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veganism and the college campus

1K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  rawgirl 
#1 ·
we pay go much money to go to school and yet, there are just not the food options we wish for... it seems almost everything has some kind of animal product in it around campus, and when I ask to see the nutritional information about what is in the food, they simply are like "sorry we don't have the pamphlets yet" Its almost like its like they don't want to give away their secret or else they don't even know what is in it. *sighs* Does anyone know how hard it would be to sway the school into more veg friendly options??
 
#2 ·
I have not had your experience (I was still only a vegetarian back when in college and that was pretty easy) but have you tried talking to someone higher up in the administration - not the people who actually work in your cafeteria but the Dean of Student Life or someone like that? You can tell them that is is against your religious beliefs to eat animal products. That might make them listen more if they are afraid of being blamed for religious discrimination.
 
#3 ·
The college I'll be going to next fall claims to label the foods in its cafeteria that are vegetarian and vegan. The food service it uses (Bon Appetit) seems good and supposedly uses a lot of organic and fresh ingredients. However, I haven't visited the campus yet, so I don't know how true any of this is.

Anyway, maybe if you got together a group of students who feel the same way, you could more effectively request a change and at least get nutrition information displayed.
 
#5 ·
I'm not in college, but the one that I'm 99% sure I'm going to in the fall has a decent amount of vegan options. I'm not sure if its actually marked in the cafeteria, but on the website everything is clearly labeled as vegan or vegetarian and even the nutritional value is available.

However I do understand where you're coming from though, the community college by me considers chicken to be vegetarian, if you're vegan I think the only thing available is a sandwich with lettuce & tomatoes. I agree that if you have to play for a meal plan, they should have a decent selection of food you're able to eat.

You should try talking with someone, because not everyone wants to eat junky, greasy food in college, and vegan foods could benefit many people by being a healthy option (in general, I know not all vegan food is healthy). The school I want to go to has a dietitian that people can talk to about their restrictions and they help you and stuff if you need it, maybe yours has one too? Good luck. :)
 
#6 ·
Sorry to hear of your predicament.

When you say 'around campus', I'm not sure if you mean in a cafeteria, or at restaurants/cafes on campus that are less directly connected to the school itself.

If these are college-run food places, it's worth finding out which dean is in charge of food services, and approaching him or her directly. Veg-friendly food shouldn't be asking too much at all. I'm sure they've had to deal with dietary allergy issues from time to time and this is no less important to accomodate and address.

If these are not college-overseen places, talk with the managers and express an interest to see vegan options. Of course, you may have done that already...

And as has been suggested, I'd get together with other students on campus. Does your school have a vegan or environmental (they'd probably back you too) group already? If not, it's worth considering starting one...
 
#7 ·
Eugh, I COMPLETELY know where you're coming from! My college has made it very difficult for me to eat anything but salad half the time, plus the fact that they make us have a meal plan. I get annoyed because I feel like I'm wasting money- and eating some expensive salads!

My advice- talk to whoever is in charge of dining. Call, email, whatever. It may not seem like it, but I think the majority of them actually DO care what the students think haha. Even suggesting small changes, like adding vegetarian sources of protein on the salad bar (beans, chickpeas, tofu) can make a difference. If you have veg friends at school get them to email as well, the more the merrier! Good luck!
 
#10 ·
I am going to college next year in south dakota... the school has a veggie option once a week... ha i guess thats the only day i'll be eating? i know that i want to advocate for more vegan options when i get there next year..i just don't know what i will do. peta2 has some good ideas
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbeck View Post

I am going to college next year in south dakota... the school has a veggie option once a week... ha i guess thats the only day i'll be eating? i know that i want to advocate for more vegan options when i get there next year..i just don't know what i will do. peta2 has some good ideas
If you already know that they don't serve vegetarian food more than once a week, I recommend you start advocating NOW so that they have some time to implement changes before you begin and have no food to eat.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by loveliestundead View Post

Anyway, maybe if you got together a group of students who feel the same way, you could more effectively request a change and at least get nutrition information displayed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaali View Post

And as has been suggested, I'd get together with other students on campus. Does your school have a vegan or environmental (they'd probably back you too) group already? If not, it's worth considering starting one...
Quote:
Originally Posted by nori_roll View Post

My advice- talk to whoever is in charge of dining. Call, email, whatever. It may not seem like it, but I think the majority of them actually DO care what the students think haha. Even suggesting small changes, like adding vegetarian sources of protein on the salad bar (beans, chickpeas, tofu) can make a difference. If you have veg friends at school get them to email as well, the more the merrier! Good luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabid_child View Post

If you already know that they don't serve vegetarian food more than once a week, I recommend you start advocating NOW so that they have some time to implement changes before you begin and have no food to eat.
These are all great ideas ... if you can approach dining services with a group of people who are concerned about this, it will probably be more effective. Unfortunately, it does seem to depend somewhat on how liberal or conservative your college campus is. If the campus isn't too progressive, they might not have a veg*n group or an enviro group, but you can always start one! I agree that you want to start working on this issue now ... does your school have a website where you can look up what sorts of student groups are on campus? That might be one way to start ... Also - another idea, if your school has a paper that is published by its students, start with a letter to the editor or even contact the paper and ask them to do a feature on this ... Good Luck!
 
#14 ·
At my college campus cafeteria, salad is basically all I can eat. In addition, we have to have a meal plan of at least 10 meals a week, and I only eat one meal a day there. Otherwise I eat in my room. Fortunately, I was able to get on a six meal per week plan because I have a medical reason (Celiac disease) , but they specifically state in their policy that being a vegan or preferring organic food does not exempt one from having to buy the full meal plan. It's frustrating.
 
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