February means Winter Carnival has arrived in Houghton and if you’ve taken a stroll through campus recently, you may have noticed a different type of statue on display in the Memorial Union Building – a canstatue. This statue constructed entirely of canned foods aims to raise awareness of student food insecurity and raise funds to support the Husky Food Access Network (HuskyFAN) campus food pantry.
Rates of food insecurity experienced on college campuses is a growing concern and an issue that impacts our Huskies. According to a fall 2025 survey conducted by Angie Carter, Associate Professor of Environmental & Energy Justice in the Department of Social Sciences, and Katherine Loff-Peterson, undergraduate student in Sustainability Science and Society, the number of students who lack access to balanced meals has increased from 36% to 52% since 2018.
The Mission: Student Nutrition canstatue initiative is a partnership between Husky Food Access Network (HuskyFAN), Husky Eats, and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience.
Resources on campus provided by the Husky Food Access Network (HuskyFAN) directly improve student food security by providing free, accessible, and nutritious food. For more information and a link to donate, please visit the HuskyFAN website and check out the canstatue in the MUB!
