RUOCCO: Rutgers dining must better accommodate Muslim students during Ramadan
Column: A Piece of Mind
Ramadan takes place on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Individuals of the Muslim faith take this time to observe a sacred month of worship. During Ramadan, Muslims around the world partake in fasting, also known as sawm, which begins at sunrise and ends at sunset each day for the entirety of the month.
Ramadan is a period of reflection and spiritual discipline, with the fasting portion playing a key role. The practice of fasting during Ramadan serves as a reminder of humanity and one’s dependence on God.
There are roughly 5,000 students at Rutgers who are Muslim, which accounts for a significant percentage of the student body. Despite that size, Rutgers has not been as accommodating to Muslim students as it should. The University must do more to accommodate students during Ramadan, especially through the dining options that are currently offered.
On the weekends, Rutgers dining halls close at 8 p.m. which is less than 30 minutes after the sun sets for the evening, giving students who partake in Ramadan a short period of time to break their fast. Along with the dining halls closing early on weekends, only 2 out of the 4 dining halls offer takeout options after 8 p.m.
Ramadan began on April 1 this year and will conclude on May 1. Throughout the entirety of this month, students will only have a small window of time to eat in a place that takes meal swipes. There should be more dining options available for students after 8 p.m., especially during the month in which Ramadan takes place.
I had the chance to talk to a friend of mine, Melissa Celik, who is a practicing Muslim and a senior in the School of Engineering. She is fasting, and like other Muslim students, she has expressed the importance of Ramadan being recognized within the dining halls. She also explained the difficulties for Muslim students with meal plans to get food once students can break the fast.
She expressed how difficult it is to break fast on the weekends due to the limited food options and how early the dining halls close. These limited options make it harder for Muslim students not to spend money on food on the weekends, which is problematic for students trying to budget.
This option is really not economically friendly at all and puts too much of a burden on Muslim students during Ramadan.
No student should be put in a position where they must avoid on-campus dining options because they do not feel accommodated. After Celik expressed her dissatisfaction with the current dining options, she elaborated on how Rutgers can improve.
Rutgers Dining should offer takeout during the full month of Ramadan. Or, at the very least, be open for longer hours. While this might be a bit difficult logistically, other schools have done it and, especially due to how many Muslim students attend Rutgers, the University should pursue a similar option.
Instead of having solely Busch Dining Hall and Neilson Dining Hall on Cook campus open for takeout, Rutgers should also open the takeout services at Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus and the Livingston Dining Hall, as well.
By doing this, Muslim students will be given more accessible options for when they break fast. Along with extending the takeout options to all campuses, every dining hall should stay open to at least 9 p.m. on weekends, thus matching the closing time for the weekdays.
By fulfilling these requests, students like Celik will no longer have to avoid the dining halls because they will feel comfortable and not rushed. She will be able to choose between sit-down dining or take-out dining as a way to break fast. Rutgers Dining Services has the chance to really make a difference in student life.
Steps need to be taken in order for all students to feel comfortable and represented on campus. This month is time for Muslims to grow spiritually and physically within their faith, and the dining halls should be working with the Muslim population at Rutgers to support this growth.
No student should feel underrepresented, and no student should be avoiding services that are meant for students. Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslim students at Rutgers.
Gianna Ruocco is a School of Arts and Sciences junior majoring in English and journalism and media studies and minoring in psychology. Her column, "A Piece of Mind", typically runs every other Thursday.
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