What is it like to be food insecure during college? Some students report going a whole day without eating, while others describe skipping meals, eating less, and cutting portions. Researchers defined it as a lack of socially acceptable ways to access safe, nutritionally adequate foods while others characterized it as reduced caloric intake, lack of access to healthy food, lack of dietary variety, hunger without eating, reduced weight due to not consuming enough calories. What are the consequences of food insecurity during college? Does it affect learning? How are university addressing the issue?
Writing your Think Piece. It has four parts: (1) Explain what food insecurity among college students is; (2) Share your opinion: Is it a significant problem or not? (3) Discuss two or more structural issues that contribute to college student food insecurity and how they might be addressed (reference class readings); (4) Propose affordable solutions that a student or university might try. Your think piece is 300-500 words that address all four points.
UNT Written Communications This assignment was designed in compliance with UNT Communications criteria for the core curriculum which includes effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication. Your work is graded using the UNT Core Curriculum Communication Rubric (Links to an external site.).
Why a Think Piece? A think piece gives you greater flexibility than a traditional essay by providing the opportunity to share your own opinion. A well written think piece supplies context for your thoughts by incorporating background information and looking at an issue from multiple perspectives. Your Food Safety and Security During College Think Piece is a 300-500 word discussion post where you explain your point of view in a well-organized, coherent essay that reflects nutrition knowledge and online literacy skills learned in our News Literacy module.
Check out these pages for more information on your Think Piece Discussion Post.