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Arlington resident Zy\u2019kerria Cooper, 19, helps package food Oct. 16 at the UTA Maverick Pantry. Students can help support the Maverick Pantry by making donations.<\/p>\n
Photo by Treyson Abe<\/a><\/p>\n Since Oct. 5, there has been a quiet, playful rivalry taking place between schools around Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about football, volleyball or even academics. It\u2019s about food and people in need.<\/p>\n UT Shutdown Against Hunger is a food drive competition started by Student Government President Andres Morales and the Maverick Pantry. The competition occurred across various campuses within the UT System.<\/p>\n Eight schools competed against each other to collect the most nonperishable food and hygiene products. The schools were separated into three divisions based on student enrollment. Over 77,000 donations were raised in total, according to the UTA Student Governance website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students, professors, organizations and others contributed to the food drive, and UTA managed to obtain over 5,000 donations, winning in its division.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last fall, Morales, then Student Government vice president, acted on concerns about UTA\u2019s food pantry by hosting a food drive called Fill the Pantry, Fill the Heart. Work on the project started in September and went on to receive over 7,000 food and hygiene items.\u00a0<\/p>\n The initiative aimed to address food insecurity within the Maverick community during the holiday season, according to previous Shorthorn reporting. Due to its success, it was extended into November.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following that, Morales said he wanted to do more this year. As someone who has experienced food insecurity himself, he said he wanted to help others facing it now. \u00a0<\/p>\n The Maverick Pantry was on a similar page as Morales.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it was so successful, the idea had grown to be where, \u2018Hey, instead of making this an institution\u2013wide \u2014 for just UTA \u2014 why not make this where UT System institutions participate?\u201d Maverick Pantry coordinator Courtney Liang said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Liang said many college students can struggle with food insecurity. She said students might not have an income or have to make difficult decisions between rent, tuition and food.\u00a0<\/p>\n UT System food drive results<\/p>\n Division A results\u00a0<\/p>\n UT Health Houston raised 11,113 items<\/p>\n UT Tyler raised 2,660 items<\/p>\n UT Permian Basin raised 229 item<\/p>\n Division B results<\/p>\n UT El Paso raised 35,091 items<\/p>\n UT Dallas raised 20,447 items<\/p>\n Division C results<\/p>\n UT Arlington raised 5,284 items<\/p>\n UT San Antonio raised 1,850 items<\/p>\n UT Austin raised 964 items<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone deserves to have something to eat,\u201d Liang said. \u201cSo it\u2019s really important for us to have this donation drive to not only, A, build up our own inventory to give back to our student community, but also, B, to ensure that no Maverick goes hungry.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The competition wasn\u2019t without its challenges, though. At the end of the first week, UTA\u2019s results were 116 donations, the last in its division, Liang said. Over the course of the next two weeks, however, it saw a rise in donations.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said the first week\u2019s numbers ignited school spirit. During the second week, Liang said some departments came in and donated.\u00a0<\/p>\n Competing against UT Austin and UT San Antonio, she said they were neck and neck in the second week, with it being anyone\u2019s game, but in the final week UTA received the bulk of its donations, pulling it into the lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n St. Vincent Church donated over 88 food kits for students, Liang said. The Student Government donated over 400 items. UTA Police and Military and Veteran Services donated boxes of food and many more continued to donate until the last day.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just so heartwarming to see how many communities are rising to help, and then also our own campus departments,\u201d she said. \u201cAll these departments are like, \u2018Hey, how can we help? Hey, how can we reach out to students? What do you need?\u2019 and it\u2019s really great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Canned food available for students, faculty and staff is displayed on shelves Oct. 16 at the UTA Maverick Pantry. In 2022, Kroger Co. Foundation donated $250,000 to UTA to help establish the food pantry.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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