Taco bar, chicken wings, even vegetarian meal options. Although the cafeteria offers a number of options for students, some students are unhappy with the lack of selection for their dietary needs.
“I’ve been getting soy milk at request all year at the cafeteria,” said Christine Gingras ’06. “Then I was told last month that I would need a doctor’s note to get it anymore.”
Gingras added that a friend of hers had requested soy milk due to her vegetarian lifestyle and was told that the cafeteria would not be supplying soy milk for much longer at all in the cafeteria.
Jim Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president of student services, explained the past and present policies concerning soy milk and specialty items in the cafeteria.
“Sodexho has for the later part of the spring been providing soy milk for a number of students who have been asking for it,” said Fitzpatrick.
“If there is a specialty item that we provide, as long as they have a doctor’s note we will provide it,” said Fitzpatrick. “To my knowledge no student has come by with such a medical note.”
Soy milk is expensive, and has been costing upwards of $50 a day to provide to students who have been requesting it, added Fitzpatrick. Due to the cost of the milk, the cafeteria could not provide it as a random new item without insisting that students follow the existing procedure for specialty items.
Gingras was not satisfied by the existing policy.
“It’s not only lactose intolerant students who may want soy milk,” she said. “There are other students, such as vegan students or those who may be health conscious, who want it as well.”
“I understand that they can’t have specialty foods for everyone, but if they’re going to have a vegetarian booth then why can’t they have soy milk?” Gingras added.
As for the future of soy milk availability on campus, Fitzpatrick entertained the idea of providing soy milk for purchase in the snack bar downstairs. He said that he will discuss the matter in the weekly meeting with Sodexho.
“I’m already paying for my breakfast in the cafeteria and I can’t have soy milk?” said Gingras. “I don’t think I should have to pay extra for it in the snack bar and have to bring it with me to the cafeteria.”
Lactose intolerance is the inability to produce the enzyme needed to break down lactose, which is the sugar found in animal milk, according to Lactose.co.uk. Lactose intolerance affects about 80-95 percents of blacks and Asians, about half of Mediterraneans and around 15 percent of Northern Europeans.
“There are a lot of people with serious medical needs, although I may not be one of them,” said Lauren Fedechena ’05. “If Fairfield is providing a healthy diet for everyone then they should also provide it for vegans, diabetics, etc.”
Fitzpatrick said that he is not averse to providing anything a student needs for a medical diet, no matter what the cost.
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