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October 20, 2004William & 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 October 20, 2004 09:17 AM
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