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MSU Theatre Launches Food Pantry to Support Student Wellness

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre celebrated the opening of its new food pantry on Nov. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Friends of Theatre Food Pantry will support Theatre students whose demanding schedules often limit their access to consistent meals, providing them with a private and reliable source of food during busy academic and production periods.

Three people stand in a hallway beside a door with a green ribbon tied across it. Two individuals hold large green ceremonial scissors together while a third person stands beside them, watching the cut.
The same three individuals stand in the hallway at the ribbon-cutting site. One person holds the oversized green scissors extended toward the ribbon, while the two others stand close behind.
Several people crowd together inside a small room marked “Friends of Theatre Food Pantry,” smiling toward the camera through a doorway. Two adults stand on either side of the open door, looking in.
Department of Theatre students, faculty, and staff and members of the Friends of Theatre gathered on Nov. 20 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Friends of Theatre Food Pantry. Top photos: Friends of Theatre Co-Presidents Linea Nicholls (left) and Deb Bittner (center) join Kirk Domer (right), Department of Theatre Chairperson, for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

“Classes run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then they roll right into rehearsals starting at 6 p.m., leaving little opportunity to go home and make food,” said Kath Clark, Office Assistant for the Department of Theatre.

These time commitments also can restrict a student’s ability to maintain part-time jobs, making takeout or delivery unrealistic.

“Our students can’t perform at their best if they are hungry. This pantry will give them the nourishment they need for those long days.”

Kath Clark, Department of Theatre Office Assistant

“Studies show that 59 percent of college students are food insecure,” Clark said. “Our students can’t perform at their best if they are hungry. This pantry will give them the nourishment they need for those long days.”

Shelves in a small food pantry are stocked with a variety of packaged items.
The Friends of Theatre organization provided the financial resources necessary to establish and stock the Friends of Theatre Food Pantry.

Kirk Domer, Professor and Interim Chairperson of the Department of Theatre, echoed this sentiment.

“Theatre students rely on their bodies as their primary instruments. Their schedules demand long hours in classes, rehearsals, shops, and studios, often stretching late into the evening and weekends,” he said. “By providing consistent, reliable access to nutritious food, they can thrive in this rigorous environment.”

The food pantry was made possible by the Friends of Theatre, a volunteer group committed to promoting, encouraging, and enhancing activities and programs of the MSU Department of Theatre. The organization provided the financial resources necessary to establish and stock the pantry.

A mixed group of people gathers in a hallway outside the door to a room labeled “Friends of Theatre Food Pantry.” Some people stand in the hallway while others lean in through the open doorway from inside the pantry.
Department of Theatre students, faculty, and staff and members of the Friends of Theatre at the Nov. 20 ribbon-cutting event for the new food pantry.

“The MSU Department of Theatre is proud to launch the Friends of Theatre Food Pantry, dedicated to supporting the health, wellness, and success of our student artists and scholars,” Domer said. “Together, we aim to ensure that no student has to choose between meeting their basic needs and fully engaging in their artistic and academic work.”

“Artistry thrives when students are healthy, supported, and cared for. With the help of our alumni, donors, and partners, we can continue to nourish the next generation of theatre makers in mind, body, and spirit.”

Kirk Domer, Department of Theatre Chairperson

Domer added that the food pantry also contributes to the university’s broader goals.

“This initiative reflects MSU’s broader mission to support student wellbeing and address food insecurity on campus,” he said. “Within the Department of Theatre, it also reaffirms our belief that artistry thrives when students are healthy, supported, and cared for. With the help of our alumni, donors, and partners, we can continue to nourish the next generation of theatre makers in mind, body, and spirit.”

By Austin Curtis

Categories: Event / News / Student / Student / Theatre