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.

Sodexho: Gluten Free or Not?

eI don't have much time for an entry, since this weekend's to do list is huge. However, since I just took the time to write this, I figured I would post it. After all, most likely it's never going to see the light of day otherwise.

Yesterday, an article ran about eating gluten free at Binghamton University. Impressive, huh? Apparently Sodexho is right on top of this...

But wait... is this the same Sodexho that I have right here at my school that can't seem to have even one gluten free option other than salad during lunch on most days? Yes. It is.

When I was looking at schools, I was told Sodexho would take care of me, but whoever told me that had no clue what happens at little schools. So I sent the following letter to the news team that did the story:

Dear News Team,

Thank you very much for doing a story about students with Celiac Disease. As a student who has been dealing with this problem since I was 17, I have really appreciated the attention on school cafeterias that cater to food intolerances and allergies.

I am a bit worried, however, about the insinuation that Sodexho is a company that accommodates food intolerances and allergies. This is not really the case, although I was led to believe this as well. I currently attend a small liberal arts college that also has Sodexho dining. Although I have had some help from individual staff members, overall my experience has been less than satisfactory. In the article, you say "[Having a variety of gluten free dishes is] nice because it's easy for someone who's GF to fall into an eating rut, because they know certain things are safe to eat." I had to pick myself out of this rut, with very little help, after eating almost nothing but salad at the dining hall for two years. Also, smaller dining halls do not have designated gluten free areas, so anything could be contaminated. A friend with nut allergies cannot eat in the dining hall on any day that they have prepared a food with nuts (which is almost always). On top of that, many schools require students to have a meal plan, especially smaller schools where this seems to be the biggest problem.

Now that I am a senior and am living in an apartment with a kitchen, I feel much better. I am eating a larger variety of foods, and I am far less likely to become sick. It would be great if you could encourage entering freshmen to look very carefully into campus dining, gluten free options, and the ease of cooking for yourself as a student. I love my small college, so I hate to say this, but it may be necessary for those of us with dietary restrictions to go to larger schools.

Thank you again.