CDS accommodates Muslim students during Ramadan

CDS extended dining hours and included more breakfast items.

By Dani Kinnison

Published Sept. 1, 2009

In a continued effort to accommodate students observing Ramadan, Campus Dining Services has extended dining hall hours and included more breakfast items on takeout menus.

"Campus Dining Services has accommodated Muslim students during Ramadan in the past by working with the students on an individual basis," CDS Director Julaine Kiehn said.

Kiehn said this year, more options will be available to students on the whole instead of individually.

Since spring 2008, CDS added new breakfast items to the Emporium's menu.

Now available in the Emporium are pancakes, egg and cheese croissant sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, French toast, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes, breakfast burritos, quiche and other items.

"If the items are popular enough, we may add them on a rotating basis to the regular offerings that currently include cereals, granola bars, muffins, fresh fruit, fruit cups, milk and orange juice," Kiehn said.

Muslim international student Omar Turki said he would like to see an increase in food quality.

"The food is not very good, but they have milk, chocolate and cookies," Turki said. "The prepared sandwiches are disgusting."

Muslim Student Organization spokeswoman Nabihah Maqbool said the accommodations were a "huge step forward."

"We've been working with dining services, and they've been so helpful since we've brought it up as a concern," Maqbool said.

Maqbool explained the difficulties of maintaining a proper healthy diet.

"Make adjustments to your day to accommodate your fasting, make sure you're well-rested, make sure you're eating a balanced meal the night before," Maqbool said.

In addition to the new menu additions, some dining halls and takeout locations are open as late as 11 p.m.

"Students can purchase these items the day before, keep them in the refrigerator overnight and eat them before sunrise the next morning," Kiehn said.

Maqbool said the new accommodations will help students, but there's still more to be done.

"The new campus dining option for taking home small meals is not necessarily enough to provide a good nutritional meal for after they break their fast or when they get up in the morning before they start fasting," Maqbool said.

CDS will gather feedback to see what else can be changed for next year.

"We are gathering feedback from the Muslim Student Organization, Muslim students, our operations staff and anyone else who would like to offer it," Kiehn said. "We will analyze how things went, and then decide whether or not to continue, make changes for next year or continue like this year."

CDS has made many adjustments this year, but has room to improve, Magbool said.

"In the future, I'd love to see more meal options to take home, or just more flexibility in the schedule overall," Maqbool said. "This is a huge advancement from nothing the year before."