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Monday, March 18, 2024

ASUCD Pantry to hold benefit concert

LEAH HAGER / COURTESY
LEAH HAGER / COURTESY

Student dance groups will come together to perform at ASUCD’s first annual Pantry Benefit Concert

On May 20, The ASUCD Pantry will be hosting its first annual benefit concert featuring a variety of student performers. The Pantry is an on-campus unit located in Lower Freeborn where students can receive up to three free items a day (such as packaged foods and toiletries) just by showing their student ID card. Their mission statement outlines that The Pantry wants to “aid students in their pursuit of higher education by ensuring that no student ever has to miss a meal or go without basic necessities due to financial reasons.

This unit is a vital resource for UC Davis students here and the concert aims to bring more awareness to this resource and to raise funds so that The Pantry can continue to aid students. The proceeds will go toward scholarships that The Pantry administers.

Rosa Martinez, a second-year human development major and an intern at The Pantry, explains that the scholarships and the overall goal of The Pantry, are meant to ease the financial burdens faced by many students.

“The scholarship, as well as the service The Pantry provides, ensures that students do not choose between paying rent, tuition, books, child care service and meals for the month,” Martinez said.

The Pantry’s unit director and fourth-year human development major Erika Hapa explains that student hunger is a pertinent issue on college campuses.

“A statistic from the UCUE Survey conducted in 2014 showed that one in four students are skipping meals and so our campus has been making strides in addressing the issue,” Hapa said.

Martinez, along with a few other interns, have been working on this project for the last year. She affirms that they have been doing virtually everything to ensure the concert is a success, including bringing a wide range of performing groups. Sarah Poplack, a second-year psychology major and member of the Lounge Lizards, one of the a cappella groups performing in the concert, is excited for attendees to see the various groups performing.

“We hope those who attend the Pantry Concert will get a taste of the many talented groups that our campus has to offer and feel that they have contributed to a great cause,” Poplack said.

Other groups that will be performing include Birdstrike Theatre, Visione Dance Troupe and Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan. The concert promises to be a fun way to pass a Friday night, but more importantly, it brings attention an important issue that is easily overlooked and affects many college students: food insecurity. Martinez feels that combining entertainment with a good cause will bring more awareness to the issue.

“I am excited for the moment right after the event when we can reminisce the communal effort made between The Pantry, students, and our UCD community to address the growing issue of food insecurity,” Martinez said.

The concert will be held on May 20 at the Science Lecture Hall 123 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the MU from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 16 to 20 for $5 or at the door for $8.

Questions about the event can be directed to rmsaiki@ucdavis.edu or answered on the Facebook event. If you would like to make donations directly to The Pantry, please follow the link.

WRITTEN BY: Krishan Mithal – arts@theaggie.org

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