Alyssa Harris
Major Project 4
English 1102
OVERVIEW:
When society imagines someone homeless, they immediately think of an older individual with overgrown hair and unkempt clothes. What they do not think of is a college student that seemingly blends in with any other person on campus. In her TED talk “College is Creating Poverty”, Sara Goldrick-Rab discusses how homelessness and food insecurity amongst undergraduates isn’t a rare occurrence anymore. The effect of homelessness and food insecurity on college students has a direct impact on their academic achievement rates, however most institutions barely recognize the substantial scope of this issue.
DISCUSSION:
Before someone is a student, they are a person; a developing human being with a mind that works in a certain way necessary for survival. Humans require basic nutrition, shelter, and overall good health to function and live. Psychologist Abraham Maslow created a triangle diagram later referred to as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” (Mcleod 1). This diagram maps out human motivation (a key aspect needed in learning). The purpose is to show that the needs at the bottom of the pyramid must be satisfied before a person can move up. The bottom tier begins with physiological needs as in food, water, warmth, shelter, and rest. The next level is safety and security. Those two bottom levels are grouped together as “basic needs” and, according to Maslow, are the most important. The next levels are as follows: “Love and Belonging” (friends, family, intimate relationships), and “Esteem” (sense of accomplishment, respect). These middle layers fall under psychological desires, and most people fluctuate between them all the time. Finally at the top is “Self-Actualization” (having the desire to meet one’s full potential) which is the ideal state to focus on striving towards when attending college.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
The top tier is where true academic success can happen because one cannot make learning a priority if the lower levels are lacking in some capacity. One cannot focus on their studies if they must figure out where they’re going to sleep at night or where their next meal is going to come from. As stated previously, food and shelter, level one is the most important. This is what makes students such a unique type of person. How is it that they are the only group able to somehow skip handling level one and jump straight to level five (i.e., attending school or “bettering oneself”)? It is because schools promise to take care of that part. Think of key phrases like student living, meal plans, campus healthcare. It is advertised that all their needs will be taken care of because a student’s job is “to learn” (so they say). The issue is that skipping levels comes with a price; a price that college institutions are not paying. It is falling on the students in the form on rising tuition costs and a higher cost of living. Please refer to Sara Goldwick-Rab’s assertion “Prepare to be punished” in which was a statement she overheard one student say to another (Goldrick-Rab 1). That statement embodies how many college students today feel towards their education. Keep in mind that this was a comment she had to overhear. This is so because students are less likely to voice their concerns directly to faculty members.
Ronald E. Hallett and Adam Freas, in their article: “The Case for a Single Point of Contact for College Students Experiencing Homelessness”, support the notion of homeless students being at a large disadvantage academically. They state that “students struggling to meet basic needs frequently have a difficult time fully engaging in postsecondary education” (Hallett, Freas 1). Students experiencing this kind of problem miss out on a lot of opportunities and resources because they simply aren’t focused on what is available to them on campus. This includes connecting with professors and other students for help to finding programs that might address their needs. Because of this, unfortunately many students facing housing instability and food insecurity are more likely to not attend class, miss assignments, and eventually drop out of school entirely.
With this being such a common occurrence, it might seem strange as to why most institutions have yet to recognize the severity of this issue. Schools do have student assistance programs of course, but they assume that because not many students are using them, that the problem must be rare. This is not the case, and it all has to do with social constructs. The reason why colleges don’t know is because the students themselves have been reluctant to say anything. Susanna M. Martinez and Erin E. Esaryk in their journal article titled “Redefining Basic Needs for Higher Education: It’s More Than Minimal Food and Housing According to California University Students”, describe that “students may not consider themselves homeless given the associated stigma” (Martinez, Esaryk 1). It is not a secret that attending college comes with a set of social pressures. Students lacking basic needs might feel ashamed or embarrassed to speak up about their situation. This then makes it difficult to gauge an actual percentage of those affected.
Hallett and Freas bring up another good point when they mention that “having a “homeless student center” or a “homeless student advisor” on campus would cause students to avoid using these services even though they might benefit from them (Hallett, Freas 1). This describes how drawing too much attention to these assistance programs would backfire. Students want confidentiality. Even the location of such services must be slightly discreet. At Georgia State Perimeter Clarkston campus for example, the food pantry is located on the basement level of the H building. These measures are put in place to ensure students feel comfortable when seeking help.
-Christpoher Catbagan (Unsplash)
Depressed Student
Being without a stable home and regular access to food takes a direct blow to a student’s success academically. It is not because classes are “too hard” or an assumption that a particular student is unwilling to learn. It is because of the stress placed upon that individual to survive gets in the way of their education. Both sides as in the student and the institution could be held accountable. This is easier said than done, but students have to speak up and colleges must be prepared to listen and respond. It also wouldn’t hurt for society to come together and agree that tuition should be free. Students are the future of society and so that move would unify and benefit everyone in the long run.
Homelessness is defined as “lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”. The phrase nighttime residence holds major significance. Home is a place where a person can retreat to when a day’s work is done. Home is a place to reset; to replenish oneself with rest and nourishment. Home is the root that grounds people and without it they are ill equipped to weather life’s many storms.
Work Cited
Goldrick-Rab, Sara. College is creating poverty.TED Talk. May 2019 https://www.ted.com/talks/sara_goldrick_rab_college_is_creating_poverty
Hallett, Ronald E.; Freas, Adam; Mo, Elaine. New Directions for Community Colleges , Winter2018, Vol. 2018 Issue 184, p39-49, 11p, 1 Chart; DOI: 10.1002/cc.20326, Database: Education Source
Martinez, Suzanna M.; Esaryk, Erin E.; Moffat, Laurel; Ritchie, Lorrene, American Journal Jul2021, Vol. 35 Issue 6, p818 (English Abstract Available), Database: SPORTDiscus
Mcleod, Saul. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology. December 29, 2020. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html