Upon completion, the Pavilion “was the first kosher restaurant in the state of New Hampshire open to the public.”¹⁴ The initial goals for the Pavilion were to provide food options for Muslim and Jewish students. However, a “few months before opening, the committee researching how to make the Pavilion an operational reality decided the facility should also cook entrees for strict vegetarians.” In addition to nonreligious vegans and vegetarians, this change offered “meals [to those who] followed the rules obeyed by sakahara Hindus,” making dining at Dartmouth increasingly inclusive.¹⁵

Today, students face ongoing issues with Kosher and Halal food options. For example, the Pavilion is “open for dinner from Sunday through Thursday and for lunch from Monday through Friday.” This means that students who follow Kosher and Halal requirements have fewer dining options when the Pavilion is closed. Furthermore, the Pavilion is certified by “Tablet K, [which is] a catering service based in New York.” However, “this certification is not recognized by Conservative or Orthodox Judaism,” meaning the Pavilion does not accommodate students who adhere more strictly to Kosher guidelines. In response to this, over 700 students petitioned “for the addition of Orthodox-certified food” in 2016. The College began offering prepackaged Kosher meals “made by Vermont Kosher, which is more strictly certified by the Chabad of Vermont.”¹⁶

Dartmouth has recently made greater efforts to enhance its food offerings for Muslim students. In 2014, The Dartmouth mentioned that “the College [allowed] students observing Ramadan to go to FoCo before the sun [rose].”¹⁷ Fast forward to 2021, The Dartmouth reported that Dartmouth Dining Services was providing pre-packaged Halal meals; and circa 2023, Dartmouth Dining added a “Halal refrigerator — which students could use for their pre-dawn meal — to the Muslim prayer room at North Fairbanks Hall.”¹⁸ 

These developments mark a significant improvement from the days when Hillel had to carry food from the Episcopal church to College Hall or when students had to travel for Halal meat.

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¹⁶ Anne Johnakin, “Keeping Kosher at Dartmouth,” The Dartmouth, November 6, 2019, https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2019/11/johnakin-keeping-kosher-at-dartmouth.

¹⁷ Kalie Marsicano, “Coexisting At Dartmouth,” The Dartmouth, April 17, 2014, https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/04/coexisting-at-dartmouth.

¹⁸ Street Roberts, “Muslim Students Recount Challenges, Call for Increased Awareness during Holy Month of Ramadan,” The Dartmouth, April 21, 2021, https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2021/04/muslim-students-recount-challenges-call-for-increased-awareness-during-holy-month-of-ramadan; Chaeyoon Ok, “Dartmouth Community Celebrates Ramadan,” The Dartmouth, April 27, 2023, https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2023/04/ok-dartmouth-community-celebrates-ramadan.