Of all of the things the typical American thinks about during the day, going hungry is usually not one of them.

But through a hunger banquet, about 50 ISU students experienced the stratification of wealth that causes hunger to be an ever-present problem in every country around the globe.

Presenters said 1.2 billion people live in poverty, and 800 million people suffer from chronic hunger. Every 3.6 seconds, a person dies from hunger. That is 24,000 people a day.

The ISU Leadership Enrichment Action Program, in cooperation with Oxfam – an international organization to fight poverty – the Student Union Board and the Student Activities Center hosted Tuesday’s hunger banquet.

“We held the event to help the participants gain a perspective of world hunger and realize that we have food, but we just need to figure out a way to let everyone have access to it,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Laura Bestler-Wilcox, one of the event’s organizers.

The hunger banquet was purposely scheduled right before Thanksgiving, said Penny Rice, coordinator of the Women’s Center.

“It reminds us of how gluttonous we are and the amount of excess food we eat and waste,” she said.

Participants were separated into three groups at the door, each receiving a name tag describing a real person and the challenges they faced regarding hunger and their social situation.

Plenty of ham, chicken, seasoned rice, green beans and apple pie were served to 15 percent of the participants, who were allowed to sit at the elegant table, furnished with napkins, plates, knives and even cushioned chairs. This section of the group represented those in the world who earned $9,400 a year or more.

The middle-income table hosted 30 percent of the guests, who had to stand in a buffet line to get their meal, and sat on hard chairs.

Their meal of rice, beans and milk represented those in the world that earn between $765-$9,400 a year.

The remaining 55 percent were relegated to the floor. A large tub of rice and a bowl of rice water were set in the middle of the group, and they ate using plastic spoons and Styrofoam plates. This portion of the group represented those who make less than $765 annually.

Regardless of the table they sat at, many gleaned a better understanding of world hunger because of the event.

Hannah Bergstrom, sophomore in English, sat on the floor.

“Honestly, I think that every one of us in this room belongs at [the high-income] table, and that we all don’t donate as much as we think we do,” she said.

Bethany Westendorf, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication, sat in the middle-income group.

“You definitely get [an] uncomfortable feeling,” she said. “Hunger is something that’s easy to forget about, even though it happens in our own country. This was not so much a learning experience as it was an awakening experience.”

John Kenkel, senior in electrical engineering, ate his meal at the high-income table.

“I felt almost like I didn’t deserve it,” he said. “I didn’t realize how many people in the world were living in poverty . I hope other people realize how lucky they are.”

In addition to gaining an understanding of world hunger, the participants also did their small part to alleviate the problem. A box for canned food donations was placed at the door, and all of the proceeds, about $500, went to benefit local charities.

“We will definitely be doing this again next year,” Bestler-Wilcox said. “I think it was spectacular, and we achieved what we wanted to achieve.”