Survival School

By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer Giving up meat was a lifestyle choice that helped Jaliyah Dramera feel better mentally and physically. As a dancer and instructor, she puts high demands on her body and needs for it to perform at an optimum level. Recently, she’s lapsed in her strict vegan diet. Not because of temptation or a lack of willpower. The reality is, she doesn’t always have enough money to buy the foods necessary to fuel herself properly. College students like Dramera, who attends Sacramento State, are facing food insecurity at alarming rates. A 2023 Food and Housing Survey by the California Student Aid Commission found that more than two-thirds of the 23,687 college students polled reported that they lacked sufficient access to food. Executive Director Marlene L. Garcia says the shocking results are proof of a basic needs crisis across all segments of higher education.& The AggieEats truck provides free daily meals to UC Davis students when classes are in session. Photo: Julia Ann Easley/UC Davis “These and other findings tell a story of higher education dreams becoming even harder to realize, especially for students who face disproportionate barriers to reaching those dreams,” Garcia says. “Students...