Do American University’s food systems provide students and community members with nutritious, sustainable, and accessible food on campus? This semester, AWOL’s multimedia team explored this question, speaking with numerous students and organizations regarding their perception of food on campus.

First-year Roman Sckaål is a member of the Dining Advisory Board on campus a small student-led committee where students can give feedback for AU’s dining services, according to the board’s manual. As a student with celiac disease, Sckaål said allergens and food safety are his primary concerns when attending DAB meetings.

“I’ve noticed that there’s been a lot of adjustments in a positive direction for students with allergens and students who need special accommodations with food,” Sckaål said.

While most students on campus obtain their food through dining facilities on campus like the Terrace Dining Room, other food communities on campus, like the community garden, supply the AU community with access to fresh and healthy produce.

“We aim to just be a communal space on campus where people can learn about their food system,” Kylie Bill, co-president of the community garden, said. “We just want students to kind of believe in a world where food is a human right, but also see how that world has already begun.”

AU’s food pantry seeks to help students access quality meals and ingredients for free, according to Taylor Allgood, the pantry’s student support coordinator.

“Our mission is just to provide supplemental support to students,” Allgood said. “We recognize that, living especially in D.C., it’s very expensive. And so if we can just help alleviate some of the financial burden that students face affording groceries or hygiene items, we just try to help in any way that we can beyond that academic side of things.”