Speaking Truth To Power
When the CEO of Proctor and Gamble agreed to address alumni of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut he didn't know he would have to answer for Iams cruel animal experiments. As A.G. Lafley took the podium, a peta2 activist stood at the front of the room and shouted:
"Ladies and Gentlemen - The Iams Corporation, a Proctor and Gamble company, kills cats and dogs in cruel nutritional experiments. These experiments are completely unnecessary and can easily be replaced by humane alternatives. A.G. Lafley has the power to stop animal suffering. Please visit IamsCruelty.com for more information. Thank you!"
Everyone in the room was too shocked to respond and the peta2 activist then left the building without incident. Here's to speaking truth to power!
Posted by loringh at 03:16 PM | Comments (1)
October 26, 2004Virginia Tech
I've been finishing up my talk for Liberation Now! - The National Animal Rights Student Conference. My talk should be very good, so if you're going be there I better see your face in the audience (hooting and hollering). There are just a few days left. California here we come!
Oh yeah, and here's another article about vegetarianism that appeared in Virginia Tech's newspaper.
Posted by JoelBartlett at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2004Foie gras is worse than a faux pas
We're extra proud of this article because Michael spent some months interning with PETA this summer. Plus Newsday is the 8th largest newspaper in the US!
"Foie gras is worse than a faux pas"
Michael Croland
Michael Croland of Melville is a senior at Carnegie Mellon.
October 18, 2004
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law a ban on the sales and production of foie gras in California. Fifteen countries have also stopped the production of this gourmet cruelty. As the only other state in the country where foie gras is produced, New York should follow California's lead.
Foie gras is the grotesquely oversized, diseased liver of a duck or goose. Foie gras producers pump a third of the birds' body weight directly into their digestive systems with a long metal pipe several times daily. The animals' livers grow to about 10 times healthy size. The animals are confined in filth where they are unable to swim, nest, graze or fly.
This force-feeding results in hepatic lipidosis, a type of liver disease. If eating a bile-secreting organ is not gross on its own, foie gras is truly sick.
Legislation has been introduced in New York to ban the production of foie gras. So far the bills have not gone anywhere, but hopefully California's effort will provide the needed momentum.
Foie gras is a despicable example of cruelty to animals, and New York should join California and a plethora of countries in saying au revoir to foie gras.
NEW VOICES is a weekly feature with original, nonfiction essays by college, high school and middle school students. Send submissions of up to 400 words by mail to Opinion Department, Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY, 11747. Send all e-mail to: newvoices@newsday.com or fax to 631-843-2986.
Posted by JoelBartlett at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
William & Mary: Just Veg
"Just Veg: Group dishes up variety of vegetarian fare"
By NICOLE FUNDERBURK
FLAT HAT STAFF WRITER, September 17, 2004
Once the domain of hippies and bunny-loving little girls, vegetarianism is on the rise and making inroads into Middle America. Cafes have started selling vegan cookies and sandwiches, while signs proclaiming "Greek veggie pasta" or "Strawberry walnut salad" stand in front of restaurants, replacing the old stand-bys of turkey sandwiches and hamburgers. Even the CenterCourt and Market Place are incorporating more stir-fry, veggie wraps and pasta options into their menu, though food prices may have something to do with this.
However, to celebrate this growth of vegetarianism, Humans for Animal Liberation and Vegetarianism will be hosting a vegan bake-off and taste-testing in the Crim Dell meadows this Saturday afternoon. Various local restaurants and stores like Casa Maya and Nawab will be displaying some of their vegetarian options for students to taste. A vegan bake-off competition will also be held with three judges to compare the entries, and the winner will receive a twenty dollar gift certificate to Ukrops. To add to the festivities, there will be two musical performances: Robert Barrow and Wes Swing and Emily Greget.
"A lot of people don't know about vegetarianism or veganism, so this is aimed at everyone, regardless of whether or not you're vegetarian," HALVA publicity chair Stephanie Rudloff said.
This is the first time HALVA has organized a celebration like this. Formerly called the Veggie Club, the group has taken field-trips to the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals headquarters, participated in Earth Day festivities, held vegetarian/vegan potluck dinners and worked with Dining Services and local restaurants to increase the amount of vegetarian options on the menu. The club meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays in Tucker 131.
For those not in tune with the vegetarian trend, the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan is that while a vegetarian does not eat meat, a vegan avoids animal products altogether, from eggs to cheese to leather. Besides carrying just well-known products like Boca Burgers, supermarkets are expanding their selection with other meat substitutes.
