Recently, I overheard one student in an elevator say, “Is anything ever good in that dining hall?” I’ve seen criticisms being aimed at the Syracuse University dining halls on social media, and rightfully so. It’s not that the food isn’t great overall, it’s the fact there are very few options for students with dietary restrictions.

I have Celiac disease, which causes the ingestion of gluten to lead to intestinal damage. Therefore, it is important that I keep a gluten-free diet to stay healthy. Here at SU, that’s almost impossible. Rarely is there a staff member monitoring the gluten free section. If there is, you will have your choice from about five dishes. I’ve counted more than forty options for people without dietary restrictions or allergies. 

Another concern of mine is cross-contamination: the combining of contaminated foods with non-contaminated food. For example, if you take mashed potatoes which are gluten free, and put gravy on them, those mashed potatoes are no longer gluten free. Does the entire dining hall staff know and follow that? Are they using separate utensils, gloves and silverware? I hope so. I wish that students with allergies or dietary restrictions had more control over what they put in their bodies, however, the bottom line is we don’t.

Syracuse University received a “C” from Niche’s list of best college food. Meanwhile, both SUNY-ESF and Le Moyne College received a “B” rating by Niche on the same list. For $77,896, you’d think we’d be able to have “A” grade food, no? 

To see what SUNY-ESF was doing that SU wasn’t, I visited the Trailhead Cafe right across from the Dome. It was cozy and felt like a ski cabin with an inviting, welcoming atmosphere, and the food was made to order and you could watch employees prepare your food. And since the food was made to order, there were many options, which gives more flexibility for students with allergies or dietary restrictions. 

But my hopes are high for the future of SU food service, as SU’s new executive chef, Eamon Lee, said he hopes to bring changes to SU’s Food Services. 

“I will be looking to engage with our student audience. I hope to evolve Food Service’s relationship with our students, asking better questions and doing more meaningful outreach,” he said. 

Although Lee’s changes come as positive news for students, especially those with dietary restrictions, it is important for the student body as a whole to take this opportunity to express concerns with the food on campus. For instance, instead of introducing new fingerprint scanning technology that only benefits students with unlimited meal plans, the university could have used that funding towards opening more options for students with dietary restrictions. In short, there is a lot of potential for change, but not a lot of action from Syracuse University administration. 

A practical step that SU students can take to improve on-campus dining is by stating your concerns through the satisfaction survey SU provides. Requesting further options and voicing your concern with current options is a good way of drawing awareness to the issue of SU not having enough options for those with dietary restrictions. You can reach out to food services via email at mealtalk@syr.edu to voice your concerns, opinions, criticisms or even suggest a recipe.

Aiden Walsh is a freshman finance major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at awalsh05@syr.edu. 

Published on November 8, 2021 at 12:37 am