Did you ever wonder how far $6.09 worth of food would stretch? This is one of several questions which will be answered through the efforts of an experimental project conducted by Mr. Harvey Kelber's democracy classes.

The students taking democracy have been studying welfare provisions made available through the government to the benefit of the unemployed. Students are attempting to eat for a week on the sum of $6.09, a figure designated by the Illinois Department of Public Aid as a normal allotment made by the Welfare Department for the average teenager. This figure allows the expenditure of $.29 per meal.

"Many of the students did not even attempt to exist on these experimental terms. Others did, but quit after a couple of days. Some successfully completed the project with meals and money to spare," explained Mr. Kelber.

"The important facet is to budget the money into food providing nutrition and vitamins," he continued. "One of the failures of welfare programs is the fact that the allotment is received by lower-class members of society who do not

have the knowledge or education necessary for using the money wisely and setting up a healthy diet."

On the other hand, several students had difficulties. According to Mary Ellen McKenna '69, "The project really gave me an appreciation of what's possible with the restrictions of welfare aid living terms. It was really rough!"

Through this experiment the democracy students received the opportunity to learn how to adjust when forced to live on welfare. "The experiment was greatly qualified, however," reiterated Mr. Kelber. "First, the financial improvising was only for food supplies, not the other necessities which people on welfare must also supply. In addition," he continued, "the duration was only for a week; and most of the participants were educated enough to plan nutritious meals, unlike many of the impoverished welfare recipients.''

Welfare‑aid designated allotments for other age groups besides teenagers are progressively lower. They range from $5.87 for adults down to $2.87 a week to support infants up to six years of age.