Multi media package - Essay Example

This is primarily attributed to the inability by the student’s family to raise adequate funds to support their education. Statistics of the number of students balancing between their studies and part-time jobs is increasing with each new day. During thanksgiving holiday, I happened to meet with four of my old schoolmates from Edmunds Community College at Seattle, namely Norman Pitt, Candice Clarke, Katherine Little, and Elias Okoth,. We had a long chat that resulted to the discussion of hunger in campuses.

I had earlier read an article by Bond (1), which indicated that hunger was a rising trend among college students. As I shared my views on what I read about hunger increasing among students, my colleagues also shared their own experiences on the matter. In our conversation, it was evident that the tough economic times are one of the reasons why the number of students who do not know when or what will be their next meal is increasing. Additionally, I realized that none of these hungry students are willing to disclose to their friends about their situation for fear that they may be mocked or looked down upon.

I recorded the responses and utterances that were made by all the participants. Katherine Little, an old schoolmate and a senior student in a renowned University, is one of the friends who shared with us on how her friend was suffering from hunger till she faced up to her, “I did not know that she was suffering from hunger and I took her for a snack, after seeing that she looked worried and not ok, and demanded to be told what was wrong”. Katherine noted that it was until her friend told her, that she understood her condition.

Katherine affirmed that she came to comprehend that her friend’s family became financially unstable after a medical emergency crushed the family’s insubstantial finances, leaving her on her own to finish school. “She had to take up two jobs in order to settle her tuition fees” Katherine noted. Additionally, another aspect that emerged from the conversation was that colleges should strive to identify such needy students in order to assist them. None of us can be glad if a friend or even a classmate slept hungry for lack of anything to eat.

Elias Okoth, an international student and an old schoolmate, asserted that the campus should institute mechanisms of identifying such food insecure students. “The campus should establish a room within the premises, particularly in the student center, to turn it into a food pantry operated by students where the food insecure students can report and be assisted” says Elias. This will assist as it may be challenging to identify the hurting students among the crowd. Candice Clarke, a former member of a students’ relief group and an old schoolmate, also added by noting that it is essential that, as friend, we should know the state of our fellow classmates and friends.

“We ought to be our brothers and sisters keeper, and should follow up on them to check if they have had a meal or not”, Candice said. However, not all friends and classmates may disclose their personal or private life. If this happens, there are other ways of identifying a needy friend. Katherine Little identified her friend’s worried look and confronted her to tell her what was wrong. “I could tell that something was wrong, and had to ask her”, Katherine acknowledges. Such students can also be identified through deteriorating class performance.

This can be done by professors within the numerous departments in the