Most Syracuse University students are aware of the severe poverty rates in Syracuse, New York. In fact, New York as an entire state has been battling issues of poverty, but statistics continue to remain high. While we know about this issue outside our campus, how many of us actually know about the same issue inside our campus, impacting our own students?

A coalition with campus-based organizations released compelling evidence of significant problems of hunger and food insecurity on college campuses. The nationwide survey of 3,800 college students on 34 campuses in 12 states was conducted by campus groups: the College and University Food Bank Alliance, the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, Student Government Resource Center, and the student Public Interest Research Groups. Students from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) participated in the data collection. Of those college students surveyed, nearly half of students were food insecure (the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food), and 22 percent classified themselves as hungry, meaning that they were very food insecure.

The problem of hunger on college campuses is exacerbated by the increasing costs of attending colleges. In New York between 2000 and 2014, the cost of public college rose nearly 40 percent, while median income in New York declined by 3 percent. During that time public college tuition costs have soared and financial aid has not kept pace. Of course, college costs don’t end at the tuition bill; students must also take on mounting textbook, transit, housing, and food costs.

It’s sad to realize that the students we interact with everyday in class, work, and in the dorms are often going hungry because they don’t have the extra money to buy lunch. To help our food insecure students, the SU-ESF chapter of NYPIRG is currently running a Halloween-themed food drive, “Trick or Eat.” Students can help out their fellow classmates by donating non-perishable food and hygiene products in boxes that will be placed in all the SU dorms and student centers. Coming here for an education shouldn’t have to come at a cost to anyone’s physical wellbeing.

Download the “Hunger on Campus” report here at www.nypirg.org.

Sakura Tomizawa

Writing and rhetoric major, philosophy minor

Syracuse University ‘17

NYPIRG

Published on October 24, 2016 at 8:26 pm