Gluten-Free at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Bard is not the most accommodating place for gluten-free.
It took almost three months of pressuring from me, the
Director of Disability Services, and my mother (a staff
member at the NFCA) to get chiefs and staff trained on how
to serve gluten-free. Even after that, I witnessed many
incidents of cross-contamination and was finally given
permission to go off the meal plan in late November.
I encourage everyone who has Celiac Disease to register for
Disability Services, for it will greatly help if you run into any
incidences. Kline, the dining hall, does serve gluten-free
food, I just found myself too sensitive (and fed up) to
continue to eat there. My biggest piece of advice is to
ADVOCATE. Don't be afraid of kicking ass to get what you
want. The dining hall is there to serve YOU and if you're
getting sick or if there's not a variety of options, make a lot
of noise about it until someone listens.
I am thinking about starting a gluten-free club on campus
next year, the purpose being to provide support for
students, exchange recipes, cook dinners, and organize
meetings with the nutritionist on campus. If it's not started
next year, it will definitely be started within my time at Bard
(I will be graduating in 2014), so I can promise anyone
thinking about applying that I will be here to help if they
need it. __________________
