Love and belonging are one of our basic needs as people. A lack of belonging, or loneliness, can have devastating effects on people’s physical and mental health. Since the 1980s, reported loneliness has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent (AARP). 60 percent of college students report feeling very lonely within the last year, and 30 percent within the last two weeks (ACHA). Loneliness is as important a risk factor in health as obesity and smoking (PLOS medical journal). …show more content…
The best way to build community is to eat together. Not just ordering pizza either; I would have small teams do the meal prep. I would provide recipes and ingredients, but I would also give students the option to prepare something else. The frequency of these meals would depend on my resources and the general time availability of the students, RAs, and RECs on the floor. Ideally, I would hold these meals as often as every week to just once a