USG considers resolution to improve food access

Undergraduate Student Government proposed a joint resolution with Graduate Student Government that would allow select eateries on USC campuses to become authorized as CalFresh vendors during Tuesday’s Senate meeting. 

CalFresh is a federally mandated nutrition program that issues Electronic Benefit Transfer  cards for groceries to students who qualify. Student eligibility is contingent on whether they are approved for work-study or are Cal Grant recipients or members of the Educational Opportunity Program, which include low-income, first generation and historically underrepresented students. 

The resolution stated that “students across USC campuses exhibit a need for increased access to affordable food options.” It referenced a GSG-conducted study among students that revealed half of the 466 respondents don’t purchase food at on-campus eateries because they are too expensive.

USG President Trenton Stone praised the collaboration with GSG to address food insecurity on campus. 

“It’s something that is important for us both to work on and create spaces or services that support these basic needs of students,” Stone said. 

The resolution recommends creating a working group of representatives from USG, GSG, campus food retailers and USC staff to implement the program. The group would designate three food retailers that conform to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program standards, which dictate that an eligible store must have three stocking units of three different varieties for each staple food group on a continuous basis, like Seeds and Soto Cart, as pilot sites. 

The resolution also calls for a CalFresh matching program that doubles purchases dollar for dollar at the Trojan Farmers Market, meaning $10 worth of food would cost $5.

While other universities such as UC Berkeley and Oregon State University have implemented programs that make on-campus eateries EBT-accessible, matching programs have never been instituted before at universities, GSG Director of Diversity and Equity-Advocacy Quinn Anex-Ries said. 

GSG passed the resolution at a Senate meeting Monday, and USG will vote on the resolution next week. Anex-Ries applauded the resolution, especially the matching program.

“The idea behind [the matching program] is to structurally find ways for students to extend their resources,” Anex-Ries said.

Stone also presented a resolution in support of the Associate Students of the University of Utah Senate, which condemned the language used in its university’s motion to dismiss charges in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a deceased student. The ASUU deemed the language as victim blaming and dismissive of campus safety issues. The student, Lauren McCluskey, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend despite repeated reports of domestic abuse to University of Utah officials. 

Stone hopes the resolution garners awareness for issues of domestic violence and brings together student governments from different schools.

“We’re working together as student governments in the Pac-12, and also we are encouraging our own universities to just be aware of the circumstance,” Stone said. 

Sen. Christopher McMorran presented initiatives that he is working on, including the possibility of expanding Adobe Creative Cloud programs to all undergraduate students. 

McMorran also met with union representatives for housing and hospitality workers at USC to discuss the negotiations for their new contract with the University. The workers are pushing for higher wages, better hours and reformed retirement benefits. He will be presenting a resolution on student support for the union next Tuesday.