An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
IOWA STATE DAILY
09.12.2018 Vol. 219 No. 017
WEDNESDAY
STUDENT WELLNESS
FOOD INSECURITY Iowa State combats student food and housing issues through partnerships with community and other universities BY WILLA.COLVILLE @iowastatedaily.com Imagine a student managing finances, going to class and studying on a daily basis. Imagine a student doing those things on an empty stomach and without a place to live. That is a reality some students face at Iowa State. From collaborating with universities across the U.S. to opening a food pantry on campus, Iowa State and the Ames community are working to combat this issue. Pete Englin, director of residence and vice president for student affairs, said ensuring the success of students is a top priority within student affairs. Coming to Iowa State, many students face numerous challenges. Englin hopes to help students recognize these challenges and work with them to create the best living environment possible. “We look at if they’re going to graduate or rather, when they’re going to graduate and what are all the obstacles that are in their way,” Englin said. “As students start getting registered and start making choices, we learn that they may not eat or they may not eat well. “They may not have places to live at some point… But there’s a lot of ways you can go about addressing and solving housing or food insecurity.” In 2014, Iowa State started working with the University Innovation Alliance. The alliance, which consists of 11 universities, is committed to increasing the number and diversity of college graduates in the U.S. The colleges within the alliance focus specifically on graduating low-income students. Since the alliance was formed, participating campuses are producing 25 percent more
THE SHOP
CHRIS JORGENSEN/ ISD Democratic candidate J.D. Scholten speaks at a Iowa State College Democrats event on Tuesday.
Midterms: Candidates meet with College Dems Food pantry location: 2616 Food Science Building Contact: President: Sarah Jepsen, skjepsen@iastate.edu Adviser: Breanna Wetzler, bwetzler@iastate.edu
MIKINNA KERNS/ ISD Hours: M: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. T: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. W: 11a.m. to 6 p.m. Th: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. F: Closed Sa: Closed Su: Closed
low-income graduates per year, according to their website. The University of Texas, which participates in the University Innovation Alliance, recently implemented completion grants and Iowa State followed suit. In the fall of 2017, 60 students from Iowa State received the first completion grants, which erased some debt on their university bill and
FOOD & HOUSING
PG4
ISAIAH JOHNSON/ IOWA STATE DAILY
Memorial Union changes open hours BY KAYLIE.CROWE @iowastatedaily.com The Iowa State Memorial Union is changing its hours of operation. Previously, the building was open 24 hours, but will now just be open from 7 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. Officials hope changing the hours will save money. “At our meeting, the discussion centered around operational efficiency and to save money,” said Kevin Drury, president of the Memorial Union board of directors. “In order to do so we tracked when students came in and out and when it was busiest.” The Memorial Union board of directors noticed after 1 a.m., the MU had been consistently empty, Drury said.
“It doesn’t make sense to have the building open if there are very few people or if there is no one in the building,” said Steve Winfrey, director of the Memorial Union. “Thus, we wanted to be business minded and save on costs.” Jennie Norris, president of the Student Union Board, said the students she has spoken with have not noticed the change in hours. “I have been in the Memorial Union very late at night and there are very few students in the building,” Norris said. “I believe closing during not-so-busy hours is a good idea for several reasons, including security.” Drury said there is no student feedback that he is aware of regarding the changes so far.
IOWA STATE DAILY The Memorial Union changes open hours to 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
BY TALON.DELANEY @iowastatedaily.com W ith the midterm elections less than two months away, the fourth congressional Democratic candidate J.D. Scholten discussed key campaign issues with students Tuesday night. Scholten, along with other local Democrats candidates, met with members of the Iowa State College Democrats in an effort to encourage political advocacy and get more Democrats elected. More than 70 students, members and political candidates gathered for the event to hear from group leaders and candidates — the important role of voting in a democracy at the forefront of the event. “A n e i g h t - t i m e i n c u m b e n t polling below 50 percent is a chance, especially 41 percent. It means he’s vulnerable,” Scholten said. “I see this election coming down to the wire.” Currently, eight-term incumbent Steve King is 10 points ahead of Scholten and has an overall 41 percent favorability. Yet Iowa State College Democrat President Taylor Blair is hopeful that Scholten can successfully lead the fourth district in the future. “Scholten is so good on the issues, and that ’s what students care about,” Blair said. “He’s got so much energy, he’s young, and young people have a role to play in defeating Steve King.” At the helm of the event, however, was the significance of voting. “Knock on doors, make calls, really get out there,” said Josh Opperman, a candidate for story county supervisor. “There’s two seats left on that board, and we want two Democrats to fill it.” The other Democratic candidate for county supervisor, Linda Murken, also stressed the importance of voter turnout. “I ran for this position once before,” Murken said. “O ut of 46,000 voters, I lost the election by 850 votes. Every vote counts.”