When Bradley student Sydney was asked by her professor why she couldn’t afford the textbook for his class, her stomach answered for her–growling so loudly her professor asked if she was ill.
“I was mortified,” Sydney, who preferred not to use her real name, said. “It’s just a constant reminder of the position I am in.”
Sydney is only one of the estimated 4.6 million students struggling with food insecurity on college campuses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. And for students, food insecurity often means a lack of available financial resources for both food and education.
While all college campuses deal with food-insecure students, Bradley University has a unique positioning that makes the issue more prevalent than most. Peoria is a recognized food desert, which already places a strain on community members to find affordable, nutritious food. However, Bradley students are further denied accessibility based on campus regulations and factors.
Abby Surprenant, a former Bradley student, argues Bradley should be making active changes to assist in the prevalence of food insecurity on campus. While completing her senior year as an Organizational Communication major, she conducted a survey of Bradley students on the issue of food insecurity.
The results shocked her. More than 16% of students surveyed said they weren’t always sure where their next meal would come from due to financial strain.
“These are my classmates, my friends. I had no idea they faced something like this,” Surprenant said.
Surprenant blames a series of systematic flaws for Bradley’s community of food-insecure students, however, she warns students’ limited transportation options are one of the largest contributors. Around 23% of the students surveyed had no access to cars and no other transportation to grocery stores.
But when it comes to addressing this issue, Bradley’s administration has been less than enthusiastic.
Andrew Yohanan, former member of Bradley’s Student Senate and Dining Services Committee Head, says concerns on food insecure students have been brought up to the administration before. But students were told to use the community food shelter–the Peoria Area Food Bank–rather than directly addressing it on campus.
The solution is “barely a band-aid” according to Yohanan, who reminds only Peoria residents are allowed to use the community shelter.
And for Sydney, an out-of-state student without a car, the community shelter isn’t an option.
“I feel like they’re punishing me for being poor, you know?” Sydney said. “Like not being able to afford food is somehow my fault.”
Brenna Fuhr 