The recent reduction in operating hours for Dawes dining, part of a broader series of changes to dining, has negatively impacted some students at Smith.
In an email sent Jan. 21, Smith Dining Services (SDS) announced the re-opening of Gillett dining and expansion in open hours of Emerson dining. According to the announcement, accommodating these challenges meant reducing open hours at Chase dining, changing service methods at Lamont and returning Dawes dining schedule to Spring 2020 service hours, when only lunch, brunch and dinner were served.
These arrangements, made in collaboration with SEIU Local 211 and the Student Government Association (SGA), meant that hot breakfasts would no longer be served at the gluten-free dining hall. Self-prepared breakfast options remain available at the Dawes kitchenette, and gluten-free fridges “continue to be offered at Chase, Tyler and King for premade muffins and bagels.”
Still, students who primarily eat at Dawes feel that these solutions are not sufficient for the long term. To Alexa Schnur ’25, self-service breakfasts and gluten-free fridges limit students’ options to a couple of frozen items. In addition to this, eating at most dining halls often carries a risk. “[At other dining halls] there is cross-contamination,” said Schnur. “That is the nature of a buffet line. I have very strict dietary needs, so I don’t feel safe doing that.”
For those with celiac disease, gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye) can trigger an immune reaction that damages the small intestines’ lining. This can make it harder for the body to absorb nutrients, and lead to malnutrition and anemia in the long term. Although not all students who eat at Dawes house have celiacs, for many of them eating gluten carries risks ranging from inflammation, constipation and severe stomach pain to anaphylaxis.
According to the college, Smith “agreed to convert one of its buildings, formally a kosher kitchen, to a gluten-free dining hall after a few students who were getting sick on cross-contaminated campus food petitioned the administration.” Dawes is the first college dining facility wholly dedicated to gluten-free food.
Since its opening in 2015, this dining hall has provided lunch, dinner and self-service breakfasts. The pandemic forced this to change. According to Stacey Schmeidel, Senior Director for News and Strategic Communications, in 2020 Dawes began to offer hot breakfasts on weekdays because “pandemic restrictions around dining prohibited students from preparing their own breakfasts.”
Schmeidel mentioned that hot breakfasts at Dawes “were never intended as a long-term solution; it was a short-term response to some of the many COVID-related challenges that have affected dining habits during the pandemic.”
But to some students, the return to pre-pandemic dining schedules has only highlighted Dawes’ crucial role for students with dietary accommodations. “I’d like to see Dawes open for breakfast long-term. I know it wasn’t like that before COVID, but that is an issue in itself,” said Schnur. “The students who eat gluten-free still need breakfast—it’s an issue of accessibility for us.”
Sarah Garelick ’23, a student who posts on Instagram under the handle @dawesdiningdiaries, echoed this point. “It’s frustrating that people who can’t eat elsewhere don’t have many options. I’m grateful because at least I can have Cheerios or a gluten-free bagel, but I can’t just survive on this every morning.” Garelick, who eats both a FODMAP and gluten-free diet, opened her Instagram page in the hopes of building a community for those who require multiple dietary accommodations.
Garelick also mentioned wanting to see more gluten-free options at other dining halls, better ingredient labeling and educating the student body about dietary accommodations.
