Queen’s feels like a second home to many of us. We laugh about yesterday’s top Yaks. We cry about midterm stress. We eat comfort food at QP. We occasionally take a nap on the Queen’s Centre couches. When we think about what makes campus a safe space, some students like those with food allergies, have more to consider than others. Here are four simple suggestions we can all consider to take care of each other and make campus a bit better for everyone.
1. Use extra care in shared spaces
The library is a prime example of somewhere you might find yourself midnight snacking on campus while you write the final pages of that essay. After hours of building a nest in your cubicle, it can be easy to forget other people have used that space before you and surely, more will follow. Whether you are eating something potentially dangerous to another or not, think back to what you learned in scouts and leave nature the way you found it. Better yet, leave it how you wish you found it – which is hopefully nice and clean.
2. Try an alternative
This is a great opportunity to push yourself beyond the average PB&J and throw some new ingredients into your diet. Maybe it’s the Superbutter that caught your eye on your last Costco run. Maybe you’ll sub chia seeds into your yoghurt in place of the usual almond granola. The opportunities are endless!
3. Wash your hands
Here’s one I hope I didn’t have to mention but ya’ know, just in case. Washing your hands frequently is the best way to avoid the spread of allergens like residue as well as all kinds of icky germs. Just ask your local nursing student.
4. Check with people around you
The topic of allergies seems to come up a lot less frequently in life since leaving the nut-free walls of elementary school. Don’t hesitate to start the conversation with people in your life. That could mean floor mates, co-workers, group project members or anyone you know you’ll be in close quarters with.