During Fall Pause, the Dining Hall lacked both dedicated gluten free food and vegan food for a majority of the break. This is not an irregular occurrence: the Caf regularly omits both dedicated gluten-free and vegan food for breakfasts, the Kove is closed during breakfasts and the gluten-free corner is regularly understocked or just not stocked at all. This is unacceptable. 

The College prides itself on having a variety of food options for many different dietary restrictions and allergies; however, in reality, eating with dietary restrictions and allergies is a frustrating, almost impossible, endeavor at Dickinson. 

It is incredibly frustrating to eat in the Caf as a student with allergies. Most breakfasts, I am forced to go to the main line, due to the gluten-free corner not being stocked at all. In the past days, even the gluten-free waffle batter has been removed. This leaves only white bread and bagels as the sole dedicated gluten-free foods. Bagels and white bread are not nutritionally dense enough to maintain a student’s wellbeing. Again, this is unacceptable. 

The college should be required to regularly fill, and refill, the gluten-free section of the Dining Hall, and make sure they are providing an adequate meal (consisting of a proteins, carbohydrates and vegetables) for all students. It is disgusting that the college prides itself so much in their ability to accommodate dietary restrictions, which is something they mention ad nauseam on college tours, yet cannot actually fulfill this requirement for day-to-day life.

Dining Services dumps hours of effort into stocking the glutenous sections of the Dining Hall, yet cannot spare minutes to make sure they are properly accommodating those with allergies. They make four different types of pasta daily, yet cannot make one gluten-free option. They stock waffle batter for everyone else, but leave the gluten-free section empty for weeks on end. 

On top of not bothering to include gluten-free students, the college ties their solely vegan area to Jewish holidays. 

The Kove, which closes on Jewish holidays, is the only place where vegan students can regularly find vegan food. It is not okay for the College to close this area and completely ignore that not all vegan students are Jewish. The College is, of course, able to acknowledge and help Jewish students observe religious holidays, however this should not affect the lives of non-Jewish students who need this area so they can eat. 

The College needs to get better at including students with dietary accommodations or need to stop advertising how good they are at it.