News Story Update

So... the letter I sent to the news company? I got a response, and now I'm going to be interviewed later this month! I want to make it clear to anyone reading this, or seeing the news story, that there have been many helpful individuals at my school, but that there have been some unavoidable problems:

1. Unlike at Binghamton University, there is no "gluten free section" of the cafeteria or kitchen. Anything can be, and probably is, contaminated.
2. Although gluten free foods are often marked, there is not always something gluten free at every meal.
3. To get special gluten free food, I was required to call ahead, then wait at the cafeteria for someone to make me food (despite calling ahead, they never started cooking until I arrived). Also, if they ran out of some kind of gluten free food, they did not always restock it.
4. I still usually eat off of the salad bar, since most meat is breaded, served with questionable sauce, or served in something with wheat.
5. They changed the cafe this year, and the gluten free menu items I was used to using as a backup for when the cafeteria was too difficult disappeared. They were not replaced by anything.

All of these things happened, not because people weren't willing to help me, but because I am at a small school where only a tiny fraction of people do not eat gluten. Thus, it was not cost effective to implement special measures to accommodate me. For any situation where I might not be able to eat, I have to call beforehand, because otherwise there will not be food for me. On the other hand, if I do call ahead I am usually fine. I just do not think this is reasonable on an everyday basis. As a student, I really don't want to have to think about calling every time I have to eat.

So, really, I just want people to be aware that at smaller schools they might have to fend for themselves more often. They really need to be aware of the kitchen staff and any gluten free options. Learning that the french fries at the cafeteria (but not the cafe) were gluten free went a long way towards my being able to eat well at school. However, as I said before, it may be necessary to go to a larger school to get better options.