Meatless Monday, International Food Station, Burger Day — many at Choate have their grievances with SAGE. However, people seldom realize the struggles of those with religious diets. For people with religious diets, finding necessary nutrition from the dining hall is no easy task.
As a practicing Muslim, I have a Halal diet; I can’t eat pork, and the poultry and beef I eat must be slaughtered in the least inhumane way possible.
The meat provided by SAGE is not certified Halal. Though I’m not vegetarian, SAGE forces me to become one whenever I eat in the dining hall.
As meat accounts for so much of the protein-rich food in the dining hall, it’s difficult to find the necessary nutrients — protein, in particular — in SAGE’s vegetarian options. This makes it harder to recover from athletic training and competitions, and it makes the already tiring Choate days even more stressful. And when SAGE does provide vegetarian protein-rich food like tofu or beans, it isn’t always tasty.
SAGE should make an effort to accommodate the Muslim population at Choate. Finding Halal meat is not hard. Restaurant Depot, a major restaurant supply warehouse with locations throughout Connecticut, supplies Halal meat at a cost comparable to standard meat. Hindu restaurants in Wallingford, including Kender’s Indian Palace, serve Halal meat even though the establishment isn’t Muslim.
By addressing this issue, SAGE will not only make Muslim students’ lives easier but also stand in solidarity with Mu
slims in an era of heightened Islamophobia. Doing so will also likely attract more Muslim applicants to Choate. I know that when I will apply to college, I’ll look for the dining services that serve Halal meat.
As of now, the dining hall does little for those with religious diets. To support its Muslim population, the School must push SAGE to serve Halal food or find a dining service that does.
