Happy Black History Month! Toni Morrison Hall Replaces Cheese Pizza With “African-Inspired Red Sauce Cheesy Flatbread” for Month of February

To celebrate the contributions of Black Americans for Black History Month, Cornell Dining has released an all-new menu to Toni Morrison Dining Hall this February. Among the new dishes is 

an “African-inspired Red Sauce Cheesy Flatbread” that will replace the dining hall’s signature cheese pizza for the remainder of the month.

“We wanted to make sure that we represented the diversity of what I have just now learned is known as ‘the African Diaspora,’” said Greg Bullis, Director of Cornell University Dining. “Through bringing dishes from places like Nigeria, Ghana, and uh, the other ones, to our campus, we hope to grow an appreciation for the flavors of Africa.”

The menu, which was created by “a diverse group of people of all races and nationalities,” includes inventive dishes such as “West African Noodles and Butter,” “East African Salad with Spiced East African Dressing,” and “North African Mineral Water.” Students from all cultures, such as Sebastiano Romano ‘25, are taking full advantage of the dining hall’s mosaic of African flavors.

“I used to think that African food was very foreign to me and that I wouldn’t enjoy its flavors,” said Romano, an international student from Italy, “but the African-Inspired Red Sauce Cheesy Flatbread is amazing!”

The positive reception of this year’s menu has inspired Cornell Dining to continue its initiative in the coming years. According to Director Bullis, a green bean casserole inspired by the Horn of Ethiopia and a meatloaf with “influences from the Swahili language” are currently being developed for the 2025 menu.

The Cornell Dining team will continue its inclusion efforts for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, with Indian-inspired Tomato Parmesan Naan and Japanese-inspired Noodles with Japanese-sounding sauce, which they believe is sure to be a hit with students from all across the Western Hemisphere.   

Honoring Black History Month, Professor Pledges to Continue Using Blackboard This Semester

ROCKEFELLER HALL—In an effort to show solidarity with his Black students during Black History Month, Anthropology Professor Bradley Haynes announced that he will refuse to switch from Blackboard to Canvas this semester.

While many professors are not opting to switch platforms until Spring 2020, Professor Haynes said his choice will show students that he is “truly down for the cause.”

“After binge-watching The Wire and viewing several rap videos I truly understand what it means to be Black in America”, Haynes said while struggling to figure out how to add a ‘Grades’ section to the class Blackboard. “I think my students will finally understand how much I care about their culture and preventing erasure in course platform names.”

While continuing to use an objectively worse course management system is a small move, Haynes emphasized that he does not want his Black students to think poorly of him or think he is out of touch with anything but technology.

“I’m also planning on giving every student with proof of having more than one Black friend an extra 5% on their final grade,” said Haynes, adding that they’d have to submit proof on paper because he can’t figure out how to set submission up through Blackboard’s interface.

Black students in the class noted that while the professor means well, they don’t expect him to modify the readings for the semester to include a single study of a non-white society.