Editor’s note: the following piece has been lightly edited for adherence to the Associated Press stylebook.
Dear Editor,
As I am sure you are aware, recent freezer failures have caused the usual Harvest salad bar to be moved to the Made to Order Wok station. To the average student, this does not pose a problem. It is in fact a clever way to deal with an unexpected failure in the hardware needed to keep the salad bar open and running safely. However, this poses a specific problem for people with dietary restrictions; specifically, those who are allergic to dairy or are lactose intolerant.
I am allergic to dairy. Not in a way that poses a threat to my life — I do not go into anaphylactic shock when exposed to dairy — but it does essentially give me food poisoning for the next day, or in severe cases the next couple of days. As I am sure you can imagine, this is something I try very hard to avoid. As a result, parts of the dining hall pose difficulties on occasion to me and others who have similar dietary restrictions.
All other stations — Classics, Global, Grill, Kosher, Halal, and even the Made to Order Sandwich or Omelet stations — are all open to cross contamination from mixing utensils or from griddles and countertops (as is the case of Made to Order sandwiches), even if they have items that do not contain dairy. I am aware, although am by no means an expert, that Kosher laws dictate that dairy and meat cannot be mixed for meals, or whole days. However, this only provides a haven for dairy-free individuals part of the time, as Kosher is not, and by no means should be, dairy free all the time. Made to Order Wok is the only station that is truly and completely dairy-free station in the dining hall (except for the cereal bar) every day.
Unlike other Made to Order stations in Blanchard Dining Hall, Wok is absent of any ingredients that contain dairy. The woks used, to my knowledge and experience, are only used for the made to order orders, are oiled with a neutral oil, and none of the items or sauces contain dairy. Hence, there is no risk of cross-contamination. Wok Made to Order is also reliable dairy-free. It is true that all the stations in the dining hall do provide dairy free options at one point or another. Ignoring cross contamination, this would be in theory an amazing solution.
However, the days where at least some of the stations have enough options to constitute a dairy-free meal are rare, and trust me, they are good days. But these days are rarely so coordinated. It is also true that the dining hall does have staple items that are dairy free and available for students all the time, such as Halal’s Dal, which uses coconut milk. However, it is unreasonable to expect students with dietary restrictions to eat the same few things every day for whole semesters with little variation. Made to Order Wok offers the opportunity for dairy free people to have variety and control in what they eat on a day-to-day basis. It has a variety of ingredients and sauces that can be put together in a variety of ways to the individual’s preference. I am aware that I do not know everything there is to know about the dining hall. However, as someone with a moderate to severe dietary restriction, this is a moderate inconvenience to my day-to-day, and it would greatly improve my, and others’, day-to-day when it is returned to its original purpose as a Made to Order Wok station.
Sincerely,
Morgan Trudeau ’27