F E ATU RE S
8
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
Food Not Bombs Greensboro
more than satisfies hungry diners
BY QUINCY MALESOVAS
Stai=f Writer
A thousand different aromas
waft through the kitchen.
The smell of garlic rolls under my
nose, foreshadowing the roasted
potatoes being pulled out of the
oven. Vegetarian stews, casseroles,
salads and more sit waiting to be
devoured. The building will soon be
filled with hungry diners, selecting
dishes fi*om the smorgasbord.
All fresh, all local, dl free.
This is what I experience every
Monday afternoon at the Interactive
Resource Center in downtown
Greensboro. Volunteers, including
myself, get together to cook a
community me^ featuring donated
food that would have otherwise
been thrown away.
The initiative is Food Not
Bombs. It began in 1981 when a
group of nuclear war protesters
in Massachusetts joined forces to
feed fellow participants. Since then,
it has stemmed into a grassroots
organization focused on combating
war and poverty.
"Food is a right, not a privilege,"
said Carol Newsome, leader of
Food Not Bombs Greensboro. 'This
is a peace and justice issue — no
one should have to suffer from food
insecurity when we as a society are
wasting 40 percent of the food that
we harvest/process."
Donations are not just an expired
yogurt here or a bruised banana
there. They consist of loaves of
artisan bread, full boxes of greens,
cartons of milk (both dairy and
nondairy) plus so much more. It
is hard not to feel inspired upon
witnessing the abundance — even
if your culinary repertoire consists
of boxed macaroni and cheese.
The food variety is almost as
diverse as the group of people
cooHng it. Members range from
activists and philanthropists to those
looking to increase cooking skills or
knowledge of healthy eating. Some
come simply because they enjoy the
spirit of the community.
For myself, I fall into some
combination. In a place like
Greensboro, where the thriving
gteeNsBOeO’s
vegan scene is yet to be developed,
it's nice to find a place where I
can cook and eat according to my
dietary needs.
I am not shy about filling my
plate, either. I always leave with
a full stomach plus plenty of to-
go containers. In keeping with the
mission of the group, Newsome
encourages diners to take second
servings and leftovers.
Appetite aside, I contribute to
Food Not Bombs to align my actions
with my anti-consumerist values.
Mark Spitzer '07 joined for
similar reasons. A few years prior
to Guilford, he had no political
leaning whatsoever.
"When my politics started to
change, I began looking for things
to do," said Spitzer.
It was a general interest in
activism that first led sophomore
Derek Dunham to Food Not Bombs.
'To me, access to food should
transcend politics, skin color,
orientation or religion," said
Dunham. "Food is a basic human
need."
One of the greatest benefits of
Food Not Bombs is that it provides
meals to those who cannot afford
them. Although the group claims
on their website to be based on
"solidarity, not charity," there is no
denying tihe benefits that a costless
community meal can bring.
According to the World Food
Programme, 805 million people
across the globe go hungry on a
daily basis. A United Nations report
in 2010 stated that the amount of
food wasted is enough to feed every
one of these starving people.
Just within North Carolina, 1
in 4 children are food insecure,
according to N.C. Food Banks. It
is likely that you know someone
directly affected by this struggle.
If these staggering statistics mean
anything to you, you may want to
consider reaching out to Food Not
Bombs Greensboro.
Food Not Bombs serves a meal
every Monday from 4:30-5:30
p.m. Help is always needed with
cooking, beginning at 1:00 p.m.,
and cleaning, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
"Please join us at our table,"
said Newsome.
Woods of Terror now scarier
AnRACTION BOASTS
30 ACRES OF
HORROR AND THRILL
BY CARLTON SKINNER
Staff Writer
Dead leaves crackled imderfoot
as I shifted my weight uneasily from
one leg to the other. Something or
someone brushed past my face in
the dark. A large doorway loomed
over me. From somewhere inside
the expanse of dark, a sudden
desperate cry escaped into the chill
October air.
As the door opened, I peered into
the darkness, and steeled myself to
enter the Woods of Terror.
Starting in 1990, owner Eddie
McLaurin began transforming his
land, located on North Church
Street in Greensboro, into a haunted
attraction after being introduced to
the concept by a close friend.
"I loved the theatrical costumes
and the aspects of performance
involved in those productions,"
said McLaurin.
Over the next five or six years,
McLaurin developed his own
ideas for what would eventually
become the Woods of Terror. One
of McLaurin's key concerns for
the success of the trail is that of a
customer's line of sight.
"In the woods, when you are
running so many people (through
the trail), a sight iLie of 30 feet is
way too much," said McLaurin in
a press conference.
The element of surprise is
important to haunted attractions
such as Woods of Terror, so
McLaurin decided to construct his
own custom mazelike network of
buildings and pathways to confuse
people on the trail. In order to make
his idea work, McLaurin put a lot
of thought into the construction of
the maze.
"What I didn't want to do is
just put up black tarps or pieces of
black plywood," said McLaurin.
"I wanted to build actual sets and
scenery. So thaLs what I did."
Another key factor for McLaurin
is making sure that his actors'
makeup is convincing, not to
mention frightening enough.
"Depending on the weather
conditions and the amount of detail
involved, it can take anywhere from
25 to 45 minutes to get the makeup
done for certain characters," said
Sarah Ashley, a makeup artist for
Woods of Terror.
Intense attention to detail and
a tradition of innovation are what
makes Woods of Terror stand out
alongside other haimted attractions
in file coimtry — the visual
assault of Chaos in 3-D is the first
experience of its kind in North
Carolina.
In 2013, Woods of Terror added a
new attraction called Total Blackout.
Billed as a "journey of the mind" on
their website, the attraction invites
guests to limit their sight further by
donning a sheer black hood as they
progress through the final phase of
the Woods.
This year, the course has been
lengthened.
As a result of the care they take
with their craft. Woods of Terror
boasts the proud honor of being
named one of America's best
haunts for 2013 and 2014, as well as
being named the best in the country
by MSN.com
Woods of Terror is not only
limited to scares. While not
experiendhg the trail, those
attending are also invited to
explore Woods of Terror's Midway
area, which features refreshments
and souvenirs.
"Our Midway is truly unreal
this year," said Debra Bryant of
Bryant Marketing who works with
McLaurin each year to promote the
event.
Woods of Terror is the perfect
way for any Guilford student to
spend these cold October nights.
For anyone reading who feels brave
enough to experience the Woods
for themselves, general admission
tickets start at $17 per ticket.
The Woods of Terror spreads
out over a total of 30 acres and is
comprised of 12 terrifying tableaus.
Assuming nothing unfortunate
should befall you ... it will take
about an hour to make your way
through the whole nightmarish
thing.
For more information please
visit www.Woodsofrerror.com.
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