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Monday February 15, 2021 vol. CXLV no. 1
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PROSPECT
ETIOSA OMEIKE / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
The same night’s vegan meal — tandoori tofu cutlet.
For COVID-safe food, Campus Dining undergoes a shift By Jack Allen Senior Writer and Food Critic
Smitha Haneef has been preparing with excitement for January’s vast expansion of the campus population ever since University President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83’s announcement that all under-
graduate students would be welcomed back to the University campus for Spring 2021. As Assistant Vice President for University Services, Haneef said that she and her team “didn’t lose a day in thinking about our operational planning in terms of how we might learn from the industry, whether it is
from higher education or from companies or schools outside.” The return of a much larger number of students posed a tough challenge for Campus Dining, as dining halls had to be de-densified and service pared back to quickly process students through serveries. In particular, food during the ar-
Designed by: Abby Nishiwaki
rival quarantine process — during which students were largely confined to their rooms — had to be designed in a way that avoided potential transmission of COVID-19 after students’ arrival from across the world. Upon their arrival on campus, students were given a packed bag containing one day’s worth of meals — a sandwich for their first lunch, a salad bowl for dinner, and a bagel and spreads for the following day’s breakfast — while under “strict quarantine” in their rooms. After their first negative COVID-19 test, at which point students were permitted to leave their rooms, students were assigned to one of 18 meal pickup locations throughout campus. They could pick up lunch during the day, as well as an evening bag that contained both dinner and the following day’s breakfast. For students unable to leave their dormitories — because they were in isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test, or because they were waiting longer than 24 hours for their first test result — Campus Dining delivered meals directly. Additionally, each student received a variety of snacks (such as chocolate bars, cereal bars, and bags of popcorn), two cases of canned water, and a letter from Haneef welcoming students back to campus. “In the event that there were some delays in our own service, or in the event that you just ar-
rived after long travel, the idea was that there was refreshment available to the student,” said Haneef. In designing menus for the semester, Campus Dining relied on legumes, rice, quinoa, and chicken in part for their sturdy nature. “An entrée or a side had to taste good, and hold good” after being chilled, packaged, and reheated, Haneef explained. Meals were designed to avoid the use of the eight most-seen allergens — like milk, eggs, and peanuts — as much as possible, as well as respect students’ “dietary preferences, cultural preferences, and religious preferences.” For Ella Feiner ’22, meals had left her “pleasantly surprised.” Feiner, who received the regular meals during arrival quarantine, had low expectations considering the logistical challenges posed by the safe distribution of meals to students. “It’s definitely not the best food I’ve ever eaten, but it’s pretty decent,” she said. “I think they’re doing a good job and making an effort to accommodate people.” She described the meals as varying from a “delicious” pulled pork and peppers, to “not the best” pollock that arrived lukewarm. While the main components of her meal have varied throughout, she explained that the sides had remained constant throughout See PROSPECT for more
M U LT I M E D I A
This Week in Photos: February 8–14 By Staff Photographers
This week, members of the Princeton community protested, asking the Uni-
versity to share their COVID-19 resources. More snow fell, and students went
about the second week of classes with social distancing measures in place.
CANDACE DO / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
Protestors hold up a sign in front of Nassau Hall.
In Opinion
Columnist Kelsey Ji cautions against the dangers of the quickening pace of the world due to technology and shifting social norms, and advises one to slow down once in a while.
In Multimedia
Last month, The Marriage Pact survey promised to find students “their optimal marital back-up plans” through a mathematical algorithm. Today, on Valentine’s Day, we take a look at how the social experiment fared at Princeton.
In Cartoon
Check out Hazel Flaherty’s take on campus dangers in her cartoon “Winter Weather Warning.”