Columbia University faces backlash after a campus dining hall menu listed “October 7th” alongside “blush sauce” on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Multiple outlets report that the phrasing prompted immediate criticism from some students and commentators.
The reports describe the menu item as a pasta sauce listing and note that critics questioned whether the choice was intended to reference the attack and its victims, with some alleging the naming was provocative. Sources also differ slightly in how they frame the menu wording, with some emphasizing “October 7” and others focusing on “October 7th” and the “Blush sauce” pairing.
The controversy centers on the menu’s naming rather than any reported change to the food itself. The outlets’ accounts focus on public reaction to the wording and the questions it raises about sensitivity around the anniversary of the attack.
