I am writing a correction to Carleton Atwater’s article entitled “SGA, Hillel push for specialty dining facility,” which appeared in the Oct. 15 edition of The Northeastern News. Mr. Atwater sat down with Eliana Levine and me, to discuss the specialty dining initiative at Northeastern. When the article appeared, I found it to be deficient in the discussion of the importance of accommodating the dietary restrictions of Muslim students on campus. The Islamic Society is a major partner along with the SGA and Hillel in devising a specialty dining facility. This dining facility is about accommodating the large number of students, faculty and staff who live according to strict dietary laws. Specialty dining is not about one group over another. Our plan has been devised to accommodate as many people as possible and our goal is to attract those who do not live by dietary laws but are nonetheless interested in learning about them. Our ultimate goal for specialty dining is that not only will it maintain our current diverse population but encourage diverse students and faculty to join our community in the future. The creation of this dining facility will send a clear message that Northeastern is welcoming of all walks of life and is willing to take part in their cultural identity and make life at Northeastern comfortable for everyone.

I urge all faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students to log onto their Myneu account and take our survey. The foundation of our proposal relies on proving through numbers, that there is support and above all that there is a need for specialty dining at Northeastern. Your participation will prove to the university that our diversity is key to the excellence it strives for. It’s time that our students’ needs be met.

-Molly Simpson is a sophomore business major and V.P. of Finance for Hillel.