“Food is a human right!”

By Miranda Simanca
(Ubyssey)

 

            By now most people have noticed the increase in prices these past couple of years. Whether paying for gas, living, or food costs, being a human is getting very expensive. If you have a stable job and work full time you can manage these extra expenses, but many people, specifically young people, are being hit very hard financially. University students, who spend most of their time in school and studying, are struggling to make ends meet. At UBC (University of British Columbia), its food bank has seen an 495% increase in use since 2022. Earlier this month the school made the controversial decision to cut funding for food security. This act led to a school walkout spearheaded by students on October 21st, 2022.

They marched in front of the union building to have their message heard. They made speeches, screamed chants, and waved signs to get the attention of the university. They talked about how they were “hungry for change” and they “[didn’t] want sleep for dinner tonight”. The protest carried on for hours, late into Friday night. They posed the question “how can the university expect us to study and work if we can’t eat?”

Following the protest Andrew Parr, the associate vice president of student funding, said that they would increase funding for food security by 500,000 dollars. They would split this money between AMS food bank, Sprouts, and the meal-share program. Though some students feel that this was just “hush money” and won’t make any real impact, many others are happy with the results and feel that it was a successful protest. With inflation still rising as well as the cost of student loans, it seems this problem will persist for a while longer.

 

Kulkarni, Akshay. Hundreds Walk out of UBC Classes to Demand University Action on Food Insecurity, CBC News, 22 Oct. 2022, www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6626012.  

Lehmann , Bea. Having Sleep for Dinner’: Students Demand UBC Address Food Insecurity during Friday Walkout, Ubyssey, 22 Oct. 2022, ubyssey.ca/news/students-demand-ubc-address-food-security-on-campus-walkout/.  

Martins, Nikitha. “‘I Don't Want Sleep for Dinner Tonight’: UBC Students Call for Action amid Rising Food Prices.” UBC Students Call for Action amid Rising Food Prices , Daily Hive, 22 Oct. 2022, dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-students-food-prices.

 

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