I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that amidst all of the excitement that came with being selected for Boys State, there were concerns about the food situation.

What will I be able to eat when I get there? When will I be able to eat? How much food will I get? I’m sure that these are questions that went through the minds of many of us – especially those who have never been away from home for extended periods of time without any family or friends – and our parents as well.

These concerns, however, were largely alleviated by the time we had our first meal; there was a variety of food choices and more than enough food to go around. As the days have progressed, the food services have continued to provide us with the necessary energy and nutrients to get us through our days full of exercise, activity, and fun.  

Despite the general satisfaction with our meals, I have noticed what I believe to be a very large issue in the dining hall: there is an absurd amount of food waste. As chow time wraps up and the citizens begin gathering their trash and stacking their trays, there are copious amounts of uneaten, yet still edible food being sent away on the conveyor belt. This food waste issue is representative of the mass amount of overconsumption that is present in this country. In the United States of America, around 30-40% of the national food supply goes to waste each year. Food waste poses serious threats to the environment and the economy while also exacerbating the widespread hunger faced by many Americans.

 Although, of course, this issue is on a relatively small scale here at Boys’ State. It is our responsibility to come up with solutions in order to cultivate the problem-solving skills that can be used to help combat the problem in the real world. Personally, I believe a large part of this issue is an overestimation of eating time. We are given about 15 minutes to eat lunch, which, to be fair, is a very reasonable amount of time to eat a meal. However, many people grab portions that, in reality, cannot be fully consumed in the allotted time – even if one eats as fast as they can.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to want to eat a lot of food, especially considering that we are very active here. Though, we must be more conscious of our time in order to minimize our food waste. Many people are so accustomed to having longer lunch periods at school and more time to chow at home that their meal times have not adjusted to the clock here at Boys State. Hopefully, within the next coming days, us Boys Staters can fix this: we can grab smaller portions, try to eat a bit quicker, and just in general be more aware of our food consumption. If we do not, we are actively contributing to the issue while also not living up to our Boys’ State principle of active citizenship – advocating for change in ways that better society.