Students Provide ‘Food for Thought’ to Commemorate National Food Day

Nine student clubs at The University of Scranton have planned a weeklong series of events Monday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 28, to recognize National Food Day.

Young farmers will discuss careers in farming and the particular challenges they face at a Farmers Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 11:30 a.m. in the McDonnell Room of the DeNaples Center.

A Fair Trade Discussion Panel with University of Scranton professors from diverse departments, including economics, Latin American studies, and theology, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. in the PNC Board Room of Brennan Hall.

A showing of the film “Food, Inc.” will be followed by an environmentalism talk led by Marg Strein, a local advocate for plant-based foods, on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall.

These three events are open to the public, free of charge.

The students have also scheduled a weeklong collection of nonperishable food items for the Leahy Community Health and Family Center’s food pantry. Donations can be dropped of in collections boxes located on the second DeNaples Center or the first floor of the Weinberg Memorial Library from Oct. 24 through Oct. 28.

In addition to these events and initiatives, the students have planned several events for members of the University community, including a Philosophy Café about the “Philosophy of Food” with Ileana Szymanski, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy.

On National Food Day (Oct. 24), the Fresh Food Company (third floor of the DeNaples Center) will serve local foods to students, faculty and staff, which include Manning’s ice cream and hot apple cider. Members of the University community will also participate in a “plate scrape” at the Fresh Food Company. The leftovers collected through the day present a visual display of waste.

The student clubs organizing the events are the Community Health Education Club, the Leahy Center Food Pantry volunteers, the JUSTICE Club, the Environmentally Conscious Organization, Phi Sigma Tau (national philosophy honor society), the Photography Club, United Students for Fair Trade, Excess Food for Others Recovery Team (EFFORT), and the Marketing Club.

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Food Day (www.foodday.org) is a national grassroots campaign for sustainable, healthy and affordable food, seeking to bring individuals and organizations from across the country together in an effort to create healthier food systems, educate the public about important food, nutrition and agriculture issues, and advocate for necessary changes.