For three years, I’ve been showing my English composition classes news clips about college students and food stamps. The first is a segment on alleged Bridge Card abuse in Western Michigan, followed by a campus response clip from students at Michigan State who lost their food assistance after a statewide reform. Then we watch a report on a northern California college so supportive of student food stamp use that it offers applications in one of its administrative offices. Classroom response can be hard to gauge; after discussion, my classes seem to agree that a student in need should not be denied government food assistance — but there’s also a bit of cynicism there. College students who look no different than themselves couldn’t be that hungry — food-stamp hungry — could they?

In fact, college student hunger and homelessness are on the rise. But it’s no surprise that some of my students have a hard time believing it. Until very recently, neither situation has been thoroughly investigated. Colleges are not required to track student homelessness .......