CDS works to accommodate students with special religious needs

CDS will increase breakfast items in take-out venues.

By Krissy Tripp

Published Feb. 23, 2009

In the past, Muslim students have found Campus Dining Services to be less than accommodating to their religious requirements.

MSO spokeswoman Nabihah Maqbool said it was brought to her attention last semester that many student meal plans were being wasted during the month of Ramadan because the dining halls were closed during the times when Muslim students would break their fast.

They fast from sunrise until sunset during Ramadan. Muslims follow halal rules year round, which restrict their diets. For example, they cannot eat gelatin or animals that were killed inhumanely, Maqbool said.

"Meat isn't available to us, but we need balanced meals available to us when we're fasting," Maqbool said.

During the Four Front meeting Feb. 3, MSO discussed its grievances, but CDS had already begun its plans for accommodation.

CDS Director Julaine Kiehn met with MSO Secretary Moeena Mian Jan. 30 to discuss how CDS could further accommodate Muslim students, especially during Ramadan.

"My understanding was we were good to go and we were fine," Kiehn said.

During that meeting they discussed the vegan and vegetarian options available to students and looked at ingredients to find foods that would allow diners to follow the halal rules. For instance, they found Muslims could eat the Prairie Farms sour cream but not the Prairie Farms yogurt CDS distributes.

Also, they looked at how late take-out dining venues are open. Although none of the venues open early enough for breakfast during Ramadan, CDS is ready to experiment with putting more breakfast style meal platters at Plaza 900 Emporium for students to purchase and keep until the next morning. Among the take-out options they plan to experiment with are breakfast sandwiches, waffles, scrambled eggs, French toast, vegetable lasagna, other vegetarian pastas and bean burritos. Although these options will be tried this semester, they will definitely be available during the next Ramadan.

Kiehn said if the trial items are popular with all students, they could stay on a permanent basis. She sees more than one student with special religious needs enjoying breakfast platters at take-out venues.

"I think it's totally doable," Kiehn said.

CDS also plans to keep take-out locations open until 10:30-11 p.m. during Ramadan, if they aren't already.

Maqbool said they discussed other options at the Four Front meeting. They plan to talk to hall coordinators about getting kitchen keys at night so students can cook their own breakfasts in the morning. No dining halls are open before sunrise.

Maqbool explained MSO plans to make pamphlets outlining the different dining options available to students with meal plans. She said last year during Ramadan they met at a mosque about a mile-and-a-half away from campus to break their fast together.

Jewish Hillel students discussed their accommodations with CDS a couple years ago.

"This was driven by students and student needs," Hillel Executive Director Kerry Hollander said.

Jewish students receive credits for their meals if they're not used during Passover because CDS has no way to accommodate them. Kiehn explained they don't have a kosher kitchen, so they can't accommodate them in the same way they can the Muslim students.