Rand Basic Supervisor Rebekah Beck mentioned Campus Eating’s long-term purpose is for every eating corridor to have its personal “particular culinary identification” and delicacies, together with a completely gluten-free menu.
Kissam eating workers advised The Hustler that Kissam Kitchen will quickly shut on March 10 — the day earlier than spring break — and reopen initially of the Fall 2023 semester with solely gluten-free choices. Whereas a college consultant declined to verify the short-term closure of Kissam Kitchen, Rand Basic Supervisor Rebekah Beck shared that Campus Eating might be emphasizing particular delicacies identities at every residential school eating corridor this semester.
When Kissam Kitchen reopens, it’s going to solely serve gluten-free choices, based on Kissam eating workers Anne Alukonis, Joseph Hatfield, Amanda Goff and Najah Pumphrey. They added that the Munchie Mart portion of Kissam will completely shut to permit for expansions to Kissam Kitchen. Whereas initially deliberate for Might, Alukonis mentioned the development date was moved up with a view to allocate sufficient time to complete.
Beck confirmed that Kissam Kitchen will function expanded gluten-free choices in Fall 2023, however a college consultant declined to verify Kissam’s short-term closure.
Sophomore Christopher Lofts added that Vanderbilt Tour Guides have been advised by Rand Basic Supervisor Rebekah Beck that Campus Eating is contemplating making the Pub the “go-to grill” on campus, phasing out Rothschild’s grill station. Beck confirmed to The Hustler that the Pub is at the moment being restructured however declined to share additional particulars.
Beck shared that different potential eating adjustments within the new 12 months embrace bringing again a pizza station to Rand Eating Corridor rather than 2301, which might be moved to Residential School C with expanded allergen-free choices. Res School C, which is present process building within the West Finish Neighborhood, will embrace a brand new eating corridor however not a Munchie Mart.
Beck added that the thought of shifting 2301 to Residential School C to increase allergen-free choices is being thought-about, however that no choice has been finalized but.
“I need to reiterate that plans and targets change. That’s depending on assets,” Beck mentioned in an electronic mail to The Hustler. “We’re striving to seize the scholars’ imaginative and prescient of what they’d prefer to see for the eating program — inside cause after all.”
Reactions to Kissam Kitchen adjustments
Alukonis mentioned her major concern with Kissam Munchie Mart closing throughout the faculty 12 months is college students’ potential lack of entry to meals after dinner hours and their security when strolling to different eating halls or Munchie Marts.
“We’re simply frightened about college students having meals late at evening, particularly throughout finals week,” Alukonis mentioned.
Junior and Kissam resident Will Parrack mentioned he was disenchanted about Kissam Munchie Mart closing, citing concern about lack of meals entry and comfort.
“It’s all the time very handy to have a Munchie Mart proper downstairs, and now we’ve got to journey to a extra central location of campus, isolating these of us on the sting right into a meals desert after eating hours,” Parrack mentioned.
Senior Kayla Prowell additionally mentioned she is anxious about Kissam’s short-term closure as a result of she mentioned it supplies an area for college kids with gluten allergic reactions to eat alongside their friends.
“I’m truthfully extraordinarily pissed off by this choice. As a pupil with a gluten allergy, I beloved consuming at Kissam not solely as a result of it was accommodating for me, however the eating corridor mixed with the Munchie made it an excellent place for my gluten-eating pals to eat with me as properly,” Prowell mentioned. “Sure, SAS lodging exist, and sure, 2301 is an choice however the allergen-free choices might be very isolating when you must all the time eat it to-go.”
Cultural delicacies identification
Beck mentioned that Eating can also be shifting in the direction of giving every residential school eating corridor a novel “particular culinary identification.” This variation goals to craft a holistic eating expertise for college kids and to attenuate overlap in menu choices, per Beck.
“Our purpose is to make sure that every eating corridor has a particular culinary identification and is thought for a particular delicacies; for instance, EBI has a give attention to Asian delicacies,” a college consultant mentioned in an electronic mail to The Hustler. “Our cooks regularly work to refine our menus and choices to mirror pupil tastes and present traits. On the finish of the day, we’re dedicated to providing selection and selection in our eating program.”
Along with E. Bronson Ingram’s stir fry and pho choices, cultural choices at the moment supplied at varied eating halls embrace poke bowls at Kissam; the Taqueria at Commons; Recent Mex, Mongolian Grill and Mediterranean at Rand; and Swaadisht Indian meals, Mexican avenue tacos and Italian meals at Rothschild.
“We would like every location to be an expertise for the coed,” Beck mentioned in an electronic mail to The Hustler.
Lofts mentioned he’s wanting ahead to the elevated variety of eating choices.
“I hate opening the eating corridor menus to see some model of pasta and burgers at each location,” Lofts mentioned.
Sophomore Will Ford echoed Lofts’s sentiments, including that he appreciates Campus Eating’s transparency with its deliberate adjustments and need for pupil enter.
“This readability was actually a breath of contemporary air, in distinction to earlier perceptions that the workers have been disinterested in pupil opinion. I actually felt within the know, and I’d urge others to take steps to have interaction and share/present suggestions to higher our total expertise,” Ford mentioned.
Different college students expressed a need to see further cultural meals in Vanderbilt’s eating halls to mirror the college’s numerous group.
“There’s positively a scarcity of variety in cultural meals and likewise choice. I hope to see extra Chinese language dishes sooner or later,” first-year Anna Chen mentioned. “I hope to see extra meals from all kinds of cultures as a result of meals positively helps with making school really feel much more like dwelling since meals performs an enormous consider many individuals’s identification and cultural backgrounds.”
