FCC and MSU Maroons revive Halloween food security campaign, going door-to-door in McMaster neighbourhoods to collect donations for first time since 2015
This Halloween, the McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre hosted its annual Trick-or-Eat food collection campaign in the Hub, collaborating with the McMaster Students Union Maroons for the first time since 2015. On Oct. 30, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., FCC and Maroon volunteers went door-to-door in the neighbourhoods surrounding campus to collect non-perishable items for the FCC's food pantry and fridge.
The FCC, located on the third floor of the Hub, is a student-run service that offers resources to students, faculty and Hamilton community members year-round to address food insecurity amid rising food prices.
Trick-or-Eat is a youth-led national event that adds a charitable twist to Halloween by raising funds and collecting food items for local agencies. This campaign is held across the country and aims to address food insecurity in Canadian households.
Last year, FCC's Trick-or-Eat ran over the course of a week, accepting non-perishable and hygiene items at donation boxes on and off campus. This year, the campaign went door-to-door in five main areas: Westdale, Dalewood, Ofield Road, Leland and Whitney and Emerson at Main Street West and Thorndale. Acceptable donations included non-perishable foods and hygiene products.
FCC social and political advocacy coordinator Siya Sood discussed the event’s organization, which was planned with MSU Maroon event coordinators.
“With the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them,” said Sood.
This year, with the Maroons helping us out, we have more people to go door to door. We hope that in addition to donations, we can interact with members of the McMaster community so they can hopefully hear about our services and know what is available to them if they choose to utilize them.
Siya Sood, Social and Political Advocacy Coordinator
Food Collective Centre
Sood also noted that the FCC’s move to the Hub has increased visibility among students, as the new building is a high-traffic space and is more accessible.
“Having the campaign located in the Hub, a high-traffic, new space compared to our previous location at Bridges Cafe, means people who might not have considered using our services may be more encouraged to do so, as it is more welcoming and easier to access,” said Sood.
Sood emphasized that even students without items to donate could still participate by becoming socially aware and learning more about the FCC's services.
For those outside the collection areas, the FCC arranged donation pickups through a Google Form. For more information on the Trick-or-Eat campaign and the FCC, visit their social media and website.
Six students affiliated with MacDivest will be hunger striking if the university does not meet their demands by March 20
On Mar. 8, MacDivest announced in an Instagram post that at least six students will be hunger striking, in order to put pressure on the university to meet their demands.
According to Navin Garg, media liaison for MacDivest, the organization began in 2013 under the name Fossil Free McMaster and it has been active under the name MacDivest for the past three years. Throughout this time, the organization has been calling for McMaster University to divest from fossil fuels.
Currently, MacDivest is putting pressure on the university to divest the 30.4 million dollars that it currently has invested in the Carbon Underground 200, the largest two hundred owners of carbon reserves.
“What we want are either firm statements [demonstrating] that they will be putting a policy into place, or, better than that, we want the policy, because we need to know that the university will follow through with what they're saying,” explained Garg.
What we want are either firm statements [demonstrating] that they will be putting a policy into place or, better than that, we want the policy, because we need to know that the university will follow through with what they're saying.
Navin Garg, Media Liasion for MacDivest
MacDivest is also calling for the university to remove the gas burning generators that they are building at Cootes Drive.
Garg explained that the gas-powered generators are being introduced as a peak shaving measure or a measure that attempts to lower the highest spikes in demand on the electrical grid. In McMaster’s Net Zero Carbon Road Map Report, they discuss their plan to implement peak shaving generators.
“It is estimated that the generators will be required to operate for an estimated 60 - 100 hours per year in order to ensure that the campus demand is reduced during the provincial peaks,” reads the report.
McMaster has received approval from the City of Hamilton to build the generators; however, they still require provincial approvals.
According to Garg, the generators would have to run for approximately 60 hours per year for 13 years to pay for themselves, at which point the university would begin making money to invest in clean energy.
Garg also emphasized that researchers have developed fossil-fuel-free peak shaving methods and MacDivest called on the university to research these methods rather than relying on gas-powered generators.
