By MILO SMEDLEY
Opinions Editor
Many people make New Year’s resolutions, but has Sodexo, our campus dining hall company, decided to change themselves? Many students have a dislike for the dining hall but love the staff, as do I. Some of the issues that plagued the dining hall last semester seem to have disappeared since we returned to campus. Two of the issues I’ll be focusing on were the lack of allergy-free foods in the allergy sections and the lack of food or good food in the vegan section.
How can the company that feeds the entire college campus forget about not only its vegan students but also students with food allergies and sensitivities? This year, Sodexo has responded by adding more diverse options and changes to meals to avoid having too much of one group, like proteins, and not enough of others. As someone who visits the vegan section every day while making rounds around the food selections, this has been fantastic to see firsthand. My friend group used to have an ongoing bet on “if they fed the vegans” (meaning not only is it vegan, but also is it more than just edible), and now I can happily say that is a bet that I will lose almost every day I step into the dining hall.
Next up is the allergy section. As someone who has food allergies and knows other students with food allergies, this allergy-free section is vital to my experience as a Saint Rose student. Last semester, I would frequently run into the problems of cross-contamination across sections and unclear signage when it came to what foods they specifically had at each section. To combat these difficulties, not only do the signs now say what food is being served at that specific time, but they also have an additional sign that states what allergens are not present in the section. This has since brought me comfort and fewer allergic reactions that result from being exposed directly to my allergens while trying to find the foods that were supposedly “safe” for me.
Another side issue with this is the gluten-free section. Previously, I remember they would have items available for students there once in a blue moon; sometimes if the stars aligned they would even have gluten-free desserts in the desserts sections. Now, they have more options, and they have it stocked surprisingly well.
Will these changes continue past New Years and the first open house of the semester? It remains to be seen. But the steps that they are taking are certainly appreciated by myself and all of the diverse students that call Saint Rose home.