"Stores are starting to carry lots of substitute products, like non-dairy cheese and non-meat chicken and turkey," Rudloff said. These products are made with same ingredients that can be found in tofu, according Rudloff. When asked how appetizing these foods can be, Rudloff said that "once they add all the spices it tastes about the same [as regular meat]."
Students can see what they think of vegan food on the Crim Dell meadows from 2 to 5 p.m. this Saturday afternoon. In case of rain, the festivities will be held in the Little Theater of the Campus Center.
Posted by JoelBartlett at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
College Students Want More Vegan Meals
One Out of Every Four College Students Wants Vegan Meals According to ARAMARK Nationwide Survey; Campuses Across Country Offer 'Vegan' This Fall
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 2004--According to ARAMARK's recent nationwide survey completed by over 100,000 college students, nearly a quarter said finding vegan meals on campus was important to them. Vegan dishes contain no meat, fish, poultry or other products derived from animals such as dairy, eggs or honey.
As a result, ARAMARK (NYSE:RMK) has added dozens of vegan menu items as part of the company's innovative and flexible Just4U(TM) menu program, available on nearly two dozen ARAMARK-managed college campuses this fall.
New menu items include Sweet Thai Tofu Stir-Fry, Broccoli Teriyaki, Chili Garlic Stir-Fry, Vegan Cheese Quesadillas, Vegan "Chicken" Burritos, Eggless "Egg" Salad, "Turkey" Subs, and Vegan "Cheese" Burgers. Each dish contains flavorful meat or cheese alternatives, made from soy or other vegan products.
"Our DiningStyles(TM) research demonstrated that demand for vegan is especially strong among college students, as fully 24% of students indicated that vegan dishes were important to them versus only 18% for low-carb," said Ginger Strano, RD, Director of Nutritional Program Development for ARAMARK. "With Just4U(TM) we're able to customize our menu mix to reflect how students eat on each campus and offer foods that fit into their own dining style."
Posted by JoelBartlett at 09:12 AM | Comments (2)
Vegan Food Tasting in Minnesota
September 20, 2004
"Giveaway offers students a chance to try vegan foods"
By Anna Weggel
Matthew Allen visited campus Friday looking for a job. Instead, he might have found a change in lifestyle.
Allen and many other students tried vegan food Friday at a vegan food giveaway on the West Bank.
“Oh, my God,” Allen said in response to the taste of a Burger King veggie burger. “That’s all I can say.”
Provided with the food by the University student group Compassionate Action for Animals, students tasted vegan burgers, chocolate, ice cream and various meat substitutes.
Allen said he was astonished by the taste and was considering becoming a vegan as a result of the giveaway.
“I can’t believe there’s no meat,” Allen said.
The group’s adviser, Gregory Oschwald, said he was hoping to hear responses like Allen’s.
“(People) need to realize vegan food tastes great,” Oschwald said.
Oschwald said CAA started in March 2003 and has approximately 30 members and 150 volunteers.
In the past, the group has shown a video called “Meet your Meat,” a film detailing the lives and deaths of animals used for food.
Oschwald said both tactics for promoting a vegan lifestyle are important, because people need to have reasons for going vegan. But he said it is generally best to do the events at separate times.
The goal of Friday’s event, Oschwald said, was to get students to taste vegan food.
“We give information on factory farming, provide (students) with great-tasting food, give a little information, then let them go away and make their own decision,” he said.
Justin Pederson, a housing studies sophomore, tried the food as he walked between classes.
“Some of (the food) isn’t bad,” Pederson said. “The sweet stuff is good.”
However, the food did not change his mind about eating meat, he said.
“The fact that it’s free will make most people come,” he said.
Mechanical engineering student Dave Dombrowski said he didn’t think the animal cruelty displayed in the group’s pamphlets is a common occurrence.
BreAnne Mackenzie, a Spanish and global studies senior, is a vegetarian. She said she has considered eating all vegan food but does not think she can.
“I have a lot of concerns about heath issues,” Mackenzie said.
She said she was appalled when she saw a slaughterhouse.
“It seems so unsanitary,” she said. “I love animals.”
Terra Dahl, a retail merchandising junior and group member, said approximately half the people at the event were interested in becoming vegans.
“Lots of people are enthused,” Dahl said. “People are really surprised about how good vegan food can be.”
© Copyright 2004 The Minnesota Daily
Posted by JoelBartlett at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
