Keeler, HarperIbendahl, Keaton2024-08-302024-08-302024https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2994562 pagesThe trope of the ‘starving college student’ is widespread among college students, so much so that it has come to be an expected and celebrated part of the college experience. This standard of living defined by never having enough money to buy food, or rarely eating enough or eating nutritionally beneficial foods, is actually food insecurity. This pattern, which is talked about light and jokingly, has serious academic, physical, mental, and social repercussions. College students are in a particularly vulnerable position; many have never been required to be self-reliant previously, which can lead to unhealthy eating habits out of convenience and a lack of knowledge. This project asks: How do college students perceive food insecurity as an expected part of the student experience? What socioeconomic and personal factors influence food choice; are students lacking a personal knowledge of food security, systems, and management that impacts their food security status; and what changes need to be made to current on-campus food security resources to work towards establishing food security? I aim to demonstrate that food insecurity is a salient issue on college campuses that is not addressed with urgency or impact due to the ‘starving student’ narrative that has normalized food insecurity. Being a starving student is equivalent to being food insecure and it is imperative that this narrative is changed on all levels to ensure that students no longer go hungry.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Food insecurityStarving studentFood securityFood justiceBasic needsThesis/Dissertation