Kendall Aronson, Campus Carrier Asst. Arts & Living Editor

Kaylie Clapp | CAMPUS CARRIER

Corn tortillas are available for gluten-free students to load with a variety of toppings.

Berry’s Dining Hall has responded to student’s critiques and has made some changes in their services provided help better cater to student needs. 

The Dining Hall makes changes to their food selections each semester. This year, they have added variety to pre-existing options like new condiments, spices, salad options and cereal options. They have also added ‘specialties’ like pasta or curly fries each day at the grille section, daily offerings of french fries, a yogurt bar and make-your-own-flatbread options. They have also added several new gluten-free options such as gluten-free bread and pizza. Additionally, Viking Court now offers gluten-free bread at Chick-fil-a. 

Junior Alexi Bell pioneered many of these changes in dining options this semester. She became gluten-free and dairy-limited last year, and realized how many fewer options there were for students with these restrictions. She eventually talked to Fraser Pearson, general manager for the dining services at Berry, and walked with him through the Dining Hall as he told her about which things she could eat. 

“I think the biggest thing is just being vocal about it,” Bell said. “I’m excited to see what else they will bring.”

The pizza station now offers gluten-free pizza options. Students can customize their own pizza toppings.

She eventually joined the dining services committee in student government and has helped to create many of the new options available in the dining services now. 

Bell said that she is pleased with how willing the Dining Hall is to work with students and adapt to their needs. The gluten-free bread is now her favorite of the gluten-free options. 

“The pizza and the gluten-free bread is a game changer for the dining hall,” Bell said. “There’s a lot more people that are gluten-free than ever before. It’s still not easy to be gluten-free and to have dietary restrictions, but it’s a lot easier now than it was a year or two ago, and I think Berry is opening its eyes to that.”

Freshman Rachel Mahd is a vegetarian who says she eats in the Dining Hall at least once a day. She said she can always find something to eat. 

“I’m always happy with my options, but there’s never a surplus,” Mahd said. 

Mahd’s parents were originally worried when she decided to become a vegetarian that she would not be able to get enough protein, but she says that it hasn’t been a problem at Berry. She takes advantage of tofu offered at the Mongolian station and proteins in the salad bar. She also enjoys new additions to the dining hall like the yogurt bar. However, she said she would eat in the Dining Hall more frequently if more vegetarian options were offered. 

Freshman Nick Fernandez was a vegetarian for a short period of time, and was surprised when he began eating meat again there weren’t many more options than what he was used to as a vegetarian. 

“There is some meat in D-Hall that I will never touch,” Fernandez said.