Campus Voices: Dining with a purpose

Though ten years have passed since I graduated from college, I remember that time in my life as if it were yesterday. 

I arrived at the Academy of Art’s residence hall, located at 620 Sutter Street in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California, in January 2012 after completing the fall semester online while addressing some health issues. 

I was 20 years old and far from home for the first time. I was finally free to discover and express myself in ways I couldn’t in my conservative household in a conservative town. 

But my insecurities followed me.

When I ate in the dining hall, I sat alone, facing the corner so no one could see me, judge me or shame me for eating the way I was all too used to.

I was clinically obese, weighing over 300 pounds while standing 5 feet 8 inches tall. Being a transgender man and still presenting as female added another layer to my severe body image issues. 

I thought I was hiding my pain well. I was succeeding in the classroom, and I even secured a spot on the President’s Honors List for Academic Excellence. I had friends and a budding social life, and I was producing high-quality personal projects. 

But someone noticed. 

One evening, I arrived at the dining hall for dinner and found that my preferred table — the one in the corner overlooking the street — was full. As I turned around to leave, a food service staff member, employed by Sodexo, escorted me to a table in the center of the already crowded room.

The worker  then proceeded to the kiosk to place my order for the six-course meal I always requested after spending 10 to 12 days restricting myself to two plates of food per day. I began shaking with anxiety, fighting to hold back my tears.

Yet, when the dining hall employee returned with my order tickets, he sat down and reassured me that I didn’t need to worry about being judged or shamed in “his” dining hall. 

“These other students aren’t worried about what you’re eating,” he said. “They have their own lives to focus on. And we certainly don’t care what or how much you eat. We’re just glad you enjoy the food and finish what’s on your plate. You’re always welcome here.” 

Then, he walked away and returned to work, and no one paid me any mind. I ate my six plates of food in peace at the center of the room, surrounded by chatter, conversations and overall liveliness.

It was beautiful to witness what I had been missing out on — peers of all shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds coming together to enjoy a meal. 

Over the remaining weeks of the semester, I slowly became part of the social scene at the 620 Café and the Art Café across the street, making new friends and collaborating with students across different majors. 

My eating patterns became more stable, moving away from the constant restrict-binge-purge cycle. While my body image issues didn’t go away, they certainly didn’t rule my life in the same way.

I moved off campus the following semester but made it a point to visit the 620 Café at least twice a week. I continued to flourish, work on myself, excel academically and produce personal projects like never before.

I even came out early in the spring 2014 semester and began my social transition, receiving immense support from my peers, instructors and campus dining staff, who always greeted me with a “Hello, sir” or “Good to see you, young man.” 

My name is Jamie Gallant, Sustainability Coordinator for Lehigh Dining. This story is my “why” for aiming to provide an exceptional dining experience at Lehigh: to pay it forward. 

I often wonder what might have been if that one dining services employee hadn’t pushed me out of my comfort zone that early April evening. Would I still be here today? Would I be anything like the person I am today? Would I have grown in the same ways? 

I’lll never know the answers to those questions, and frankly, I don’t care. 

If I can help even just one student feel less alone and  like they belong in our dining halls, it would be an absolute honor. I value each and every one of our brilliant students and want them to know they have a place in every aspect of campus life. 

I exist at the intersection of multiple underrepresented groups. I’m Jewish, I’m transgender, I’m gay and I live with multiple “invisible” disabilities.

I’m also so much more than that. I’m a fitness athlete, a writer, an advocate and a “like-a-dad” to three wonderful children. 

My favorite thing about Lehigh, besides the deer, is the Lehigh University Art Gallery. My favorite holidays are Halloween and Hanukkah. My favorite cultural food is potato latkes with applesauce. My favorite snack is plant-based Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. My favorite song is Peyton Parrish’s metal cover of “Let It Go.” My favorite thing to do in my free time is read. 

If anything in this story resonates with you, let me know. I’d love to hear from you. 

If there’s anything I can do to help you feel a better sense of belonging in the dining halls — whether it’s eating a meal with you at Rathbone or Brodhead, helping you connect with our campus dietitian to address food allergies, or if you simply have questions or ideas on how to propel sustainability in dining forward — whatever it is, I’m here. 

Campus Voices is a new subsection of The Brown and White where campus community members can submit opinion pieces. If interested, contact Julia Contino at [email protected].