Back in my freshman year, I ordered a chocolate Badger Blast shake from Rheta’s convenience store. Two hours later, I was in the hospital emergency room in anaphylactic shock with a puffy, watering face, labored breathing and welts which had risen up all over my skin. Allegedly, some traces of nut were left on the ice cream scoop from a previous customer, accidentally contaminating my shake. It’s an easy mistake to make, but also a terribly dangerous one.
I have a nut allergy and have all my life. I’ve never bitten into a Reese’s Cup, never enjoyed peanut brittle at Christmas and have always had to seek alternative treatment for gummed-up hair. I’m regularly forced to snub home-baked treats brought in by friends and coworkers. I routinely check the ingredients of my food with such vigilance that even Mad-Eye Moody would blush. I do this because with each close encounter with peanuts, such as the “doom shake,” my reactions are expected to grow more severe and potentially lethal.
So why am I bugging you about my personal health? Why do I want you to care about nut allergies, and more importantly, why should you care?
In truth, I have seen a small degree of carelessness from fellow students in the realm of nut safety. I have no illusions that they act in malice; I sincerely doubt anyone is deliberately putting me or my nutty comrades’ health in peril. Wrappers for nutty snacks are often left near computers or in other study spaces not to mention the chance for residual nut traces to be left on the keyboards! Treats and meals brought to several events often come without allergy information — I nearly served myself some unlabeled peanut-laden hummus at a club meeting. For those living in the dorms, peanut butter is a popular item, especially in communal kitchen areas. When I resided on campus, it was not uncommon to find an open Jif jar with splatters of peanut butter underneath. I won’t equate these experiences to near brushes with death, but they are an omnipresent concern for those with high-risk allergies.
Do I demand a totally nut-free environment? Of course not. If you’re still running your days off PB&Js, by all means, go nuts. We are by and large a healthy campus — most protein and energy bars that I see my peers consuming are nut-based products. I cannot ignore the utility and benefits that nuts provide to others, and I have no desire to impose the needs of the few onto the many.
What I ask, fellow Badgers, is for your consideration and for your vigilance. I am graced with excellent friends who always go the extra mile to keep me safe, and I’m certain that many of you know someone with a food allergy and have done just the same. I ask that you extend the same courtesy you would your own friend to the entire campus. Make an extra effort to clean up shared spaces after a nutty treat. Consider taking specific steps to make homemade snacks allergen-free if they are to be shared with peers, or clearly label snacks that include such ingredients.
Current estimates are that 1 percent of the U.S. population has a nut allergy — more than 425 students here at UW, or enough to fill two average lecture halls. It takes only one honest, careless oversight to put nut-sensitive students like myself in danger. An oversight that could affect someone you hardly know, someone you interact with in passing, or someone you truly care about. Don’t roll the dice — keep our campus healthy and safe for everyone!
Rick Zuern ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in engineering mechanics and astronautics.
