Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Name: Emma Curtin
Year: Senior Class of 2021
Hometown: Rowayton, CT
Major: Psychology and Education (concentration in Support Services)
What is your favorite:
Movie: Tangled or The Devil Wears Prada
TV Show: This is Us
Song: anything by Zac Brown Band
Book: The Lilac Girls
Food Place in Lewisburg: Grams
Spot on Campus: The Quad
Campus Involvement: Tour Guide, Greek Life, Bucknell Buddies, Club Field Hockey, Food and Nutrition Task Force
Now let’s learn a little bit more about Emma’s involvement on the Food and Nutrition Task Force and her opinions on how Bucknell deals with food insecurities:
Are you on a meal plan this year? What have you thought of Bucknell’s food quality this year compared to previous years?
I am on the meal plan this year, the $1400 one in which I get 7 meals per week. Compared to previous years I think the food is lower quality and there are less options.
What are your opinions on how Bucknell deals with food insecurities?
I think that for a while food insecurity was not talked about at Bucknell and many people did not know that it existed here. There used to be only a few resources for students including the food pantry but many people did not think that it was sufficient and I’ve heard it be called a “band-aid” solution. While I recognize that Bucknell is taking action towards combating this issue, I think that more immediate action needs to be taken so that students are not left starving.
How have you used your voice to help change issues with Bucknell’s food insecurity? Has Bucknell listened?
Last fall I did research on food insecurity on Bucknell’s campus and this year I am doing a thesis on this topic as an expansion of my previous research. I emailed over the summer asking to join the food and nutrition task force and I am thankful that Bucknell listened and I am now a member. I am using my previous and current research findings to contribute to decisions made by the task force.
What are your thoughts on the Instagram account, @BucknellExplain?
I think @Bucknellexplain is a great account. I appreciate the fact that they give students a voice because it is so important for people to hear about the issues that Bucknell students are facing. My research is qualitative and through this, I have learned the power of human testimony. It is easy to read and ignore a statistic but I think it hits harder to hear the story of a student, especially when that student is one of your peers. The content of this account has motivated me even more than I already was to work hard to make changes to the dining system.
How would you like the rest of the community to get involved in helping to solve food insecurity issues at Bucknell?
It is so important to use your voice and press the administration to fix issues that you are passionate about. We are all part of this campus community and we all deserve to have a voice when it comes to important issues such as food insecurity. This can be done in many forms such as sharing personal experiences, emailing administrators, filling out surveys when they are sent out, or even as simple as educating a friend on these issues.
Anything else you would like us to know about!
I think it is easy to ignore an issue when it does not directly impact you. There are a lot of students at Bucknell who do not and will never struggle with food insecurity but if even one person is hungry on our campus, change needs to happen.