As it turns out, Jay-Z and Beyonce together make as much money as an entire small country. Beyonce and Jay-Z share mansions and the countless lavish possessions that many famous stars flaunt.

I recently conversed with a good friend of mine over lunch about the unjust distribution of wealth and resources. How can it be that some people can afford to waste food, have several pairs of shoes, and use exercise machines that consume energy while there are so many people who are starving to death and running from danger barefoot? This is just a comparison between average Americans and some impoverished people. Think about how Hollywood stars and athletes, many of whom we idolize, fit into the spectrum. We are all guilty of over-consumption and buying and using unnecessary items despite the fact that most of us realize we are doing it, which is the real disgusting part.

Sarah Mundy from The Lumberjack wrote an article on Nov. 7th covering the spin-a-thon in which different people rode exercise bikes as a fundraiser to benefit the Flagstaff Family Food Center. People rode exercise bikes to feed people.

I cannot express how happy I was to read this article. I use gym equipment occasionally although I find the very idea ridiculous. You should eat to survive and exercise should be a natural part of life. I am just as guilty as everyone else when I say that life is not this way for most of us. Using exercise equipment, a symbol of excess, to provide fitness opportunities while simultaneously giving to those who are without food is the best possible purpose for such a device. Encouraging those who use exercise machines to think of those cannot imagine what its like to exercise on a machine so they can get rid of the excess calories they consumed is a fantastic idea.

I am not saying that exercise machines are evil. I am simply saying that sometimes as citizens of an affluent country, we lose our sense of perspective. I think the spin-a-thon is a great idea and addresses not just local issues, but global ones. The Spin-a-Thon is a perfect example of how symbols of wealth should be used. As Thanksgiving approaches, I think it is good to remind people to be thankful of all we take for granted and overlook. Thank you to everyone who was involved with the event and to Mundy for bringing it to our attention.