Next week on campus, from Feb. 12 to Feb. 16, “Swipe Out Hunger” will take place in the dining halls, allowing students to donate meal swipes to fellow students who need them. Joining other programs across the nation, this initiative seeks to address the problem of food insecurity among college students, an alarming issue that is more prevalent than one may guess and which DU should keep in mind as it plans for the future.
A recent opinion in the New York Times detailed the issue of food insecurity in college, revealing high percentages of students who struggle with not being able to afford meals and missing meals entirely. The study cited shows that nearly half of college students have experienced some kind of food insecurity and that this is impacting graduation rates. This goes beyond the normal college scenario of eating cheap meals and keeping a tight budget—food insecurity in this context is affecting student performance and well-being (and students of color and LGBT+ students are often at a higher risk).
Though there is not much public information when it comes to food insecurity here at DU specifically, several ongoing projects indicate that there is some awareness of this problem. The Swipe Out Hunger week is an important event to have, and reallocating meal swipes from students who can spare them to students who can use them is a collaborative and student-driven way to help the problem of hunger on campus. Additionally, Sustainable DU has started a food pantry on campus—students with a valid student ID can access the pantry, on the first floor of Towers North, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. This is a similar effort to other colleges around the country that have opened pantries for students with low levels of food security.
DU is currently in the midst of a master planning project, known as IMPACT 2025, which is far-ranging in the types of goals the university will seek in the coming years. The campus food bank has already brought addressing student hunger into this set of goals, but this strategic planning period is an interesting time to take a look at food insecurity on an even larger scale. Learning about the scope of this problem among college kids nationally is startling, and DU is surely not spared. At the present, it is difficult to find information on food insecurity at DU—if those involved in the strategic plan do have detailed information on this problem specifically at DU, then the information should be used to strategize for solutions during this planning phase especially. If data have not been collected on this issue, then looking into DU students’ access to nutrition should be a consideration. If some students at DU are facing issues with hunger in the way that students at other colleges are, this will need to be something for which the university strategizes.
Swipe Out Hunger already is helping students in need, and DU could also consider expanding the locations at which Meal Plan Cash can be used and where Flex Cash can provide a discount. The topic of financial aid is an onerous one, but more information about how students experience food insecurity at DU could also be part of future financial aid planning. At the student level, we can be sure to donate swipes between Monday and Friday of next week—the cause is worthier than many people realize.
Hunger that affects performance in academics should not be something that DU students (or students anywhere) experience. Gaining a better understanding of the intricacies of this problem on our campus specifically will help us support our existing resources as well as plan for the future.