Garg explained that the decision to hunger strike comes after numerous other attempts by MacDivest to persuade the university to divest from fossil fuels, including sit-ins, rallies, letters and petitions from students and faculty.
According to Garg, since the announcement of the hunger strike, members of the university administration have met with MacDivest. However, Garg stated that the university is not willing to commit to divestment or to the removal of the gas-powered generators.
“We say what our demands are and our justifications and they say something along the lines of, "Oh, we hear you, we see you, but we can't do that,"” explained Garg.
Garg added that the McMaster administration is not willing to use the university’s investment portfolio politically. As of publication, the university has not respond to the Silhouette's request for comment.
This also be seen though on the McMaster Financial Affairs webpage, which says that, due to the inability of the University to take a singular collective stance, McMaster is inclined not to establish hard social or political guidelines with respect to their investment decisions.
“Investing in fossil fuels is political, inherently, and judging a company as okay to invest in by a specific political metric is political. So, we don't consider divestment [to be] a political thing; we consider it an environmental imperative,” said Garg.
Investing in fossil fuels is political, inherently, and judging a company as okay to invest in by a specific political metric is political. So we don't consider divestment [to be] a political thing; we consider it an environmental imperative.
Navin Garg, Media Liasion for MacDivest
Regarding the hunger strike itself, Garg explained that five to six students will be participating in a fluids-only hunger strike, meaning that they will only be consuming water and electrolyte solution for the duration of the strike. Garg added that MacDivest is considering the use of a 100-calorie nutritional supplement as well but that they are unlikely to implement this in the strike.
While the exact location of the striking students is not yet known, Garg emphasized that the strikers would be in a central location that sees high student traffic.
“The idea of the hunger strike is to be very central and very visible, so that anyone walking around on campus is likely to see us at some point during their day,” said Garg.
This is an ongoing story.
Food security is a major issue that an unfortunately large number of students at McMaster University face. McMaster offers students over twenty different on-campus locations to get food. These locations range in their selection but are united by their general lack of affordability.
The Union Market, located on the main floor of the McMaster University Students Centre, differs from the rest in that they are a relatively affordable institution. They advertise having the best prices on campus, and in fact, they do. A cup of coffee can be as low as $1.40 and a “bigger, better” bagel can cost students under a toonie. Sales are known to occur throughout the week as well that provide students many affordable mealtime options.
Union Market also offers students a range of organic, gluten-free and fair trade products that increase its available consumer demographic. Open seven days a week with extended exam hours, they truly seem to be a place that is catered around student needs.
It is no wonder then that many students flock to Union Market on a daily basis. What is disheartening, however, is that while their prices are affordable, their stock is rarely present.
[spacer height="20px"]For the past few weeks, Union Market has been empty halfway throughout the week. By Thursday, almost all of the stock, most notably its sandwiches and bagels, are off the shelf.
When a cashier at Union Market was asked about the lack of products, she responded by saying that there is a limited number of items that are shelved each morning and that once these items are sold, oftentimes before noon, they are not replenished.
It is true that sales have increased at Union Market since their renovation this year. This may simply be good business for Union Market but for students, especially those on a tight budget, this is a serious issue. By not catering to the demand of the student body, the utility of Union Market becomes limited.
Some would argue that it is not Union Market’s responsibility to be the only affordable and accessible spot on campus. I would agree. But until other establishments can offer affordable prices, Union Market is all students on-campus really have.
If Union Market, and by extension the McMaster Students Union, was sincere in their commitment to fulfilling students’ needs, they would place priority on keeping Union Market well-stocked at the risk of any financial loss. Considering the number of students witnessed entering Union Market and leaving emptyhanded due to a lack of stock, the fear of lost profits is likely unfounded.
The other solution would be to increase affordable options for food on campus. While the recent implementation of Tax-free Tuesdays is a step forward in the right direction, the difference is marginal especially considering the discount applies only one day of the week. Campus-wide, prices have only increased and so it seems unlikely that students will be able to find affordable food elsewhere.
Until student demands are met, it would be wrong of Union Market to advertise themselves as the best spot on campus for food. If you frequent Union Market and are able to snag a bagel or sandwich, consider yourself lucky. The majority of the student body is left disappointed and hungry.
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