First, take note of the giant bunny and Robin Henderson, a PETA2 College Leadership program participant, protesting Wet Seal at the Poughkeepsie Galleria on a slightly chilly day earlier this month. The campaign is growing strong with the support of college students across the country! Drop us a line at PETA2@peta.org to get involved.

Rabbits are extremely social animals, living with their families in underground burrows called warrens. They can hop faster than a cat, human, or white-tailed deer can run. Rabbits love nibbling on alfalfa, timothy hay, apples, carrots, and crisp, green veggies, and they chew vigorously to trim their front teeth, which never stop growing. They communicate through body language, marking their territories like cats by rubbing their chins on twigs, rocks, or other landmarks. People who have adopted domestic rabbits from shelters know that they can be extremely affectionate, snuggling with their human companions and gently nuzzling their necks. Rabbits are sensitive, smart animals with individual personalities, just like dogs and cats. They make lifelong bonds with other rabbits and humans, play with toys, and can even learn to use litterboxes.

Like other animals “farmed” for their fur, rabbits—who are extremely clean by nature—are kept in tiny, filthy cages, surrounded by their own waste. They spend their entire miserable lives standing on the thin cage wires, never having a chance to dig, jump, or play. The methods of slaughter are inhumane—they are killed by having their necks broken or having their skulls beaten in before being strung up by the legs and having their heads cut off.

Also, make note of Robin’s brilliant work in setting up this anti-fur display right near her college’s fashion department! This panel, discussing the cruelties of the fur industry, is one of three large visuals that will reach thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors!

Thanks to everyone working to help those bunnies! Seriously, could they get any cuter? Have you seen their noses?

Jessica gave out free Tofurky and Vegetarian Starter Kits to enthused passers-by in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. You may have seen coverage of her events on your television or in your newpaper, or even heard about it on the radio.

See you in 2005!

Betsy Thomas, a junior originally from the DC area, submitted an excellent letter to the editor. You can read it here. For her efforts, she gets any item under $10 from PETACatalog.org.

Congrats to the students working hard over there. If you want to get more involved on your campus, drop us an email at PETA2@peta.org and we'll send you all the free posters, stickers, and info you need to get started!

If you guessed Demand Liberation -the nation's best student animal rights conference - then you are correct!

This weekend, students from Virginia to Maine met in Boston for coalition building, strategy workshops, hands-on trainings, one amazing KFC protest and tons of fun! Presentations included campus organization building, public speaking, organizing demos, working with the media and tips for effective advocacy.

You can check out the Student Animal Rights Alliance Blog for pictures from the conference. Here's what the students attending had to say:

"Very positive/uplifting, motivating."

"Out of all the conferences I’ve been to, I feel like this is the one I’ve learned the most from."

"Everybody here was so hot!!"

"I really appreciate this conference. Larger conferences are great too, but I feel like so much is accomplished in this small setting. The food was incredible. Yum. Thank you so much to the organizers and presenters for all you do."

Want to catch the next Demand Liberation? We'll be hosting three more conferences in February 2005: Gainsville, Austin & Minneapolis!

The week of vegetarian activism kicked off with "The Veg Pledge", which encoruaged student to try vegetarianism for one week. The efforts of PAWS activists were bolstered by the Dining Service Management who agreed to serve no fewer than three vegetarian entrees at every meal.

The Humane Week also featured a presentation of "Goodbye, Green Pastures!" -a survey of the environmental impacts of factory farming by Loring Harkness of PETA.

The following night students enjoyed screenings of the movies "Peaceable Kingdom" and "The Witness" while munching on soy milk and vegan cookies.

Activists also braved the sleet and cold to host a vegan BBQ, where they invited fellow students to try free samples of Gardenburger Vegan Riblets. One activist dressed in a pink pig costume and held a sign that read, "No! I don't have any spare ribs!" Activists distributed over 150 samples and received press coverage by local radio stations and newspapers.

PAWS capped off this amazing week of vegetarian activism by hosting a vegan banquet on Saturday night. Everyone who had taken "The Veg Pledge" was invited to attend.

The amazing response to Humane Week by Brown University students encouraged PAWS to pursue more vegetarian activism in the future. PAWS has already taken steps to make the vegetarian entrees a permanent fixture in the cafeteria and has plans to place newspaper stands full of Vegetarian Starter Kits in prominent locations around campus.

Among some of the other exciting events happening this past weekend in Berkeley, California were: Carroll Adams speaking on the link between feminist critical theory and animal rights, one activist dressing up like a giant bunny and handing out "Be a Bunny’s Honey" stickers at a Halloween parade, reflections on the animal rights movement's light-speed progress from Paul Shapiro of Compassion Over Killing, Michael Gregor, M.D., talking on globalization and the animal rights movement, Bruce Friedrich speaking on effective advocacy for animals and Alka Chandna speaking on working for an animal rights organization.

There were tons of workshops on everything from "Pursuing a Career in Pre-law" to "How We Did an Open Rescue". We all had a chance to ask some of the big names in animal advocacy all of those questions that have been eating away at us, while we ate away at some of the best vegan food I’ve had in a long time.

If you’re interested in networking with activists in your area, learning more about effective advocacy techniques, learning more about animals rights, eating great vegan food, or just having fun while fighting for a cause, you should definitely check out DemandLiberation.com and come to one of the regional conferences in Philadelphia, Boston, Gainesville, Austin & Minneapolis.

Chris P. Carrot’s message of compassion and health has already reached thousands of people across the country. After two rounds of successful campaigning in Beantown and the Big Apple during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Chris P. Carrot is now asking Americans everywhere to get back to their roots, not to mention their fruits and vegetables. If everyone took Chris P. Carrot’s vegetarian message to heart, America’s health would improve dramatically and billions of animals would be spared. Vote Carrot 2004!

Today members of PSTAR hosted a Veg Nutrition 101 class the University of Pennsylvania. Their 40 minute to 1 hour Powerpoint presentation focuses on all the major macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins) and the many of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that compromise a healthy vegetarian diet. The presentation also debunks common myths about vegetarian diets, evaulates some of the new fad diets, offers insights to general health issues, and informs students about the vegetarian and vegan options available in the University of Pennsylvania's dining halls.

During the lecture, a PSTAR chef prepared healthy, easy-to-make, and relatively inexpensive vegetarian recipes that any college student can whip up. Samples were distributed throughout the presentation.

After the presentation concluded, students asked questions while they enjoy a FREE VEGAN MEAL (provided by the college house and catered by a local vegan restaurant who agreed to donate the food), and tons of literature. Recipes were also available for the students to take.

Want to host a Veg Nutrition class at your college? Give Peta2 a holler and we'll help get you started!

"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!

Oh yeah, and here's another article about vegetarianism that appeared in Virginia Tech's newspaper.

"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.

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.

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."

Chek out the full story.

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