THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2020
President Davenport keeps MSU students warm
President Richard Davenport gives away scarves and hats to MNSU students outside the Centennial Student Union Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 in Mankato, Minn (Max Mayleben/MSU Reporter)
Senator proposes program aimed to curb student hunger
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sity of Minnesota, College of St. Scholastica, and Carleton College. While the program would look similar, each campus has their own specialized version to better suit the needs of each university.
For MNSU, the program will be split into two major components. The first being the host office, which would
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issue to the Student Government. Originating in California, the program has spread to over 112 campuses across the country. Already in Minnesota, this program has been adopted by the Univer-
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Kara Svercl proposes “Swipe Out Hunger” to Student Government in the Centenial Student Union, Wed. Feb. 12, 2020 (Max Mayleben/MSU Reporter)
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Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Student Government is attempting to tackle the large problem of food insecurity that is being faced by students. There is a proposed resolution that would create a program for students to donate their University Dining Center meals in the form of “swipes”. A study done by the Department of Sociology and Corrections called the “Sociology in Action Report” shows that 64% of MNSU students have experienced food insecurity in some form or another during their time at the University. Black and Asian American students are the most likely to experience such insecurity. There are currently two main options for students facing food insecurity at MNSU. The first is Campus Kitchen, which is a student-run initia-
tive to harvest food donated from local restaurants to make into meals to provide for students as well as people of the Greater Mankato Area. The second option is Campus Cupboard, which is a student-oriented food shelf. These programs are widely popular, but Student Government hopes to add a new program to help students get their needed food, while also providing the social benefits of the University Dining Center. The program, called “Swipe Out Hunger”, is designed to give students the opportunity to apply for University Dining Center swipes, while also providing a longterm partnership, depending on the student’s situation. “The goal of this is to help that short-term emergency, and to help students get through what they need to, so that they can be successful and stay in school,” said senator Kara Svercl, the senator responsible for bringing the
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MAX MAYLEBEN MEDIA EDITOR