Penn State typically has a clear-cut allergen system. They have Allergen cards that coordinate with what the allergen in each food represents. With that information many people would assume you could walk into the dining hall and know what allergens are in it. Alas, the dining hall is not perfect and that means sometimes what you get is a green card that says talk to the chef.
These cards do not have any allergens listed on them, but sometimes the people who are serving it don’t even know what is in it. You would think that someone should know, right? Those cards are not conducive to those with allergies, especially those who are anaphylactic. The little green cards in the dining hall can be a disappointing sight for students with allergies. While my friend and I are a small sample size of those on campus, we tend to not eat from the green cards unless we are certain. Well. I will eat from them, on occasion, but that is only if I have taken precautions in case of an allergic reaction. I try to avoid it, but eating pizza every day because I know I won’t get sick from it is boring.
These things are stressful in a time where everything else is already very stressful. The situation of how to deal with allergies on campus can leave so many little worries throughout the day. Those with allergies shouldn’t have to worry about whether they are getting a balanced meal or not.