Glendale Community College hosted its second Oxfam Hunger Banquet on November 25, 2025 in Student Center 212. The event was created through a collaboration between Project CONNECT and the Social Sciences Division, with leadership from David Crawford of the Hispanic Serving Institution program and Social Sciences Division Chair Beth Kronbeck. The banquet invited students, faculty, and staff to participate in an immersive lesson on global hunger, inequality, and social responsibility.
The Hunger Banquet is structured to model the unequal distribution of food resources around the world. Attendees receive a card at the door that randomly assigns them to a low, middle, or high income group. A small number of participants sit at tables and receive a full meal. Others sit in chairs with modest servings. The largest group sits on the floor with minimal portions. The design reflects how chance plays a major role in determining access to food and basic needs across the globe.
Adjunct Philosophy instructor Theo Morgan-Arnold explained the intention behind this setup. “None of us choose where we are born or what circumstances we begin with. Some of us enter the world with everything we need, while others start with almost nothing. The banquet helps us face that directly,” he said. “The goal is to bring awareness to global hunger and to create a space where people can reflect and consider how they might contribute to change.”
This year’s banquet included academic projects created by students across five disciplines: Geography, Political Science, Ethnic Studies, Child Development, and Health Science. Faculty integrated global hunger themes into their fall assignments, and students were encouraged to explore the issue through multiple academic lenses. In total, thirty one projects were submitted. Selected pieces were displayed throughout the banquet space, allowing attendees to learn from student research before and after the meal simulation.
Child Development students examined the effects of hunger on early brain development and wrote letters to congressional representatives advocating for improved food access. Geography students mapped global patterns of scarcity and climate impacts. Political Science students analyzed food inequality through policy, racial capitalism, and global systems.
Kronbeck shared why interdisciplinary involvement matters. “Students often come in with a narrow view of the world. Events like the Hunger Banquet help widen that view,” she said. “When students see how hunger connects to politics, childhood development, climate, and public health, they begin to understand the issue with more depth. The goal is not only knowledge, but empathy.”
The event was supported by College Corps volunteers who assisted with set up, check in, decor, and facilitation. Their involvement helped create an organized environment that centered student voices and community collaboration.
The banquet was open to the entire GCC community. After the meal simulation, attendees participated in a guided reflection to discuss their experiences and the emotions brought forward by the activity. Morgan-Arnold emphasized the importance of this final step. “You can read about hunger in a textbook, but when you feel the imbalance in your own body, even for an hour, it stays with you,” he said. “Reflection helps transform that feeling into understanding.”
Through this event, Glendale Community College created an opportunity for students to learn about global hunger in a way that is personal, educational, and grounded in community care.