Global Understanding:OxFam Banquet; Putting Poverty into Perspective

Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus, hosted a Global Understanding Series on Nov. 3 focusing on putting into perspective the poverty in Delaware.

The event was set up by Karen Hettinger, a social science instructor, and Nicole Truitt, student enrichment coordinator.

Hettinger and Truitt set up the event with students in their classes who are taking the course, Around the World in 16 Weeks. It was designed from the sociology and English class where poverty is one of the topics.

When the event started organizers sat people down in one of three areas, a table which only sat six, the seats on the side, and on the floor in the middle.

During the event, Hettinger and Truitt narrated scenarios for the students to act out to put in perspective the social class and poverty.

People at the table were upper class, the 1 percent and were given lasagna with two sides and juice. The people sitting in the chairs were considered middle class, around 20 percent, and were given fries and water along with the lower class, the people sitting on the floor which was the remainder. more than 60 percent.

Hettinger said they used this diagram to put into perspective the number of Delaware citizens living in poverty by what they can afford to eat.

During the event, students would tell their characters’ story where one event could change their class from living in poverty to living in the middle class.

“It definitely motivated me more to go out and see what I could do,” said Ismael Lopez, student at Delaware Tech.

Along with this event they plan on going to food banks to help pack lunches and asset in any way they are needed, said Truitt.

Karen Hettinger talking about poverty at the Oxfam hunger banquet in the fireside lounge. Photo by J.Perez