There have always been few foods that are “Pearl Friendly.” I am anaphylactic to dairy, nuts, and shellfish, and I have gone through quite a few EpiPens and my fair share of trips to the emergency room. On top of that, for religious reasons, I do not eat beef and I am vegetarian once a week, further limiting my options. I have to be acutely aware of everything I eat. I can never afford to let my guard down.
Given my restricted diet and the severity of my allergies, navigating the dining halls at the College presents a significant challenge. Some days, I have multiple options, but on others, there are no suitable daily lunch or dinner specials at Whitmans’ (excluding Clean Cuisine), Driscoll, or Mission. The inconsistency is frustrating and necessitates that I religiously check the menus. They should not be so variable. In an initial meeting with the College nutritionist, she strongly recommended sticking to Clean Cuisine or ordering dedicated allergen-free meals in advance. But eating the same four bland dinners on repeat is not particularly appealing.
In Williamstown, where dining options on Spring Street are financially inaccessible, it is also challenging to obtain groceries and cook if you have access to a kitchen. It is incredibly challenging to find affordable and safe food choices for individuals with severe allergies outside of dining halls. The College needs to provide more and better alternatives. Having a consistent vegan dessert option has been fantastic — it is genuinely something that I look forward to at every meal. If the College has the capacity to accommodate such dietary restrictions for dessert, they should be able to provide more adequate options for lunch and dinner, too.
Moreover, food providers at the College must be more careful when labeling and handling allergens. Last month, I had a “mango milk” drink from Goodrich Coffee Bar, which was advertised as dairy-free. After just one sip, I felt the onset of an allergic reaction. Immediately after, when I spoke to the boba night manager at Goodrich, I was told that the drink wasn’t actually “dairy-free” and contained lactose.
I waited for an ambulance in severe pain, was transported to the emergency room, and spent the night at the hospital. Afterwards, I discovered that the “non-dairy” creamer they used contained casein, the chief protein in cow’s milk.
The College should take a more proactive role in ensuring the proper management of allergens, especially given the resources it has to support students. While the College addresses some dietary restrictions, it is not making sufficient efforts to offer a variety of quality options. I understand that the College’s institutions feed students on an incredibly large scale, but labeling drinks with the correct allergens is the bare minimum. When the College has been diligent about managing allergens, as it is with Clean Cuisine, I’ve never had a bad experience.
The College simply needs to use its resources to accommodate a well-rounded and inclusive allergen-free diet. I hope the College will offer more allergen-friendly options and ensure they are handled with care.
Pearl Potluri ’27 is from Hyderabad, India.
