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The dining halls at Calvin College have become more accommodating to Muslim students this semester with the introduction of halal food options. On January 6th, the college’s Dining Services announced that they have added halal food to their menu to make it more inclusive to all students. Halal food is food that complies with the guidelines set forth in the Quran.
The addition of halal food was highly anticipated by Muslim students on campus who were previously limited in their food choices. Oula Salih, a senior and practicing Muslim, remembers instances when she had to eat only vegetarian options because the other options were not in line with the eating practices in the Quran. First-year student Sara Hag Ali, who is also a practicing Muslim, recalls only being able to eat fries because most of the food options had pork, which is not allowed in halal food.
Salih, who is a member of the Interfaith Student Alliance, is glad to see Calvin taking steps towards inclusion. Both Salih and Hag Ali have experienced microaggressions during their time at Calvin but hope that the introduction of halal food will make the college more accommodating to religious minorities.
The halal food program is being led by Estelle Bean, the Director of Hospitality Operations, who has worked with Dining Services to meet the dietary needs of all students. Bean has previously brought halal food to Kalamazoo College and says the addition at Calvin was driven by growing demand.
The addition of halal food will not result in noticeable changes to the menu, as halal food encompasses a wide variety of options. The focus is on providing options that are not “haram,” which means prohibited. Some ingredients and preparation methods will change to comply with halal standards.
Dining Services will not be certified halal as there are not enough resources for the dining halls to become fully halal certified. The challenge is to increase inclusion with the resources available. Educating staff on halal preparation methods and ingredients has also been key.
Calvin Dining Services is committed to accommodating all students’ dietary needs, whether that means adding new options to the menu or adapting on an individual basis. According to Bean, the college is willing to work with all students to ensure they can stick to their dietary preferences.
