Audience participation at the upcoming Student Government meeting Wed. 17 will bring up a potential campus pantry and a proposed change to housing and dining rates.

Leading the conversation for a potential campus food pantry will be Beth Gillespie, director of Civic Engagement and Volunteerism at Eastern.

“40% of EIU students are struggling with food insecurity, not knowing where food will come from, and worrying where food will come from,” Gillespie said. 

The purpose of bringing this topic forward to the Student Government is to gauge how much support a campus pantry will have on campus before working through a financial plan of how to fund this.

The opening of a campus pantry would also open volunteer opportunities for students on campus.

“It would be a great way for students to support each other. By going to a food pantry, you’re literally handing food to people that need help,” Gillespie said. “You walk away from that knowing your time made an impact and had value to the people you served. Students volunteering can then know it’s a safe place to go if they need help getting food on the table.”

Another part of audience participation will be from Mark Hudson, executive director of university housing and dining services.

It is listed as a proposed housing and dining rate increase, with more information to be released during the meeting.

Committee assignments will be released for each of the student senators and committee reports will most likely start back up in meetings soon.

The consent agenda still holds the appointment of Ashley Bartley and Carey Hendrix to the Student Dean Advisory Council and when enough senators are present for the meetings, the motion will be approved.

Theo Edwards can be reached at 581-2812 or at heedwards@eiu.edu.