Students will soon be able to get free leftovers from the Rhatigan Student Center food court and campus catering. The Wichita State Student Senate passed a bill Wednesday evening to fund what will be known as the Shocker Fridge.
The legislative branch of the Student Government Association put forward the initiative, asking the senate to approve $60,000 to fund it. Student Body Vice President Amy Nguyen, the bill’s primary sponsor, said it’s aimed at addressing “food access gaps” on campus.
Nguyen cited data from the Campus Climate Survey, which gathers information on campus experiences. She said that one in four WSU students experience food insecurity, meaning they regularly have limited access to food.
She also said there is a “clear gap in late-night food access” on campus.
“Students who are attending evening classes, studying late or (are) heavily involved in campus life often do not have access to food once the (Rhatigan Student Center) food court closes,” Nguyen said. “Which can directly impact their academic performance, focus and overall engagement.”
Chartwells, the dining service the university works with, will stock the fridges and ensure food safety. The WSU CARE Team and SGA’s Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker are also partnering to coordinate the initiative.
Money for the program will come from SGA’s Special Projects account. Nguyen said $40,000 would be used to initially set it up. $10,000 would go to “IT onboarding and system integration” and the remaining $10,000 would pay for operational costs of the first fiscal year.
Students will need their student IDs to access the fridges. Jamie Kraisinger, director of WSU Dining Services, said that food will come from RSC restaurants and Chartwells catering.
“It’ll be a variety of items,” she said. “And so it won’t be a consistent menu.”
The fridges will be placed in multiple buildings, but the exact locations haven’t been decided yet.
The bill passed with 27 out of 29 senators at Wednesday’s meeting in favor of it.
Student Senate meetings happen every week on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhatigan Student Center, room 233. The meetings are also live streamed to SGA’s YouTube.
