occurred when students representing the third world stormed the stage and absconded the food being served to the top class. Caroline Duffy '00 of Holy Cross stated, "I wonder how realistic this event can really be, when the lower classes are just able to take the food from the higher classes. That just doesn't happen in the real world; people aren't even given the chance."

Ali Lynch '00 of Holy Cross commented, "I've done this event in smaller groups, but this way it seems more educational because you're dealing with a larger population. It was extremely active- I've never seen people storm the stage before."

Trinity students who organized the conference declared the event a success. Mayer, who served as co-chair of the organizing committee, stated, "It was incredible. I believe the most successful part of this weekend was the leadership skills that were built among the volunteers and coordinators; it was extremely educational for all who attended."