The annual Can the Bods food drive began this week on Tuesday and will run until Oct. 18.

The drive is an Associated Student Government initiative to supply Corky’s Cupboard, Emporia State’s food pantry, with food, basic supplies, and monetary funds to ensure that shelves remain stocked and accessible for ESU students, staff and faculty. ASG asks for physical donations of nonperishable food/baking items, hygiene products and school supplies that people can place in donation boxes around campus. ASG will accept monetary donations through a giving page found athttps://hornetnation.emporia.edu/g/can-the-bods-2024.

Each school calculates the final donation number in terms of “cans,” including physical and monetary donations. ASG President Azwad Arif explains that $1 equates to three cans. This is done since Corky’s Cupboard offers a variety of resources, and they might need certain items more than others. Arif says they push for monetary donations because of this, but their “main focus is always to get food resources.”

Last year, ESU exceeded the goal of $4,000 in monetary donations. The total amount of physical and financial contributions equated to 26,560 cans. They are upping the ante to $4,500 (13,500 cans) this year. 

The drive gets its name, “Can the Bods,” because it is a competition between rivals, ESU and the Washburn University Ichabods, to raise the most cans. Last year was ESU’s second victory in a row, winning against Washburn by almost double, according to a Bulletin article. The prize for winning is a public pie-in-the-face dealt by the winning student body president to the losing student body president. The winning announcement and pie-in-the-face will occur at the Oct. 26 volleyball game against Washburn.

“It’s a cool thing,” Arif said, “because, you know, we have this competitive spirit to win, but also, whether we win or lose, we’re supporting our campuses.”

Not only is it a competition between rival universities, but there is also internal competition between ESU schools and departments. 

“Whoever gets the highest amount (of monetary donations) gets their name on a plaque (outside the senate chambers),” said Arif. 

In 2023, the School of Applied Health Sciences won with just under $500 raised.

ASG also partners with registered student and community organizations to help with Can the Bods. For example, Fraternity and Sorority Life holds an event called “Canstruction” where each fraternity and sorority builds structures out of the cans they have collected. They also get donation numbers from the community “Pack the Pantry” event.

Arif emphasizes that “every cent counts” and that even if students can’t donate, spreading the word about Can the Bods supports the cause. He says, “Maybe somebody you know has five more bucks.”