W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 4 - 2 6 , 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OU DAILY SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Professional writing and social work junior Joelle Glimp makes a peanut butter sandwich in her kitchen on Saturday. Glimp usually eats a peanut butter sandwich or pasta every day.
RUNNING ON EMPTY Students struggle to succeed while hungry SIANDHARA BONNET • @SIANDHARAB HANNAH PIKE • @H_PIKE_
It’s 11 a.m., and she can already feel her stomach grumbling. Joelle Glimp, a social work and professional writing junior, has skipped breakfast. Again. As usual, her food for the day consists of either a small peanut butter sandwich or some pasta she made herself. Maybe she’ll have dinner, but maybe she won’t. It’s gotten to the point where she can no longer finish a full meal. Glimp fits in easily with other OU students — she is involved in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma — but what separates her is an invisible affliction she faces daily: hunger. “I don’t think people would assume that by looking at me because I’m involved in a sorority, but (my dues are paid through) full-scholarship,” Glimp said. “I think people have made a mold for what people who are hungry look like, and I don’t think people would think it would look like me.” Although she grew up in a traditionally affluent area, Glimp describes herself as being from a lower-middle class family. She’s grown accustomed to living somewhere not befitting her socioeconomic status, she said. Rather than living in her sorority’s house, Glimp lives with roommates in a house close to campus. She also struggles with rent. “I’ve always been dealing with financial distress, especially with my bursar,” Glimp said. “Sophomore year was definitely more difficult, especially because it was my first time having to pay rent ... Since then, monetarily, this year has been by far the worst and by far the hardest.” Her mother works 40 hours a week at a special needs facility, and her father works 80 hours a week doing self-employed production of mechanical equipment, she said. Both financially contribute to Glimp’s education as best as they can. “I think the hardest thing in a day is feeling guilt,” Glimp said. “I don’t want to worry my family, and I never want my family to feel like they didn’t provide for me. I am eating in the sense that
I’m not starving, but I’m definitely be volunteer-run, but the hours hungry.” and days have not yet been deterIn the last several years, uni- mined, Marks said. versities like the University of “I know food insecurity is a big California, the City University of problem on this campus, but we New York and California State want to help everybody,” Marks University have researched the said. issue of food insecurity among Students and others wishing to college students. A 2014 Western use the pantry will be asked a few Oregon University study found it questions about their food situais higher among college students tion the first time they use the panthan the general population. try but there are no requirements “Hunger is very real and very to benefit from it, Marks said. They raw,” Glimp said. “It’s down the hope students do not take advanSouth Oval, and hunger is in the tage of the pantry, but trust everyUnion sitting on a couch. Hunger one who uses it needs it, he said. is in our classrooms. You can’t ever “We don’t ever want to turn a look at someone and assume you student away,” Marks said. know what they’re going through Oklahoma is one of the hungribecause hunger is in the whole en- est general populations in the natire college campus-climbing so- tion, consistently ranking in the cial ladder. Every single tier we’ve top five for the number of people created, hunger is on it; people just who do not get enough to eat, acdon’t really like to talk about it.” cording to the Community Food Since December 2015, the OU Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. April Student Government Association Heiple, executive director of Food has worked with and Shelter Inc. Housing and in Norman, said “Hunger is very real Food Services 22 percent of to create a food people in the and very raw. It’s pantry on camdown the South Oval, Norman area are pus to aid hunfood insecure. and hunger is in the gry students. The Hu n g e r may Union sitting on a pantry is supresult in students posed to open couch. Hunger is in our dropping classby January 2017, es. According classrooms.” said Matt Marks, to the 2016 reSGA’s food panpor t “Hunger JOELLE GLIMP, try representa- SOCIAL WORK AND PROFESSIONAL on Campus” by tive and an SGA the College and WRITING JUNIOR presidential University Food candidate. Bank Alliance, 25 “Seeing (the pantry) come percent of food insecure students to fruition is very humbling,” said they had to drop a class. SGA President Daniel Pae said. “(Dropping out is) something “Hopefully this can make a large my mom had mentioned to me,” difference in (students’) lives and Glimp said. “For me, dropping out help alleviate some of that burden is not a question, or, I should say, off of their shoulders.” it’s not an option. But for many, The pantry was originally sched- I see such a struggle of how they uled to open August 2016, but was could wrestle with that. I would delayed due to administrative and rather just take out loan after loan, legal difficulties concerning how which will probably catch up with and when the food would be deliv- me.” ered, Pae said. In order to manage their needs, “This has been a long process, some students use food stamps. but it will really benefit this cam- Glimp said she would like to apply pus,” Marks said. for the Supplemental Nutrition The Regional Food Bank of Assistance Program, or SNAP, to Oklahoma will be the main food receive benefits, but is currently in supplier for the pantry, which will search of a job where she can work be located at the corner of Elm at least 20 hours per week to qualiAvenue and Elmwood Street and fy after her previous job as an alcoopen to all students and faculty. hol peer educator at OU ended at The pantry is scheduled to open the beginning of the fall semester. two days every other week and will Public relations junior J.D.
Watch a video of Joelle Glimp discussing student hunger at oudaily.com/hunger
Baker, also an SGA presidential candidate, faces food insecurity himself and benefits from SNAP to alleviate some of this pressure. “To me, no one at all should ever have to worry about where their next meal comes from,” Baker said. “You’re in a constant financial debate with yourself. This paycheck, what do I do with it? Do I pay my rent, utilities or put gas in the tank? Get my car repaired so I can make it to work or make it to school? Or do I use it for food because I’m hungry?” There are food pantries in Norman, but most are not within walking distance of campus, which makes it difficult for students who do not have a car or cannot afford gas. “People act like there are resources just overflowing from a well, and I haven’t found that yet,” Glimp said. McFarlin United Methodist Church’s food pantry and Mission Norman are the two food pantries closest to campus. McFarlin, located on 419 South University Boulevard, is open every week Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mission Norman, on 2525 East Lindsey Street, is open at certain times every weekday but only allows food pickup once every 30 days. “We’re trying to help people,” said Gene Barnes, the founder of Mission Norman. “We need students to come help us. Our shelves are pretty bare, and I think other pantries are experiencing the same thing. Right now we’re praying —we’re praying for food.” Glimp describes dealing with food insecurity as “a black cloud” that follows her, but said she remains hopeful because of her faith, friends, family and “deep reservoir of self-worth.” “My dignity is not swayed by my circumstance,” Glimp said. “I am still just as capable, just as qualified, just as important as the person next to me who is not going through this.” Kathryn Lynn contributed to this report. Siandhara Bonnet arahdnais@ou.edu
Hannah Pike
hmaepike@gmail.com
STATS ON HUNGER
22 percent of people in the Norman area are food insecure
25 percent
of food insecure students had to drop a class
ABOUT SNAP
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it’s often referred to as food stamps.
You may qualify for assistance via SNAP if you are:
• working for low wages or working part-time • unemployed • receiving welfare or other public assistance payments • elderly or disabled and are low-income • homeless
Students may qualify for SNAP if they: • already receive public assistance benefits under a Title IV-A program • participate in state or federally financed work study program • work at least 20 hours • take care of a dependent household member under age of 6
To apply for SNAP:
Pick up a paper application and submit it at the local SNAP office at 631 E. Robinson Norman, OK 73071, or apply online.