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Student Dining at Barnard Includes Special Meals for Fasting
Students During Ramadan; Take Out Meals for Busy Students
New York,
NY—What's new in student dining? At Barnard, there are
special meals to accommodate students who require vegan, vegetarian
and kosher meals. Now, the College is offering a special meal
plan to accommodate Muslim students who are fasting during
Ramadan, and take-out meals for all students, who might miss
meals because of their busy class schedules.
The meal
plan for Ramadan, which is observed this year Oct. 15 - Nov.
12, was initiated by Barnard sophomore Mariam Banahi, who
brought the idea to the attention of Al Sorbera, Director
of Dining Services. With input from the Student Government
Association and Residential Life Office, Dining Services has
developed a special meal plan for students who will be fasting
during the day. Students who are not on Barnard's meal plan
from Barnard or Columbia can also enroll.
The menu was designed by Sorbera in cooperation with Banahi,
and it will offer light lunch/dinner box meals, which are
provided after 5:30 p.m. each day, so that students are able
to eat at night and in the early morning hours before the
fasting begins. For the first week, the meal boxes will consist
of bagels and cream cheese, cereal, whole fruit, milk, juice,
water, tea bags and sugar, and the menu will vary each week.
Students
are also encouraged to inform Dining Services if, on any particular
day, they do not require the meal. This abides with the tradition
of Ramadan fasting, which is in part designed to make the
fasting person appreciate food more, and to think of those
around the world that are hungry and struggling without sufficient
nourishment each day. The meal plan will also include fresh
dates and figs, available at dinner time each day, in order
to break the fast.
"In
my 12 years in this business working for universities, I have
never seen as unique of a dining environment as here at Barnard,"
Sorbera. "Students really feel that they have ownership
of the dining experience — as an example, we have established
a comment card system on the dining room bulletin board, which
is extremely popular with students. Each month, the bulletin
board gets filled up with the cards from students, who can
comment on anything pertaining to the meals or service. Each
and every card will be responded to and posted back on the
board by our management staff."
The main
dining hall at Barnard is located below residence halls, and
sometimes students eat breakfast in their pajamas and slippers
as if they were at home.
"The
Ramadan meal plan is great for me and other Muslim students
on campus. This way, you don't have to spend extra money and
time to get meals off campus," said Banahi, who also
works as Dorm Assistant in Brooks Hall.
In addition
to vegan, kosher, and vegetarian meals, theme meals are offered
reflecting different cultures. These are developed in cooperation
with student organizations, which are in charge of decorations,
music, and help with the menu planning. This month, a Polish
theme meal will be offered. Other social theme meals include
the popular "Breakfast in Bed," and "Midnight
Breakfast."
Working
together with the Student Government Association (SGA), Residential
Life and the Dean's Office, Dining Services has launched many
new initiatives this fall, including the Ramadan meal plan
and "Dining Dollars," which allows Barnard students
to have meals at Columbia, and the take-out meal plan, which
will be provided with disposable silverware and boxes, for
those who cannot make the lunch or dinner hours. To make the
take-out meal plan environmentally conscious, Sorbera is working
closely with SGA to address the recycling of the disposable
boxes and silverware.
For more
information, please contact Petra Tuomi in the Office of Public
Affairs: (212) 854-7907, ptuomi@barnard.edu.
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