2008 Woodie Awards
Vegan students come together
Brice Tarleton
Issue date: 3/23/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
Pancakes, falafels, barley soup, mashed potatoes, peach cobbler, and brownies - I had to swallow to keep from drooling over this cruelty-free feast.
Monday night I was attending a weekly meeting for vegan students to meet and show their support for veganism. The group eats a potluck meal together and discusses the struggles, benefits, and overall implications of this lifestyle.
Vegans are vegetarians who omit all animal products from their diets including milk, cheese, and eggs. Many also choose not to use or wear leather, wool, down, or any other product that has been tested on animals or taken from animals for human use.
"There are so many good reasons to become vegan," said first-year Matt Gibson-Hatcher. "You feel healthier, because you cut out so many unnatural toxins and hormones that are in meat and dairy. Plus, you're not supporting an unethical industry that tears up the environment and slaughters animals just because humans want the convenience."
Judy Harvey, director of Interdisciplinary Leadership for Social Change, has organized weekly gatherings in the International House. The meetings give students a chance to share their personal experiences with veganism while enjoying vegan food and exchanging recipes.
"I was really inspired by the speaker, Farmer Brown, last semester," said Harvey. "He made me consider being vegan, and I found some students with similar interests, many of them a lot more experienced with veganism than I am."
Some group members have been vegan for years, while others are attempting it for the first time. A major theme of the dinner and discussion group is the encouragement that the members offer each other in this endeavor.
"Eating food is a big part of how people interact with each other, the way that we come together to do it," said John Douglas, junior. "This whole dinner and discussion is a support group for people who are going through a major lifestyle change together."
Part of the meeting is an ongoing discussion of the book, "Becoming Vegan," by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, both registered dieticians. The book focuses on the nutritional benefits gained by a vegan diet, covering topics such as protection against cancer and heart diseases, as well as sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin B-12 without eating meat or dairy.
"We are going to try to have a program like this every semester," said Douglas. "Right now we are mainly focusing on the health aspects of a vegan diet, but there are plenty of implications of veganism that we could address, like its effect on the environment and social justice."
"I definitely see connections between a vegan diet and Leadership for Social Change," said Harvey. "If we want to feed everyone in the world, veganism is the way to go."
The vegan dinners and discussions take place at 8 p.m. on Monday nights through April 2. Those whoare interested in learning more about veganism are welcome to come and participate and should bring a vegan potluck dish to share with the group. Anyone interested in delicious food should do the same.
Monday night I was attending a weekly meeting for vegan students to meet and show their support for veganism. The group eats a potluck meal together and discusses the struggles, benefits, and overall implications of this lifestyle.
Vegans are vegetarians who omit all animal products from their diets including milk, cheese, and eggs. Many also choose not to use or wear leather, wool, down, or any other product that has been tested on animals or taken from animals for human use.
"There are so many good reasons to become vegan," said first-year Matt Gibson-Hatcher. "You feel healthier, because you cut out so many unnatural toxins and hormones that are in meat and dairy. Plus, you're not supporting an unethical industry that tears up the environment and slaughters animals just because humans want the convenience."
Judy Harvey, director of Interdisciplinary Leadership for Social Change, has organized weekly gatherings in the International House. The meetings give students a chance to share their personal experiences with veganism while enjoying vegan food and exchanging recipes.
"I was really inspired by the speaker, Farmer Brown, last semester," said Harvey. "He made me consider being vegan, and I found some students with similar interests, many of them a lot more experienced with veganism than I am."
Some group members have been vegan for years, while others are attempting it for the first time. A major theme of the dinner and discussion group is the encouragement that the members offer each other in this endeavor.
"Eating food is a big part of how people interact with each other, the way that we come together to do it," said John Douglas, junior. "This whole dinner and discussion is a support group for people who are going through a major lifestyle change together."
Part of the meeting is an ongoing discussion of the book, "Becoming Vegan," by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, both registered dieticians. The book focuses on the nutritional benefits gained by a vegan diet, covering topics such as protection against cancer and heart diseases, as well as sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin B-12 without eating meat or dairy.
"We are going to try to have a program like this every semester," said Douglas. "Right now we are mainly focusing on the health aspects of a vegan diet, but there are plenty of implications of veganism that we could address, like its effect on the environment and social justice."
"I definitely see connections between a vegan diet and Leadership for Social Change," said Harvey. "If we want to feed everyone in the world, veganism is the way to go."
The vegan dinners and discussions take place at 8 p.m. on Monday nights through April 2. Those whoare interested in learning more about veganism are welcome to come and participate and should bring a vegan potluck dish to share with the group. Anyone interested in delicious food should do the same.
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