MONEY FEAST

by Meagan Downes

Facts (second voice) are highlighted

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Soft music fades in.

NARRATOR

Hello, I want to begin by taking a breath together. Just in and out, however you’d like. Thank you for being here. Now, I want you to take a second to become aware of your surroundings. What’s to your left, your right, above and below you? As we travel together, I only want you to do what’s comfortable. Stop listening if you need to at any point. Take care of yourself first. [Beat] Is this place familiar? Explore your surroundings for a few moments, if possible.

Beat. Then music fades out.

NARRATOR

The University Centre is located on the traditional land of The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The Anishinaabe people that lived off this land hunted small and large game for food and for pelts. When the seasons changed, they gathered other resources that were available. In the spring, they tapped maple trees and spent lots of time fishing. In the summer, berries, mushrooms, and other wild foods were gathered and once autumn arrived wild rice was harvested.

  How do you get your food? Do you buy it? Or perhaps you grow it? This space looked a lot different before colonization. Before resources were depleted by settlers and First Nations peoples were seen as trespassers on land they once lived off of. As you walk through this space today and any other day you find yourself here, I urge you to reflect on what actions you take and the position you find yourself in. Why can’t the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation solely live off the land like they once did so long ago? How can our communities have a stronger say in our local food systems? Why do we not all have access to a balanced and culturally appropriate diet? How often do you think about food?

a beat

Close your eyes if you can. Take a deep breath. As you walk through this space today, consider your relationship to food and how it might differ from others in your life, like a friend, teacher, co-worker or even a stranger. If your eyes are closed, open them now. I want you to make your way towards the Starbucks. Don’t worry if it’s closed. You can still observe and imagine. If one is available, find a seat and watch the coffee shop.

Beat

How many people are in line? [Beat] Zero? [Beat] Five? Ten? Twenty maybe? [Beat]  How long would you wait in line for a coffee? Think about the last time you went out for coffee. How much did you pay for it? [Beat] Was it worth the wait?

Sounds of people talking but you can’t hear what they are saying. 

Left ear only:

SECOND VOICE 

  Coffee prices have been rising since early 2021, reaching a peak of $7.57 for a pound of roasted coffee last July. In the year 2000 it was only 9 cents.

Both ears:

NARRATOR

  Some drinks at Starbucks cost as much as six, seven or even eight dollars. Can you afford that? Whose money pays for your coffee? Did you buy it with the money you earned or did you borrow it?

Sound fades out.

Left ear only.

SECOND VOICE

  A study conducted in 2019 at the University of Guelph concluded: students that are employed (part-time or full-time) are twice as likely to be food insecure in comparison to students who are unemployed. Over 60% of students that are food insecure at the University of Guelph are employed in some manner.

Both ears.

Sound of a cash register opening.

  Next, I’d like you to find somewhere in the University Centre where you might be able to buy food. If everything is closed, I ask you to use your imagination for this next part. You can stay seated or walk with me. There is a Booster Juice, Subway, Brass Taps, and the Food Court. Where do you like going to eat? What can you afford? Do you look at the prices of food items before you buy them? Have you ever had to follow a budget?

Beat

I’d like you to try and find a meal for yourself, but you must not spend more than $10. Do you think you can do it? Once again, if everything is closed, use your imagination. What can you get for $10 or less?

a beat and UC food-court sounds

Take some time. Are you in a rush? Did you pick the first thing you could find? Can you find anything? How are you going to pay? Debit? Credit? A meal plan maybe?

Sound of cash register opening.

Left ear only.

SECOND VOICE

     From a study conducted in 2019 it was found that University of Guelph students are 1.6 times more likely to be food insecure if not registered on a meal plan.

Both ears.

  Have you ever thought about how you might pay for your next meal? Can you afford campus food? How much did you pay for the last meal you bought? Were you worried about how much you spent?

I encourage you to find your breath with me. [Takes breath in] Breathe in and out, however you’d like. How are you feeling? Take a moment to check in with yourself. As we wrap up this conversation today, I want you to do what’s comfortable and best for you. You may sit, continue to explore this space or maybe a mix of both. Food security is an issue that many students at the University of Guelph face. Prices of tuition, rent, gas, food, and other necessities have been rising through the years.

Right ear only.

SECOND VOICE

  One third of students who participated in the 2019 study, concerning food security on the Guelph campus, reported having to put off or forgo buying food in order to pay for other necessities.

Left ear only.

How do you pay for your food?

What do you pay for your food?

Right ear only.

SECOND VOICE

     Students at Guelph indicating a provincial or federal loan or grant as their primary source of income were three times as likely to face food insecurity to some degree.

Both ears:

  Many factors contribute to food insecurity on the Guelph campus. Does it affect you? Look around, count the people you see. 1-2-3. Which one might it be?

Watch them for a moment. Do you know their relationship to food? Do you know any resources on campus or throughout Guelph where you can access nutritional and affordable food? If you don’t, you’re not alone. I didn’t know any for a long time either.

Right ear only.

SECOND VOICE  

On campus you can access the Guelph Student Food Bank. Which provides up to 30 food items a month for the students it supports. In the University Centre on Thursdays as part of the Campus Food Market and at the Farmers Market downtown on Saturday mornings, you can find The SEED. Selling nutritious food on a sliding scale. You can also buy groceries from their website and have them delivered. And throughout the city of Guelph, we also have Community FEWD (spelled F-E-W-D). A project that rescues quality ingredients from being sent to landfill and turns them into meals for the community, making nutritious food accessible regardless of economic status. These are just a few ways food insecurity is being combated in Guelph and on campus.

Both ears.

  I want you to think about your relationship to food again, but this time, remember you are not alone. There is a community of people out there that might have similar experiences to you and there are people out there that have no idea what your everyday looks like. There are also people and places that want to help. That are working to change things for the better. Our time together has been brief and there’s so much still to do. But for now, we are going to go our separate ways. Before we do, I invite you to breathe in and out, however you’d like. Please try your best to take care of yourself today.

Ambient sounds fade out. Scene Ends.