Montclair State has made many positive changes to campus over the summer. One of the changes was a renovation at Sam’s Place, located inside of Machuga Heights. This year, tables were cleared out and space opened up for a new allergy-friendly station.
Students wrap around the new popular station, G8.
Lindsey Bianchi | The Montclarion
The new station, called G8, contains meals without gluten and the other top allergens seen today.
Chef Carlos Mohammad at station G8 prepares allergy-free chicken.
Lindsey Bianchi | The Montclarion
Chef Carlos Mohammad, one of the head cooks at Sam’s Place, explained the significance of the new station and the faculty’s reasoning behind making it allergy-free.
“We wanted to create more diversity in the meals this year. By doing so, we kept in mind that many students have severe allergy problems,” Mohammad said. “All the food at this station is prepared in a completely isolated section of the kitchen, away from some of our other products that are prepared in peanuts and the other top eight allergens.”
Food is covered with plastic before it is ready to serve to protect it from spoiling.
Ben Caplan | The Montclarion Photo credit: Ben Caplan
Surrounding the new station are signs explaining what G8 accommodates for and how to notify the staff of your allergy concerns.
Instructions on how to notify faculty of allergies is posted throughout the dining hall.
Lindsey Bianchi | The Montclarion
Sam’s Place also encourages students to self-identify with their allergy by creating an allergy identification card through Sam’s Place’s webpage on the Montclair State website.
Students can let both the staff and management become aware of their food allergies by showing their identification card to management and chefs before their food is prepared.
Students grab a bite from the new G8 station.
Ben Caplan | The Montclarion
Senior fashion studies major April DePrima is excited about the new addition to the dining hall.
“The G8 station has exceeded my expectations for Montclair dining,” DePrima said. “It was a truly needed boost to the former lacking Sam’s Place and my new favorite section to get my dinner from.”
Mohammad also mentioned the dining hall’s new variety of vegan and vegetarian options – all of which can be looked up on their new website for dining services.
